Mark 15:11-47

15:11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release ¹  Barabbas instead. 15:12 So Pilate spoke to them again, ²  “Then what do you want me to do ³  with the one you call king of the Jews?” 15:13 They shouted back, “Crucify ⁴  him!” 15:14 Pilate asked them, “Why? What has he done wrong?” But they shouted more insistently, “Crucify him!” 15:15 Because he wanted to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them. Then, ⁵  after he had Jesus flogged, ⁶  he handed him over ⁷  to be crucified.

Jesus is Mocked

15:16 So ⁸  the soldiers led him into the palace (that is, the governor’s residence) ⁹  and called together the whole cohort. ¹⁰  15:17 They put a purple cloak ¹¹  on him and after braiding ¹²  a crown of thorns, ¹³  they put it on him. 15:18 They began to salute him: “Hail, king of the Jews!” ¹⁴  15:19 Again and again ¹⁵  they struck him on the head with a staff ¹⁶  and spit on him. Then they knelt down and paid homage to him. 15:20 When they had finished mocking ¹⁷  him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes back on him. Then ¹⁸  they led him away to crucify him. ¹⁹ 

The Crucifixion

15:21 The soldiers ²⁰  forced ²¹  a passerby to carry his cross, ²²  Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country ²³  (he was the father of Alexander and Rufus). 15:22 They brought Jesus ²⁴  to a place called Golgotha ²⁵  (which is translated, “Place of the Skull”). ²⁶  15:23 They offered him wine mixed with myrrh, ²⁷  but he did not take it. 15:24 Then ²⁸  they crucified ²⁹  him and divided his clothes, throwing dice ³⁰  for them, to decide what each would take. 15:25 It was nine o’clock in the morning ³¹  when they crucified him. 15:26 The inscription ³²  of the charge against him read, “The king of the Jews.” 15:27 And they crucified two outlaws with him, one on his right and one on his left. 15:28 [[EMPTY]] ³³  15:29 Those who passed by defamed him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 15:30 save yourself and come down from the cross!” ³⁴  15:31 In the same way even the chief priests – together with the experts in the law ³⁵  – were mocking him among themselves: ³⁶  “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! 15:32 Let the Christ, ³⁷  the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, that we may see and believe!” Those who were crucified with him also spoke abusively to him. ³⁸ 

Jesus’ Death

15:33 Now ³⁹  when it was noon, ⁴⁰  darkness came over the whole land ⁴¹  until three in the afternoon. ⁴²  15:34 Around three o’clock ⁴³  Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” ⁴⁴  15:35 When some of the bystanders heard it they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah!” ⁴⁵  15:36 Then someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, ⁴⁶  put it on a stick, ⁴⁷  and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah will come to take him down!” 15:37 But Jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed his last. 15:38 And the temple curtain ⁴⁸  was torn in two, from top to bottom. 15:39 Now when the centurion, ⁴⁹  who stood in front of him, saw how he died, ⁵⁰  he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!” 15:40 There were also women, watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, ⁵¹  and Salome. 15:41 When he was in Galilee, they had followed him and given him support. ⁵²  Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem ⁵³  were there too.

Jesus’ Burial

15:42 Now ⁵⁴  when evening had already come, since it was the day of preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath), ⁵⁵  15:43 Joseph of Arimathea, a highly regarded member of the council, ⁵⁶  who was himself looking forward to ⁵⁷  the kingdom of God, ⁵⁸  went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁵⁹  15:44 Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. He ⁶⁰  called the centurion and asked him if he had been dead for some time. 15:45 When Pilate ⁶¹  was informed by the centurion, ⁶²  he gave the body to Joseph. 15:46 After Joseph ⁶³  bought a linen cloth ⁶⁴  and took down the body, he wrapped it in the linen and placed it in a tomb cut out of the rock. ⁶⁵  Then ⁶⁶  he rolled a stone across the entrance ⁶⁷  of the tomb. 15:47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body ⁶⁸  was placed.

[15:11]  ¹ tn Grk “to have him release for them.”

[15:12]  ² tn Grk “answering, Pilate spoke to them again.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant and has not been translated.

[15:12]  ³ tc Instead of “what do you want me to do” several witnesses, including the most important ones (א B C W Δ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 892 2427 pc), lack θέλετε (qelete, “you want”), turning the question into the more abrupt “what should I do?” Although the witnesses for the longer reading are not as significant (A D Θ 0250 Ï latt sy), the reading without θέλετε conforms to Matt 27:22 and thus is suspected of being a scribal emendation. The known scribal tendency to assimilate one synoptic passage to another parallel, coupled with the lack of such assimilation in mss that are otherwise known to do this most frequently (the Western and Byzantine texts), suggests that θέλετε is authentic. Further, Mark’s known style of being generally more verbose and redundant than Matthew’s argues that θέλετε is authentic here. That this is the longer reading, however, and that a good variety of witnesses omit the word, gives one pause. Perhaps the wording without θέλετε would have been perceived as having greater homiletical value, motivating scribes to move in this direction. A decision is difficult, but on the whole internal evidence leads toward regarding θέλετε as authentic.

[15:13]  ⁴ sn Crucifixion was the cruelest form of punishment practiced by the Romans. Roman citizens could not normally undergo it. It was reserved for the worst crimes, like treason and evasion of due process in a capital case. The Roman historian Cicero called it “a cruel and disgusting penalty” (Against Verres 2.5.63-66 §§163-70); Josephus (J. W. 7.6.4 [7.203]) called it the worst of deaths.

[15:15]  ⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[15:15]  ⁶ tn The Greek term φραγελλόω (fragellow) refers to flogging. BDAG 1064 s.v. states, “flog, scourge, a punishment inflicted on slaves and provincials after a sentence of death had been pronounced on them. So in the case of Jesus before the crucifixion…Mt 27:26; Mk 15:15.”

[15:15]  ⁷ tn Or “delivered him up.”

[15:16]  ⁸ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “So” to indicate that the soldiers’ action is in response to Pilate’s condemnation of the prisoner in v. 15.

[15:16]  ⁹ tn Grk “(that is, the praetorium).”

[15:16]  ¹⁰ sn A Roman cohort was a tenth of a legion, about 500-600 soldiers.

[15:17]  ¹¹ sn The purple cloak probably refers to a military garment which had the color of royal purple, and thus resembled a king’s robe. The soldiers did this to Jesus as a form of mockery in view of the charges that he was a king (cf. 15:2).

[15:17]  ¹² tn Or “weaving.”

[15:17]  ¹³ sn The crown may have been made from palm spines or some other thorny plant common in Israel. In placing the crown of thorns on his head, the soldiers were unwittingly symbolizing God’s curse on humanity (cf. Gen 3:18) being placed on Jesus. Their purpose would have been to mock Jesus’ claim to be a king; the crown of thorns would have represented the “radiant corona” portrayed on the heads of rulers on coins and other artifacts in the 1st century.

[15:18]  ¹⁴ tn Or “Long live the King of the Jews!”

[15:19]  ¹⁵ tn The verb here has been translated as an iterative imperfect.

[15:19]  ¹⁶ tn Or “a reed.” The Greek term can mean either “staff” or “reed.” See BDAG 502 s.v. κάλαμος 2.

[15:20]  ¹⁷ tn The aorist tense is taken consummatively here.

[15:20]  ¹⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[15:20]  ¹⁹ sn See the note on Crucify in 15:13.

[15:21]  ²⁰ tn Grk “They”; the referent (the soldiers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:21]  ²¹ tn Or “conscripted”; or “pressed into service.”

[15:21]  ²² sn Jesus was beaten severely with a whip before this (the prelude to crucifixion, known to the Romans as verberatio, mentioned in Matt 27:26; Mark 15:15; John 19:1), so he would have been weak from trauma and loss of blood. Apparently he was unable to bear the cross himself, so Simon was conscripted to help (in all probability this was only the crossbeam, called in Latin the patibulum, since the upright beam usually remained in the ground at the place of execution). Cyrene was located in North Africa where Tripoli is today. Nothing more is known about this Simon.

[15:21]  ²³ tn Or perhaps, “was coming in from his field” outside the city (BDAG 15-16 s.v. ἀγρός 1).

[15:22]  ²⁴ tn Grk “him.”

[15:22]  ²⁵ tn Grk “a place, Golgotha.” This is an Aramaic name; see John 19:17.

[15:22]  ²⁶ sn The place called Golgotha (which is translated “Place of the Skull”). This location is north and just outside of Jerusalem. The hill on which it is located protruded much like a skull, giving the place its name. The Latin word for the Greek term κρανίον (kranion) is calvaria, from which the English word “Calvary” is derived (cf. Luke 23:33 in the KJV).

[15:23]  ²⁷ sn It is difficult to say for certain who gave Jesus this drink of wine mixed with myrrh (e.g., the executioner, or perhaps women from Jerusalem). In any case, whoever gave it to him most likely did so in order to relieve his pain, but Jesus was unwilling to take it.

[15:24]  ²⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[15:24]  ²⁹ sn See the note on Crucify in 15:13.

[15:24]  ³⁰ tn Grk “by throwing the lot” (probably by using marked pebbles or broken pieces of pottery). A modern equivalent, “throwing dice,” was chosen here because of its association with gambling. According to L&N 6.219 a term for “dice” is particularly appropriate.

[15:25]  ³¹ tn Grk “It was the third hour.” This time would have been approximate, and could refer to the beginning of the process, some time before Jesus was lifted on the cross.

[15:26]  ³² sn Mention of the inscription is an important detail, because the inscription would normally give the reason for the execution. It shows that Jesus was executed for claiming to be a king. It was also probably written with irony from the executioners’ point of view.

[15:28]  ³³ tc Most later mss add 15:28 “And the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘He was counted with the lawless ones.’” Verse 28 is included in L Θ 083 0250 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat, but is lacking in important Alexandrian and Western mss and some others (א A B C D Ψ pc). The addition of the verse with its quotation from Isa 53:12 probably represents a scribal assimilation from Luke 22:37. It was almost certainly not an original part of Mark’s Gospel. The present translation follows NA²⁷ in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.

[15:30]  ³⁴ sn There is rich irony in the statement of those who were passing by, “Save yourself and come down from the cross!” In summary, they wanted Jesus to come down from the cross and save his physical life, but it was indeed his staying on the cross and giving his physical life that led to the fact that they could experience a resurrection from death to life. There is a similar kind of irony in the statement made by the chief priests and experts in the law in 15:31.

[15:31]  ³⁵ tn Or “with the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22. Only “chief priests” is in the nominative case; this sentence structure attempts to capture this emphasis.

[15:31]  ³⁶ tn Grk “Mocking him, the chief priests…said among themselves.”

[15:32]  ³⁷ tn Or “the Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[15:32]  ³⁸ sn Mark’s wording suggests that both of the criminals spoke abusively to him. If so, one of them quickly changed his attitude toward Jesus (see Luke 23:40-43).

[15:33]  ³⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[15:33]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “When the sixth hour had come.”

[15:33]  ⁴¹ sn This imagery has parallels to the Day of the Lord: Joel 2:10; Amos 8:9; Zeph 1:15.

[15:33]  ⁴² tn Grk “until the ninth hour.”

[15:34]  ⁴³ tn The repetition of the phrase “three o’clock” preserves the author’s rougher, less elegant style (cf. Matt 27:45-46; Luke 23:44). Although such stylistic matters are frequently handled differently in the translation, because the issue of synoptic literary dependence is involved here, it was considered important to reflect some of the stylistic differences among the synoptics in the translation, so that the English reader can be aware of them.

[15:34]  ⁴⁴ sn A quotation from Ps 22:1.

[15:35]  ⁴⁵ sn Perhaps the crowd thought Jesus was calling for Elijah because the exclamation “my God, my God” (i.e., in Aramaic, Eloi, Eloi) sounds like the name Elijah.

[15:36]  ⁴⁶ sn Sour wine refers to cheap wine that was called in Latin posca, a cheap vinegar wine diluted heavily with water. It was the drink of slaves and soldiers, and was probably there for the soldiers who had performed the crucifixion.

[15:36]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “a reed.”

[15:38]  ⁴⁸ tn The referent of this term, καταπέτασμα (katapetasma), is not entirely clear. It could refer to the curtain separating the holy of holies from the holy place (Josephus, J. W. 5.5.5 [5.219]), or it could refer to one at the entrance of the temple court (Josephus, J. W. 5.5.4 [5.212]). Many argue that the inner curtain is meant because another term, κάλυμμα (kalumma), is also used for the outer curtain. Others see a reference to the outer curtain as more likely because of the public nature of this sign. Either way, the symbolism means that access to God has been opened up. It also pictures a judgment that includes the sacrifices.

[15:39]  ⁴⁹ sn A centurion was a noncommissioned officer in the Roman army or one of the auxiliary territorial armies, commanding a centuria of (nominally) 100 men. The responsibilities of centurions were broadly similar to modern junior officers, but there was a wide gap in social status between them and officers, and relatively few were promoted beyond the rank of senior centurion. The Roman troops stationed in Judea were auxiliaries, who would normally be rewarded with Roman citizenship after 25 years of service. Some of the centurions may have served originally in the Roman legions (regular army) and thus gained their citizenship at enlistment. Others may have inherited it, like Paul.

[15:39]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “the way he breathed his last”; or “the way he expired”; or “that he thus breathed no more.”

[15:40]  ⁵¹ sn In Matt 27:56 the name Joses is written as Joseph.

[15:41]  ⁵² tn Grk “and ministered to him.”

[15:41]  ⁵³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[15:42]  ⁵⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic and introduction of a new character.

[15:42]  ⁵⁵ sn The day of preparation was the day before the Sabbath when everything had to be prepared for it, as no work could be done on the Sabbath.

[15:43]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “a councillor” (as a member of the Sanhedrin, see L&N 11.85). This indicates that some individuals among the leaders did respond to Jesus.

[15:43]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “waiting for.”

[15:43]  ⁵⁸ sn Though some dispute that Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple of Jesus, this remark that he was looking forward to the kingdom of God and his actions regarding Jesus’ burial suggest otherwise.

[15:43]  ⁵⁹ sn Asking for the body of Jesus was indeed a bold move on the part of Joseph of Arimathea, for it clearly and openly identified him with a man who had just been condemned and executed, namely, Jesus. His faith is exemplary, especially for someone who was a member of the council that handed Jesus over for crucifixion (cf. Luke 23:51). He did this because he sought to give Jesus an honorable burial.

[15:44]  ⁶⁰ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[15:45]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Pilate) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:45]  ⁶² sn See the note on the word centurion in 15:39.

[15:46]  ⁶³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Joseph of Arimathea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:46]  ⁶⁴ tn The term σινδών (sindwn) can refer to a linen cloth used either for clothing or for burial.

[15:46]  ⁶⁵ tn That is, cut or carved into an outcropping of natural rock, resulting in a cave-like structure (see L&N 19.25).

[15:46]  ⁶⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[15:46]  ⁶⁷ tn Or “to the door,” “against the door.”

[15:47]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “it”; the referent (Jesus’ body) has been specified in the translation for clarity.