<p>6:23 <em>And he made an oath to her: Whatever you shall ask of me, I will give it to you, to the half of my kingdom</em>- This continues a theme we find in the book of Daniel- powerful rulers making a rash oath and feeling forced to carry it out because of shame and the pressure of courtiers. The contrast with God, the ultimate ruler, is not that He is not so rash and not manipulated by His subjects. Rather the contrast is surely that Yahweh&nbsp;<em>does</em>&nbsp;change, He has no fear of shame or being shamed; such is His grace that when He sees a repentant Nineveh, He&nbsp;<em>does</em>&nbsp;change His original intention. The fear of shame and pressure from the eyes of others is what leads so many leaders into behaviour and positions which are against their better judgment. There is no shame in change. Indeed, change is part of real spirituality. &quot;To the half my kingdom&rdquo; is alluding to the king&rsquo;s promise to Esther in Esther 5:23, but it seems an allusion with no context or specific meaning, for Herodias' daughter was not at all Esther.</p>