Mark 15:19

JESUS SCOURGED AND MOCKED

Mar 15:19; Joh 19:1-3; Mat 27:26-30. “And having scourged Jesus, he delivered Him up, that He may be crucified.” As it was customary with the Romans to precede the crucifixion of condemned criminals by this awful and cruel scourging, Pilate now proceeds to have Jesus scourged, thus publicly demonstrating His condemnation, and afterward delivering Him up to be crucified pursuant to criminal law, at the same time congratulating himself on the presumed clemency of the Jews to permit His release. This was Pilate’s weakness. He here let go his grip, thinking to regain it, but failed.

“Then the soldiers of the governor, taking Jesus into the judgment-hall, gathered round Him the whole band; and divesting Him, put on Him a scarlet robe; and plaiting a crown of thorns, placed it on His head, and a reed in His right hand, and bowing the knee before Him, continued to mock Him, saying, Hall, King of the Jews. Spitting upon Him, they repeatedly took the reed, and struck Him on the head.” All this pomp, pageantry, and abuse, dressing Him up like a king, paying Him royal adoration, at the same time indulging in the vilest insult and abuse, was their way of humoring what they regarded as a ridiculous joke; i. e., His claim to be King. While Pilate, especially since the reception of his wife’s warning letter, was awfully troubled with suspicion and apprehension that He might be superhuman, and even one of the Roman gods, as their poets had described their deities as coming down in human form and walking over the earth ever and anon, the soldiers looked upon Him as a regular oddity, fanatically dreaming that He was King of the Jews. Consequently they intensely enjoyed amusement at His expense, dressing Him up like a king, with a crown on His head and a scepter in His hand, and His loyal subjects round Him, bowing the knee and doing homage to His Majesty.

William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

(19) They smote . . . did spit . . . worshipped.—All three verbs are in the tense which implies frequent repetition.

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

19. smote him] Rather, began to smite or kept smiting Him.

with a reed] The same which they had already put into His hands as a sceptre.

did spit upon him] See note above, ch. Mar_14:65.

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 they compel one Simon a Cyrenian,.... See Gill on Mat 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 Act 19:33 and of Rufus, in Rom 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 Mat 27:32.

(t) Misn. Betza, c. 4. sect. 2. (u) Maimon. & Bartenora in ib. Vid. Maimon. Hilch. Yom Tob, c. 2. sect. 14.

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

Worshipped him - Mocked him with the “appearance” of homage. The word “worship” here denotes only the respect and honor shown to princes and kings. It does not refer to any “religious” homage. They regarded him as foolishly and madly claiming to be a king - not as claiming to be divine.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

And they smote his head with a reed the same reed, according to St. Matthew, (Mat_27:29, Mat_27:30) which they bad first put into his right hand as a scepter, to complete the mocking symbolismand did spit upon him (eneptuon autw). The verb is in the imperfect; they did it again and again.

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

a reed

"a stick" or "a staff"

bent their knees

A person who kneels bends his knees, so those who kneel are sometimes said to "bend their knees." AT: "kneeled" or "knelt" (See: Metaphor)

they forced him to carry his cross

According to Roman law, a solider could force a man he came upon along the road to carry a load. In this case, they forced Simon to carry Jesus' cross.

from the country

"from outside the city"

A certain man, ... Rufus), and

This is background information about the man whom the soldiers forced to carry Jesus' cross. (See: Background Information)

Simon ... Alexander ... Rufus

These are names of men. (See: How to Translate Names)

Cyrene

This is the name of a place. (See: How to Translate Names)

translationWords

mock

crucify

cross

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

19. τιθέντες τὰ γόνατα. Possibly a Latinism; ponentes genua. Cf. Luk 22:41; Act 7:60. Note the imperfects.

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.

19. They varied their abuse, sometimes paying him mock homage, and sometimes marks of scorn and abuse. προσεκύνουν αὐτῳ—they did him homage. They paid him mock homage as a king, not mock worship as a God.

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