Mark 15:12
in Mark 15So Pilate asked them again, “What then do you want me to do with the One you call the King of the Jews?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Pilate again answered and said unto them, What then shall I do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?
KJV
And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?
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This verse in Mark 15
Commentary
11 notes on this verseHere are two goats; one is the scape goat, that is, one loosed and sent out into the wilderness of hell with the sin of the people; the other is slain, as a lamb, for the sins of those who are forgiven. The Lord's portion is always slain; the devil's part, (for he is the master of those men, which is the meaning of Barabbas,) when freed, is cast headlong into hell.
This site's exposition
What then do you want me to do
on Mark 15:12-14
Pilate asks, What evil has He done, and the crowd never answers it; they shouted all the louder. Their only reply is the demand for a Roman crucifixion.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
(ubi sup.) It now is clear enough that Mark means by King of the Jews what Matthew means by the word Christ; for no kings but those of the Jews were called Christs. For in this place according to Matthew it is said, What then shall I do with Jesus which is called Christ? There follows, And they cried out again, Crucify him. (Matt. 27:22)
Inasmuch as he was quite aware of the fact that the Lord was suspended on the cross by the soldiers, and not by the Jews, as John most plainly affirms, his hidden object [in bringing in the said clause] was to convey the idea that those parties who cried out that He should be crucified were the Lord's real crucifiers, rather than the men who simply discharged their service to their chief in accordance with their duty. We understand, accordingly, that it was the third hour when the Jews cried out that the Lord should be crucified. And thus it is intimated most truly that these persons did really crucify Christ at the time when they cried out. All the more, too, did this merit notice, because they were unwilling to have the appearance of having done the deed themselves, and with that view delivered Him up unto Pilate, as their words indicate clearly enough in the report given by John. For, after stating how Pilate said to them, "What accusation bring ye against this man?" his version proceeds thus: "They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee. Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death." Consequently, what they were especially unwilling to have the appearance of doing, that Mark here shows that they actually did do at the third hour. For he judged most truly that the Lord's murderer was rather the tongue of the Jews than the hand of the soldiers.
The Medieval Church3 voices
But Pilate again, answering, said to them: What then do you want me to do with the king of the Jews? But they again shouted: Crucify him. However, Pilate was saying to them: What evil has he done? Pilate gave many opportunities to free the …
Notice then the bloodthirstiness of the Jews and the moderation of Pilate (although he too is worthy of condemnation, because he did not firmly stand up for the righteous man). For they cried out, "Crucify Him," while he, though feebly, nevertheless attempted to free Jesus …
Now see the wickedness of the Jews, and the moderation of Pilate, though he too was worthy of condemnation for not resisting the people. For they cried out, Crucify; he faintly tries to save Jesus from their determined sentence, and again puts a question to them. Wherefore there follows, Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? For he wished in this way to find an opportunity for releasing Christ, who was innocent.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
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 Mat 27:22.
Though he was not so weak as to be governed by their opinion, to believe him guilty, yet he was so wicked as to be swayed by their outrage, to condemn him, though he believed him innocent; induced thereunto by reasons of state, and the wisdom of the world. Our Lord Jesus dying as a sacrifice for the sins of many, he fell a sacrifice to the rage of many.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
These verses begin the chapter in which Mark describes the slaying of "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." It is a part of the Gospel history which should always be read with peculiar reverence. We should call to mind, that Christ was cut off, not for Himself, but for us. (Dan. 9:26.) We should remember that His death is the life of our souls, and that unless His blood had been shed, we must have perished miserably in our sins.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
These verses begin the chapter in which Mark describes the slaying of "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." It is a part of the Gospel history which should always be read with peculiar reverence. We should call to mind, that Christ was cut off, not for Himself, but for us. (Dan. 9:26.) We should remember that His death is the life of our souls, and that unless His blood had been shed, we must have perished miserably in our sins. Let us mark in these verses, what a striking proof the Jewish rulers gave to their own nation that the times of Messiah had come . The chapter opens with the fact, that the chief priests bound Jesus and "delivered Him to Pilate," the Roman Governor. Why did they do so? Because they had no longer the power of putting any one to death, and were under the dominion of the Romans. By this one act and deed they declared that the prophecy of Jacob was fulfilled. "The scepter had departed from Judah, and the lawgiver from between his feet," and Shiloh the Messiah, whom God had promised to send, must have come. (Gen. 49:10.) Yet there is nothing whatever to show that they remembered this prophecy. Their eyes were blinded. They either could not, or would not, see what they were doing. Let us never forget that wicked men are often fulfilling God's predictions to their own ruin, and yet know it not. In the very height of their madness, folly, and unbelief, they are often unconsciously supplying fresh evidence that the Bible is true. The unhappy scoffers who make a jest of all serious religion, and can scarcely talk of Christianity without ridicule and scorn, would do well to remember that their conduct was long ago foreseen and foretold. "There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts." (2 Peter 3:3) Let us mark, secondly, in these verses, the meekness and lowliness of our Lord Jesus Christ .
The words behind it
17 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | And | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| Πιλᾶτος | pilatos | Pilate | G4091 → | 55 times |
| πάλιν | palin | again | G3825 → | 139 times |
| ἀποκριθεὶς | apokritheis | answering | G611 → | 231 times |
| ἔλεγεν | elegen | was saying | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| αὐτοῖς· | autois | to them; | G846 → | 5565 times |
| τί | ti | What | G5101 → | 563 times |
| οὖν | oun | then | G3767 → | 497 times |
| θέλετε | thelete | do you wish [that] | G2309 → | 208 times |
| ποιήσω | poieso | I may do | G4160 → | 569 times |
| ὃν | hon | to Him | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| λέγετε | legete | you named | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| βασιλέα | basilea | King | G935 → | 114 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰουδαίων; | ioudaion | Jews? | G2453 → | 192 times |
Ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
δὲAnd
deG1161 →2765 times
ΠιλᾶτοςPilate
pilatosG4091 →55 times
πάλινagain
palinG3825 →139 times
ἀποκριθεὶςanswering
apokritheisG611 →231 times
ἔλεγενwas saying
elegenG3004 →1325 times
αὐτοῖς·to them;
autoisG846 →5565 times
τίWhat
tiG5101 →563 times
οὖνthen
ounG3767 →497 times
θέλετεdo you wish [that]
theleteG2309 →208 times
ποιήσωI may do
poiesoG4160 →569 times
ὃνto Him
honG3739 →1405 times
λέγετεyou named
legeteG3004 →1325 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
βασιλέαKing
basileaG935 →114 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
Ἰουδαίων;Jews?
ioudaionG2453 →192 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Acts 5:31God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior, in order to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.
it leads to
- Luke 24:47
and in His name repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.
- Acts 2:33
Exalted, then, to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.
- Hebrews 2:10
In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting for God, for whom and through whom all things exist, to make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.
- Luke 2:11
Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord!
- Acts 11:18
When they heard this, their objections were put to rest, and they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”
- Luke 24:47
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Mark
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Augustine of Hippo, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Augustine of Hippo, The Harmony of the Gospels, Book 3; Bede, On the Gospel of Mark; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Pseudo-Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark and Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas.