Mark 15:32

15:32 The two men who were crucified with Jesus also mocked him. One might expect compassion from those suffering a similar cruel fate (cp. Luke 23:39-43).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mar 15:32. Ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ βασιλεύς, Christ the King) A Mimesis [an allusion to the words of an opponent, with the intention of refuting them.—See Append.] The expression, Christ, refers to the proceedings before Caiaphas; the expression, King, refers to those before Pilate.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mar 15:32 . ἵνα ἴδωμεν that we may see (in the descent from the cross) an unmistakable sign from heaven of Messiahship, and so believe in Thee. οἱ συνεσταυρωμένοι , the co-crucified. Mk., like Mt., knows nothing of the conversion of one of the robbers reported by Lk. How different these fellow-sufferers in spirit from the co-crucified in St. Paul’s sense (Rom 6:6 , Gal 2:20 )!

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

Verse 32. And believe] In him is added by DFGHPBHV, and upwards of sixty others; as also the Armenian, Slavonic, and four Itala.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(32) Let Christ.—Better, the Christ. The article is emphatic, and the word had not yet come to be used only as a name.

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

32. they that were crucified with him] At first both the robbers joined in reproaching Him. The word rendered here “they reviled him” is rendered “cast the same in his teeth” in Mat_27:44. One of them, however, went further than this, and was guilty of blaspheming Him (Luk_23:39), but, as the weary hours passed away, the other, separating himself from the sympathies of all who stood around the Cross, turned in unexampled penitence and faith to Him that hung so close to him, and whose only “token of royalty was the crown of thorns that still clung to His bleeding brows,” and in reply to his humble request to be remembered when He should come in His kingdom, heard the gracious words, “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luk_23:43). Thus even from “the Tree” the Lord began to reign, and when “lifted up,” to “draw” men, even as He had said, unto Himself (Joh_12:32).

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 some of them that stood by,.... The cross:

when they heard it; the loud voice of Jesus, and the words he uttered:

said, behold he calleth Elias; whom they ignorantly, or wilfully took for Eloi; See Gill on Mat 27:47.

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

Afterwards they saw Him arising out of the sepulchre whom they thought unable to descend from the cross. Where, O Jew, is thy infidelity? I ask you yourselves. You shall be your own judges. How much more astonishing is it to be able, when dead, to rise again, than, when living, to descend from the cross? You desired a small exertion of power, and a much greater is here performed: but still your infidelity would not be cured. All have turned out of the way, all have become useless. (St. Jerome) --- If the Scribes and Pharisees did not believe in Christ when he rose from the dead, neither would they have believed in him had he left the cross. Though the scripture had foretold in many places that he was to suffer, Psalm xxi, They have dug my hands and feet; and Psalm xcv, They shall look upon him whom they have pierced; He shall reign from the tree: (and which St. Justin assures us the Jews had erased from the psalm) yet were can the Jews point out that it was foretold he should descend from the cross? (Tirinus)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Christ might have come down from the cross; but he would not, because it was his Father"s will that he should die upon the cross to redeem us from death. So he despised the taunts of the wicked, that he might teach us by his example to do the same. If he had chosen to descend from the cross, he would not have ascended. He knew that the death upon the cross was necessary for the salvation of men; and therefore he would go through the whole. He withheld the exercise of his power. His omnipotence restrained the natural longings of his suffering humanity to escape from these unutterable torments. So he would not come down from the cross, although within three days he would rise from the grave. And yet there was no word of indignation against his tormentors. On the contrary, he proclaimed mercy; for as he hung on his cross he said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

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

32. ὁ Χριστός. Alluding to His declaration before the Sanhedrin (Mar 14:62).

ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἰσραήλ. Alluding to the title on the cross. It is probably from this expression (Mk, Mt.) that the Gospel of Peter gets the idea that the wording of the title was “This is the King of Israel.” Jews would say “of Israel,” but Pilate would write “of the Jews.”

ἵνα … πιστεύσωμεν. Mt. has καὶ πιστεύσομεν, turning the saying into a promise to believe. They failed to understand Moses and the Prophets, and they did not believe Him of whom they wrote, even when He raised the dead. But when He Himself rose, many of the priests became obedient to the faith (Act 6:7).

ὠνείδιζον. As in Mar 15:29; Mar 15:31, the imperf. expresses continued action. Mt. retains the imperf. in all three places. We may suppose that Mk and Mt. were ignorant of the subsequent conduct of the penitent robber. The frequent reviling of the other robber was much better known and was commonly spoken of as done by “the robbers.” So Cyril of Jerusalem, Ambrose, and Augustine. Origen, Chrysostom, and Jerome suppose that both robbers at first reviled, and that afterwards one of them changed and rebuked the other. This is less probable. Much less satisfactory is the suggestion that ὠνείδιζον (Mk, Mt.) means much less than ἐβλασφήμει (Lk.); both reproached Jesus, but only one railed on Him. There is little difference in meaning between the two verbs (Luk 6:22; Rom 15:3; Heb 11:26; 1Pe 4:14), and they are sometimes coupled (2Ki 19:22). Vulg. here has conviciabantur, in Mt. improperabant.

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.

32. κ. οἱ συνεστ.] See notes on Luke.

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

32. ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἰσραήλ. These titles were intended to bring out the contrast between his claims and his situation, and the certainty that if his claims were real, he would be saved from the incongruity and absurdity of that situation. A crucified Messiah, forsooth! Let us hear no more of it. If he is really the Messianic King, let him use his Messianic power, and deliver himself from his ridiculous position by coming down from the cross. He wants us to believe in him, and here is an easy way to bring that about. They could see the apparent absurdity of Jesus’ position, but not the foolishness of their idea that an act of power is going to change a Pharisee, a narrow-minded, formal, and hypocritical legalist, into a spiritual man, in sympathy with Christ’s principles and purposes. Here was the irreconcilable opposition; on the one hand, that power can create the Kingdom of God; and on the other, that power is absolutely powerless to do anything but hinder spiritual ends. Καὶ οἱ συνεσταυρωμένοι σὺν αὐτῷ …—And those crucified with him reviled him. So Mt. Lk., however, 23:39-43, says that only one took part in this railing, while the other by his confession of Jesus on the cross performed the most notable act of faith of that generation.1

Insert σὺν before αὐτῷ, Tisch. WH. א BL.

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

The Christ. See on Mt 2:1. Referring to the confession before the high - priest (xiv. 62).

King of Israel. Referring to the confession before Pilate (xv. 2).

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.