Mark 15:12

Mar_15:12

The King of the Jews

Pilates question

I.

The title-King of the Jews.

II. The embarrassment that prompted the utterance of this question.

III. Regard this as a present question. What shall you do with reference to Him who is King of the Jews? Will you reject Him? Will you be neutral? Will you be like the Jews-for Him today, against Him tomorrow? Will your conscience be content if you simply call Him by His name? (Charles Stanford, D. D.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mar 15:12 . It is presupposed that the people have intimated their preference for Barabbas perhaps by the cry: not Jesus, but Barabbas. Hence Pilate proceeds to ask: “what, then, am I to do with Him whom ye call ( λέγετε ) the King of the Jews?” That whom ye call was very astute. It ought to bring out the real feeling of the people, as from the next verse we learn that it did.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

(12) Whom ye call the King of the Jews.—We note in St. Mark’s report something of the same determination to fasten upon the Jews the reproach that it was indeed their king whom he had condemned, as we see afterwards in the “title” which he placed upon the cross, and in his refusal to alter it (Joh_19:21-22).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12. What will ye] This question seems to have been put in disdain and anger; disdain at their fickleness, anger at the failure of his efforts to stem the torrent.

whom ye call the King of the Jews] He may have hoped that the sound of the title might have not been in vain on the ears of those who had lately cried, “Blessed is the king that cometh in the name of the Lord,” “Blessed is the kingdom of our father David” (Luk_19:38; Mar_11:10). But he was bitterly deceived.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

And Pilate again answered and said unto them, What then shall I do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews? The word "again" has the support of three great uncials, and the best of the cursives. Pilate did not give way without many an inward struggle. And now at last he puts the matter, so to speak, in their own power; so that it might be an act of their clemency, and that they might have the honor of saving our Lord"s life. But it was all in vain. For the chief priests had resolved to press for his crucifixion, little dreaming that they were doing what "God"s hand and God"s counsel had before determined to be done." Pilate puts the question before them with much shrewdness and tact. He speaks of our Lord as one whom "they called the King of the Jews." He appeals to their national pride and their national hopes. Would they degrade themselves, and extinguish their hopes, by giving up to the most ignominious of deaths one who had established such claims upon their reverence and their love?

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Connecting Statement:

The crowd asks for Jesus' death, so Pilate turns him over to the soldiers, who mock him, crown him with thorns, strike him, and lead him out to crucify him.

What then should I do with the King of the Jews

Pilate asks what he should do with Jesus if he releases Barabbas to them. This can be written clearly. AT: "If I release Barabbas, what then should I do with the King of the Jews" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

Pilate

King of the Jews

crucify

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

12. [3410][3411][3412][3413][3414] omit θέλετε.

[3410] Codex Sinaiticus. 4th cent. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the Monastery of St Katharine on Mount Sinai. Now at St Petersburg. The whole Gospel, ending at Mar 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1911.

[3411] Codex Vaticanus. 4th cent., but perhaps a little later than א. In the Vatican Library almost since its foundation by Pope Nicolas V., and one of its greatest treasures. The whole Gospel, ending at Mar 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1889.

[3412] Codex Ephraemi. 5th cent. A palimpsest: the original writing has been partially rubbed out, and the works of Ephraem the Syrian have been written over it; but a great deal of the original writing has been recovered; of Mark we have Mar 1:17 to Mar 6:31, Mar 8:5 to Mar 12:29, Mar 13:19 to Mar 16:20. In the National Library at Paris.

[3413] Codex Sangallensis. 9th or 10th cent. Contains the Gospels nearly complete, with an interlinear Latin translation. The text of Mark is specially good, agreeing often with CL. At St Gall.

[3414] Codex Athous Laurae. 8th cent. Like N and Σ, it is written in silver letters on purple vellum. Contains Mar 9:5 to Mar 16:20, and, as in L, the shorter ending is inserted between Mar 16:8 and Mar 16:9. As in Δ, the text of Mark is specially good.

12. Τί οὖν ποιήσω ὃν λέγετε. See crit. note. What then am I to do with Him whom ye call. Delib. subj. rather than fut. indic. (R.V.). The more usual constr. is ποιεῖν τινί τι, but that does not mean quite the same as ποιεῖν τινά τι. The latter is “to do something with a person,” the former is “to do something to a person.” Here ὅν may = τούτῳ ὅν, but the other constr. is simpler. Pilate was within his duty in offering to release Jesus for the Feast and in letting the people choose Barabbas in preference. But he had no right to let them decide what was to be done with Jesus. He wanted to avoid the responsibility of condemning Jesus, and above all to avoid a tumult at the Passover. If the Jews were bent on having the life of an innocent Galilean, the responsibility was theirs. At all costs he must prevent an insurrection which would have to be put down by his troops. That would mean much bloodshed and the raising of awkward questions at Rome. Mt. interprets Pilate’s thoughts by putting into his mouth the words, “I am innocent of this blood” ([3516][3517] Syr-Sin.).

[3516] Codex Vaticanus. 4th cent., but perhaps a little later than א. In the Vatican Library almost since its foundation by Pope Nicolas V., and one of its greatest treasures. The whole Gospel, ending at Mar 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1889.

[3517] Codex Bezae. 6th cent. Has a Latin translation (d) side by side with the Greek text, and the two do not quite always agree. Presented by Beza to the University Library of Cambridge in 1581. Remarkable for its frequent divergences from other texts. Contains Mark, except Mar 16:15-20, which has been added by a later hand. Photographic facsimile, 1899.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12.] ὃν λέγετε τ. βασιλ. τ. Ἰουδ. = Ἰησοῦν τὸν λεγόμενον χριστόν Matt. Neither of these expressions can well have been copied from the other.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12. ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς, Τί οὖν (θέλετε) ποιήσω (ὃν) λέγετε τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων;—said to them, What then shall I do (do you wish me to do) with him whom you call the king of the Jews? Or, What then do you tell me to do with the king of the Jews? The reading ὃν λέγετε τ. βασιλέα τ. Ἰουδαίων so evidently preserves to us an element of the situation, which a copyist would not think of, that it is to be retained. The fact that it was the people themselves who had invested Jesus with this title Pilate would be certain to use here, so that the ὃν λέγετε evidently belongs to this transaction. But it is just the thing that a copyist would lose sight of, as out of harmony with the present hostile attitude of the people. It is because Pilate remembered this, that he still hoped that he might find in the people, if not a demand for the release of Jesus, at least some manifestation of indifference that would show him that the cry for his death was not a popular demand, and then he could afford to go against the rulers. He was evidently determined to yield to nothing except popular pressure, and that he hoped Jesus’ previous popularity might avert.

ἔλεγεν, instead of εἶπεν, Tisch. Treg. WH. א BC Harcl. Omit θέλετε, WH. RV. א BCD 1, 13, 33, 69, Egyptt. Omit ὃν before λέγετε, WH. B Omit ὃν λέγετε, Treg. (Treg. marg.) AD 1, 13, 69, 118, Latt. Theb.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.