Mark 15:5
in Mark 15But to Pilate’s amazement, Jesus made no further reply.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But Jesus no more answered anything; insomuch that Pilate marvelled.
KJV
But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled.
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This verse in Mark 15
Commentary
11 notes on this verseHe is the One who, although he was silent in his passion, will not be silent finally in the day of reckoning. He is our God, even if unrecognized. He is already known among the faithful and all who believe. When he comes manifesting himself in his second coming, he will not be silent. For although he was formerly hidden in humility, he will come manifested in power.
This site's exposition
Look how many charges they are bringing against You
on Mark 15:4-5
Pilate questioned Him again, Have You no answer, and set the many charges before Him, but Jesus made no further reply, to Pilate’s amazement. A Roman governor was unused to a prisoner who declined every chance to defend himself, and this is the silence described in Isaiah 53:7.
This site's exposition
Jesus made no further reply
Augustine counts this silence as one of several, before the priests, before Herod and before Pilate, and links it to the lamb of Isaiah 53. Bede says Jesus declined a defence that might have won acquittal and so set aside the cross.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
It is found, in comparing the narratives of all the evangelists, that this silence on the part of our Lord Jesus Christ took place more than once, both before the chief priests and before Herod, to whom, as Luke intimates, Pilate had sent Him for a hearing, and before Pilate himself; so that it was not in vain that the prophecy regarding Him had preceded, "As the lamb before its shearer was dumb, so He opened not His mouth," especially on those occasions when He answered not His questioners. For although He frequently replied to questions addressed to Him, yet because of those in regard to which He declined making any reply, the metaphor of the lamb is supplied, in order that in His silence He might be accounted not as guilty, but innocent. When, therefore, He was passing through the process of judgment, wherever He opened not His mouth it was in the character of a lamb that He did so; that is, not as one with an evil conscience who was convicted of his sins, but as one who in His meekness was sacrificed for the sins of others.
The Lord became the defender of truth, and came in silence before Pilate, on behalf of truth which had been oppressed. Others gain victory through making defenses, but our Lord gained victory through his silence, because the recompense of his death through divine silence was …
The Medieval Church3 voices
But Pilate wondered, because, though He was a teacher of the law, and eloquent, and able by His answer to destroy their accusations, He did not answer any thing, but rather bore their accusations courageously.
But when asked a second time, Christ answered nothing and thereby brought Pilate to amazement. For Pilate marveled that He, being learned in the law and eloquent and having the ability to overthrow with a single answer the slanders brought against Him, said nothing, but …
(ubi sup.) There follows: But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled. He was unwilling to give an answer, lest He should clear Himself of the charge, and be acquitted by the judge, and so the gain resulting from the Cross should be done away.
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
But Jesus yet answered nothing,....
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
10 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 | But | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| Ἰησοῦς | iesous | Jesus | G2424 → | 908 times |
| οὐκέτι | ouketi | no longer | G3756 →G2089 → | 140 times |
| οὐδὲν | ouden | no [thing] | G3762 → | 232 times |
| ἀπεκρίθη | apekrithe | answered | G611 → | 231 times |
| ὥστε | hoste | so as | G5620 → | 83 times |
| θαυμάζειν | thaumazein | to amaze | G2296 → | 43 times |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Πιλᾶτον. | pilaton | Pilate. | G4091 → | 55 times |
Ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
δὲBut
deG1161 →2765 times
ἸησοῦςJesus
iesousG2424 →908 times
οὐκέτιno longer
οὐδὲνno [thing]
oudenG3762 →232 times
ἀπεκρίθηanswered
apekritheG611 →231 times
ὥστεso as
hosteG5620 →83 times
θαυμάζεινto amaze
thaumazeinG2296 →43 times
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
Πιλᾶτον.Pilate.
pilatonG4091 →55 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 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
Isaiah 53:7He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not…
it leads to
- Acts 8:32–33
The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so He did not open His mouth.
- Matthew 26:63
But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to Him, “I charge You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.”
- 1 Peter 2:23
When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.
- Mark 14:61
But Jesus remained silent and made no reply. Again the high priest questioned Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”
- Matthew 27:12–14
And when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He gave no answer.
- Acts 8:32–33
Through
Psalms 71:7I have become a portent to many, but You are my strong refuge.
it leads to
- Isaiah 8:18
Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me as signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD of Hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 8:18
Through
Zechariah 3:8Hear now, O high priest Joshua, you and your companions seated before you, who are indeed a sign. For behold, I am going to bring My servant, the Branch.
it leads to
- Isaiah 11:1
Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.
- Jeremiah 23:5
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
- Isaiah 11:1
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; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; Augustine of Hippo, TRACTATES ON JOHN 116.4; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Cyprian, Treatise IX. On the Advantage of Patience 23; Ephrem the Syrian, COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark.