Mark 15:1
Ver. 1. And straightway in the morning,.... As soon as it was break of day, or daylight appeared:
the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and Scribes; who were the principal men in the sanhedrim:
and the whole council; which, on this extraordinary occasion, was convened; the result of which was, to bind Jesus, and deliver him up to the Roman governor, to be put to death by him, as a seditious person, and an enemy to Caesar, and accordingly they did so:
and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate. The Syriac and Persic versions add, "the governor";
See Gill on "Mt 27:1",
See Gill on "Mt 27:2".
Mark 15:2
Ver. 2. And Pilate asked him, art thou the king of the Jews?.... Which either he had heard before that it was said by him, and his followers; or was what the Jews now suggested to him as his crime, which they desired sentence of death might pass upon him:
and he answering, said unto him, thou sayest it; which is all one as if he had said, I am; See Gill on "Mt 26:25"; for so he was in a sense, in which he explained himself to Pilate's satisfaction,
Joh 18:36;
See Gill on "Mt 27:11".
Mark 15:3
Ver. 3. And the chief priests accused him of many things,.... As that he was a magician, and a blasphemer, and gave out that he was the Son of God; and that he made himself a king, and even forbad the people to give tribute to Caesar, and moved discord, sedition, and rebellion throughout the land;
but he answered nothing. This clause is wanting in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions; but is in the Greek text of the Complutensian edition, and in the Ethiopic version, and agrees with Mt 27:12,
See Gill on "Mt 27:12".
Mark 15:4
Ver. 4. And Pilate asked him again,.... In the presence of the chief priests, who laid so many things to his charge; for the former question was put, when Jesus and he were alone in the judgment hall, whither the Jews would not enter for fear of being defiled; see
John 18:28;
saying, answerest thou nothing behold how many things they witness against thee? The charges were many, and very heinous, and which Pilate thought called for self-defence; See Gill on "Mt 27:13".
Mark 15:5
Ver. 5. But Jesus yet answered nothing,.... He still continued silent, and made no defence for himself, which the governor was willing to give him an opportunity to make, and, as his friend, urged him to it:
so that Pilate marvelled; what should be the meaning of his silence, when he was so capable of defending himself, and was so innocent, as Pilate himself was ready to believe; and yet the things he was charged with were of, the highest nature, and by persons of the greatest figure in the nation; so that his silence exposed him to a great deal of danger, which Pilate thought might easily be avoided by answering for himself; See Gill on "Mt 27:14".
Mark 15:6
Ver. 6. Now at that feast,.... The feast of the passover, which was at that instant; see Joh 18:39. The Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions read, "at every feast"; as if the following custom was used at every feast in the year, at the feasts of pentecost and tabernacles, as well as at the passover; whereas it was only at the latter:
he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired; of this custom See Gill on "Mt 27:15".
Mark 15:7
Ver. 7. And there was one named Barabbas,.... A prisoner of that name at Jerusalem;
which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him: he had been at the head of a seditious mob, and he and his accomplices were taken and put in prison:
who had committed murder in the insurrection; which may be connected either with Barabbas, and read in the singular number, as it is in the Vulgate Latin version, "he had committed"; or with the seditious persons he lay bound with, and be read in the plural number, "they had committed murder", as it is in the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions; and so in the ancient copies; and the Ethiopic renders it, "he was bound with seditious persons and murderers"; though, no doubt, he was guilty of murder as well as they; and so Peter calls him a murderer, Ac 3:14. About this time murders were very frequently committed: the Jews say {r} that
"from the time that murderers increased, the slaying of the red heifer ceased; (the reason the commentators {s} give, is, because they were known who were accustomed to commit murder;) and that was from the time that Eleazar ben Dinai came, and Techinah ben Perishah he was called; and they called him again the son of a murderer;''
See Gill on "Mt 27:16".
{r} Misn. Sota, c. 9. sect. 9. Maimon. Hilch. Rotzeach. c. 9. sect. 12. {s} Jarchi & Bartienora in ib.
Mark 15:8
Ver. 8. And the multitude crying aloud,.... The Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions read, and when the "multitude", or "people went up", to the place called the pavement, where the judgment seat was; and so it is read in Beza's most ancient copy; but the former reading is to be preferred:
began to desire [him to do] as he had ever done to them: that is, release a prisoner to them, as he had done at every passover, since he had been a governor over them.
Mark 15:9
Ver. 9. But Pilate answered them; saying,.... Being satisfied of the innocence of Jesus, and being willing to dismiss him:
will ye that I release unto you the king of the Jews? he who is called so; and which he either said by way of derision both of Christ, and them; or else in order to prevail upon them to ask his release, it being scandalous and reproachful to put their king to death.
Mark 15:10
Ver. 10. For he knew that the chief priests,.... The Persic version reads in the singular, "the chief of the priests", or the high priest, Caiaphas,
had delivered him for envy; at his popularity through his doctrine and miracles, and not from any principle of equity and justice, or from any regard to Caesar; See Gill on "Mt 27:18".
Mark 15:11
Ver. 11. But the chief priests moved the people,.... Greatly solicited and persuaded them, both in person, and by their officers they employed, and dispersed among them, to make use of arguments with them to prevail upon them:
that he should rather release Barabbas unto them; than Jesus of Nazareth; choosing rather to have a murderer granted unto them, than the holy and just one. The Persic version, as before, reads, "the chief of the priests"; but they were all concerned, and were the most active men in bringing about the death of Christ; though Caiaphas was behind none of them in envy, rage, and malice;
See Gill on "Mt 27:20".
Mark 15:12
Ver. 12. And Pilate answered and said again unto them,.... Being astonished that they should ask the release of such an infamous person; and being very desirous of saving Jesus:
what will ye then that I shall do unto him, whom ye call the king of the Jews? at least many of you; would you have me put him to death? surely this can never be desired; or would you have me inflict some slight punishment on him, as scourging him, and so dismiss him?
See Gill on "Mt 27:22".
Mark 15:13
Ver. 13. And they cried out again, crucify him. For they had cried so once before, though Matthew and Mark relate it not, yet Luke does, Lu 23:21.
Mark 15:14
Ver. 14. Then Pilate said unto them,.... The third time,
Lu 23:22;
why, what evil hath he done? worthy of death. They had charged him with many things, but proved nothing against him. Pilate could find no fault in him, and judged him an innocent person, and therefore was loth to condemn him:
and they cried out the more exceedingly; with louder voices, and greater vehemency, the more they found he was inclined to save him:
crucify him; nothing short of death would satisfy them, and no other death but that of the cross; See Gill on "Mt 27:22",
See Gill on "Mt 27:23".
Mark 15:15
Ver. 15. And so Pilate, willing to content the people,.... To satisfy and make them easy, who were become very noisy and tumultuous, and fearing the consequences of their resentment, should he not comply, of which he had formerly had experience; therefore to humour them, and keep in their favour, after he had washed his hands, to testify his innocence in the matter,
he released Barabbas unto them; the seditious person, robber, and murderer, as they desired:
and delivered Jesus when he had scourged him; or having scourged him; for this he had done before, hoping the Jews would have been satisfied with that, and not have insisted on any further punishment. The Arabic version very wrongly renders the words, "and delivered unto them Jesus, that he might be scourged": as if this was afterwards to be done by the Jews, or Roman soldiers; whereas he had scourged him before, and now delivered him
to be crucified, as they desired; in which he acted contrary to law and justice, to the violation of his own conscience, and merely to gratify the humour of the people; See Gill on "Mt 27:26".
Mark 15:16
Ver. 16. And the soldiers led him away into the hall,.... From the place called the pavement, where was the judge's bench, from which he passed sentence on Christ, to a large room,
called the praetorium, or judgment hall; being the hall, or room, where the praetor, or Roman magistrate, kept his court of judicature; and is the same place the Jews would not go into, lest they should be defiled, and become unmeet to eat the Chagigah that day; and into which Pilate had Jesus more than once alone,
Joh 18:28, but now he had a large company with him:
and they call together the whole band; very likely the soldiers, into whose custody Jesus was put, and who led him away, were the four soldiers that attended his crucifixion, and parted his garments; but for greater diversion they got together the whole band to which they belonged; See Gill on "Mt 27:27".
Mark 15:17
Ver. 17. And they clothed him with purple,.... Matthew calls it a "scarlet" robe; and the Persic version here renders it a "red garment": it was of a colour resembling purple; it was pretty near it, and therefore so called; which is what kings were used to wear; and so in derision of him, as a king, clothed him with this mock purple robe; and which was very likely one of the soldiers' old coats:
and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head; for a crown, and also a reed in his hand, instead of a sceptre, as Matthew relates; See Gill on "Mt 26:28",
See Gill on "Mt 26:29".
Mark 15:18
Ver. 18. And began to salute him, hail, king of the Jews!] In a mock way, wishing him long life and prosperity, as if he was a king just come to his throne, and this was his coronation day.
Mark 15:19
Ver. 19. And they smote him on the head with a reed,.... Or cane, a walking stick which they had put into his hands for a sceptre: this they took out again, and struck him on the head with it, which drove the sharp pointed thorns into his temples:
and did spit upon him; "upon his face", as the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions read:
and bowing their knees, as to a sovereign prince,
worshipped him; saying the above words, hail, king of the Jews?
See Gill on "Mt 27:29",
See Gill on "Mt 27:30".
Mark 15:20
Ver. 20. And when they had mocked him,.... To their satisfaction, and had had enough of this sort of diversion:
they took off the purple from him; and so, in their way, unkinged him;
and put his own clothes on him: both that he might be known to be the same person; and that the four soldiers, who had the charge of him, might have the perquisites of his clothes at his execution:
and led him out to crucify him: they led him out of the "praetorium", or judgment hall, and through the city, without the gates of it, to the usual place of crucifixion; he bearing his own cross, when first led out.
Mark 15:21
Ver. 21. And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian,....
See Gill on "Mt 27:32";
who passed by; as they were leading Jesus to be crucified:
coming out of the country; from some country village hard by, according to the Syriac, and Vulgate Latin versions; or out of the field, as the Persic and Ethiopic: he might have been in the field, about some rural business; or, as Dr. Lightfoot conjectures, to fetch wood from thence, which was lawful to be done on a feast day, with some provisos, according to the Jewish canon, which runs thus {t};
"they may bring wood out of the field, (i.e. on a feast day, as this was,) of that which is gathered together, and out of a place that is fenced about, and even of that which is scattered abroad: what is a fenced place? whatever is near to a city, the words of R. Judah. R. Jose says, whatever they go into by a door, and even within the border of the sabbath.''
And according to the commentators {u}, it must be wood that is gathered together, and that lies not in an open field, but in a fenced place, and this near the city; at least with in two thousand cubits, a sabbath day's journey.
The father of Alexander and Rufus; who were men well known when Mark wrote his Gospel, and very likely men of eminence among Christians: mention is made of Alexander in Ac 19:33 and of Rufus, in
Ro 16:13, which some have thought the same as here; but whether they are or not, is not certain: however, they obliged "Simon"
to bear his cross: the cross of Christ, after him;
See Gill on "Mt 27:32".
{t} Misn. Betza, c. 4. sect. 2. {u} Maimon. & Bartenora in ib. Vid. Maimon. Hilch. Yom Tob, c. 2. sect. 14.
Mark 15:22
Ver. 22. And they bring him unto the place, Golgotha,.... A famous, or rather an infamous one, well known, and much noted for the many executions there:
which is, being interpreted, the place of a skull; because the skulls of men that had been executed and buried there, being dug up again, lay scattered about; See Gill on "Mt 27:33".
Mark 15:23
Ver. 23. And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh,.... Wine mingled with frankincense was what was usually given by the Jews to persons going to die {w}:
"he that goes to be executed they mix for him, Nyy lv owkb
hnwbl lv jrwq