Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 14:9

"And the king was grieved; but for the sake of his oaths, and of them that sat at meat with him, he commanded it to be given;" — Matthew 14:9 (ASV)

The king was sorry—it was the last struggle of his conscience. In that moment, his past reverence for the prophet must have come to mind, along with the joy that had for a time accompanied his strivings for a better life, and possibly the counsel of his foster brother, Manaen.

Had the influence of Herodias been the only factor, his better impulses might have prevailed; but, like most weak men, Herod feared being thought weak. It was not so much his regard for the oath he had taken (which he might have disregarded had it been made in secret) but his shrinking from the taunt, whispered jest, or contemptuous gesture of the assembled guests, should they see him go back on his pledged word.

In this, as in so many other instances, a false regard for public opinion—for what people will say or think of us in our own narrow circle—was an incentive to guilt instead of a restraint.