Although sent (a participle in Greek) has no expressed object, many languages will require one: “sent his men to the prison to behead John the Baptist” or “sent the executioner….”

Beheaded can be “kill him by cutting off his head.”

The last part of verse 9 and verse 10 are sometimes put into direct speech, as in “… he commanded his soldiers, ‘Give her what she has asked for. Go to the prison and cut off John’s head.’ ”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .