TRV
Translation
King James Version
And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them.
American Standard Version
And the multitude went up and began to ask him to do as he was wont to do unto them.
World English Bible Messianic
The multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do as he always did for them.
Geneva Bible (1599)
And the people cried aloude, and began to desire that he woulde doe as he had euer done vnto them.
Young's Literal Translation
And the multitude having cried out, began to ask for themselves as he was always doing to them,
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In the KJVVerse 24,835 of 31,102
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Commentary on Mark 15 verses 1–14
1 ¶ And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate.
2 And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it.
3 And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing.
4 And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee.
5 But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled.
6 Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.
7 And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.
8 And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them.
9 But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
10 For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.
11 But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.
12 And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?
13 And they cried out again, Crucify him.
14 Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.
Here we have, I. A consultation held by the great Sanhedrim for the effectual prosecution of our Lord Jesus. They met early in the morning about it, and went into a grand committee, to find out ways and means to get him put to death; they lost no time, but followed their blow in good earnest, lest there should be an uproar among the people. The unwearied industry of wicked people in doing that which is evil, should shame us for our backwardness and slothfulness in that which is good. They that war against Christ and thy soul, are up early; How long then wilt thou sleep, O sluggard?
II. The delivering of him up a prisoner to Pilate; they bound him. He was to be the great sacrifice, and sacrifices must be bound with cords, Psa 118:27. Christ was bound, to make bonds easy to us, and enable us, as Paul and Silas, to sing in bonds. It is good for us often to remember the bonds of the Lord Jesus, as bound with him who was bound for us. They led him through the streets of Jerusalem, to expose him to contempt, who, while he taught in the temple, but a day or two before, was had in veneration; and we may well imagine how miserably he looked after such a night's usage as he had had; so buffeted, spit upon, and abused. Their delivering him to the Roman power was a type of ruin of their church, which hereby they merited, and brought upon themselves; it signified that the promise, the covenant, and the oracles, of God, and the visible state church, which were the glory of Israel, and had been so long in their possession, should now be delivered up to the Gentiles. By delivering up the king they do, in effect, deliver up the kingdom of God, which is therefore, as it were, by their own consent, taken from them, and given to another nation. If they had delivered up Christ, to gratify the desires of the Romans, or to satisfy and jealousies of theirs concerning him, it had been another matter; but they voluntarily betrayed him that was Israel's crown, to them that were Israel's yoke.
III. The examining of him by Pilate upon interrogatories (Mar 15:2); "Art thou the king of the Jews? Dost thou pretend to be so, to be that Messiah whom the Jews expect as a temporal prince?" - "Yea," saith Christ, "it is as thou sayest, I am that Messiah, but not such a one as they expect." He is the king that rules and protects his Israel according to the spirit, who are Jews inwardly by the circumcision of the spirit, and the king that will restrain and punish the carnal Jews, who continue in unbelief.
IV. The articles of impeachment exhibited against him, and his silence under the charge and accusation. The chief priests forgot the dignity of their place, when they turned informers, and did in person accuse Christ of many things (Mar 15:3), and witness against him, Mar 15:4. Many of the Old Testament prophets charge the priests of their times with great wickedness, in which well did they prophesy of these priests; see Eze 22:26; Hos 5:1; Hos 6:9; Mic 3:11; Zep 3:4; Mal 1:6; Mal 2:8. The destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans is said to be for the iniquity of the priests that shed the blood of the just, Lam 4:13. Note, Wicked priests are generally the worst of men. The better any thing is, the worse it is when it is corrupted. Lay persecutors have been generally found more compassionate than ecclesiastics. These priests were very eager and noisy in their accusation; but Christ answered nothing, Mar 15:3. When Pilate urged him to clear himself, and was desirous he should (Mar 15:4), yet still he stood mute (Mar 15:5), he answered nothing, which Pilate thought very strange. He gave Pilate a direct answer (Mar 15:2), but would not answer the prosecutors and witnesses, because the things they alleged, were notoriously false, and he knew Pilate himself was convinced they were so. Note, As Christ spoke to admiration, so he kept silence to admiration.
V. The proposal Pilate made to the people, to have Jesus released to them, since it was the custom of the feast to grace the solemnity with the release of one prisoner. The people expected and demanded that he should do as he had ever done to them (Mar 15:8); it was not an ill usage, but they would have it kept up. Now Pilate perceived that the chief priests delivered up Jesus for envy, because he had got such a reputation among the people as eclipsed theirs, Mar 15:10. It was easy to see, comparing the eagerness of the prosecutors with the slenderness of the proofs, that it was not his guilt, but his goodness, not any thing mischievous or scandalous, but something meritorious and glorious, that they were provoked at. And therefore, hearing how much he was the darling of the crowd, he thought that he might safely appeal from the priests to the people, and that they would be proud of rescuing him out of the priests' hands; and he proposed an expedient for their doing it without danger of an uproar; let them demand him to be released, and Pilate will be ready to do it, and stop the mouths of the priests with this - that the people insisted upon his release. There was indeed another prisoner, one Barabbas, that had an interest, and would have some votes; but he questioned not but Jesus would out-poll him.
VI. The unanimous outrageous clamours of the people have Christ put to death, and particularly to have him crucified. It was a great surprise to Pilate, when he found the people so much under the influence of the priests, that they all agreed to desire that Barabbas might be released, Mar 15:11. Pilate opposed it all he could; "What will ye that I shall do to him whom ye call the King of the Jews? Would not ye then have him released too?" Mar 15:12. No, say they, Crucify him. The priests having put that in their mouths, the insist upon it; when Pilate objected, Why, what evil has he done? (a very material question in such a case), they did not pretend to answer it, but cried out more exceedingly, as they were more and more instigated and irritated by the priests, Crucify him, crucify him. Now the priests, who were very busy dispersing themselves and their creatures among the mob, to keep up the cry, promised themselves that it would influence Pilate two ways to condemn him. 1. It might incline him to believe Christ guilty, when there was so general an out-cry against him. "Surely," might Pilate think, "he must needs be a bad man, whom all the world is weary of." He would now conclude that he had been misinformed, when he was told what an interest he had in the people, and that the matter was not so. But the priest had hurried on the prosecution with so much expedition, that we may suppose that they who were Christ's friends, and would have opposed this cry, were at the other end of the town, and knew nothing of the matter. Note, It has been the common artifice of Satan, to put Christ and his religion into an ill name, and so to run them down. When once this sect, as they called it, comes to be every where spoken against, though without cause, then that is looked upon as cause enough to condemn it. But let us judge of persons and things by their merits, and the standard of God's word, and not prejudge by common fame and the cry of the country. 2. It might induce him to condemn Christ, to please the people, and indeed for fear of displeasing them. Though he was not so weak as to be governed by their opinion, to believe him guilty, yet he was so wicked as to be swayed by their outrage, to condemn him, though he believed him innocent; induced thereunto by reasons of state, and the wisdom of the world. Our Lord Jesus dying as a sacrifice for the sins of many, he fell a sacrifice to the rage of many.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–14. Public domain.
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Pseudo-Jerome (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Here are two goats; one is the scape goat, that is, one loosed and sent out into the wilderness of hell with the sin of the people; the other is slain, as a lamb, for the sins of those who are forgiven. The Lord's portion is always slain; the devil's part, (for he is the master of those men, which is the meaning of Barabbas,) when freed, is cast headlong into hell.
TertullianAD 220
An Answer to the Jews
And "the clouds were commanded not to rain a shower upon the vineyard of Sorek," -the clouds being celestial benefits, which were commanded not to be forthcoming to the house of Israel; for it "had borne thorns"-whereof that house of Israel had wrought a crown for Christ-and not "righteousness, but a clamour,"-the clamour whereby it had extorted His surrender to the cross. And thus, the former gifts of grace being withdrawn, "the law and the prophets were until John," and the fishpool of Bethsaida until the advent of Christ: thereafter it ceased curatively to remove from Israel infirmities of health; since, as the result of their perseverance in their frenzy, the name of the Lord was through them blasphemed, as it is written: "On your account the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles: " for it is from them that the infamy (attached to that name) began, and (was propagated during) the interval from Tiberius to Vespasian.
Augustine of Hippo (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 430
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(ubi sup.) No one can feel it a difficulty that Matthew is silent as to their asking some one to be released unto them, which Mark here mentions; for it is a thing of no consequence that one should mention a thing which another leaves out. There follows: But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? For he knew that the Chief Priests had delivered him for envy. Some one may ask, which were the words of which Pilate made use, those which are related by Matthew, or those which Mark relates; for there seems to be a difference between, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? as Matthew has it; and, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? (Matt. 27:17) as is here said. But since they gave to kings the name of Christs, he who said this man or that must have asked whether they wished the King of the Jews to be released unto them, that is, Christ. It makes no difference to the sense that Mark has said nothing of Barabbas, wishing only to mention what belonged to the Lord, since by their answer he sufficiently showed whom they wished to have released to them. For there follows, But the Chief Priests moved the people that he should rather release unto them Barabbas.
(ubi sup.) It now is clear enough that Mark means by King of the Jews what Matthew means by the word Christ; for no kings but those of the Jews were called Christs. For in this place according to Matthew it is said, What then shall I do with Jesus which is called Christ? There follows, And they cried out again, Crucify him. (Matt. 27:22)
Bede (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 735
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(ubi sup.) Pilate furnished many opportunities of releasing Jesus, in the first place contrasting a robber with the Just One. Wherefore it is said, Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.
(ubi sup.) This demand which the Jews made with such toil to themselves still sticks to them. Because, when the choice was given to them, they chose a robber instead of Christ, a murderer instead of the Saviour, they deservedly lost their salvation and their life, and they subjected themselves to such a degree to robbery and sedition, that they lost their country and their kingdom which they preferred to Christ, and never regained their liberty, body or soul. Then Pilate gives another opportunity of releasing the Saviour, when there follows, And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I should do unto the King of the Jews?
(ubi sup.) But the Jews giving loose to their madness do not answer the question of the judge. Wherefore it goes on, And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him, that those words of the Prophet Jeremiah might be fulfilled, Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest, it crieth out against me. (Jer. 12:8) There follows, And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
(ubi sup.) We must understand that Jesus was scourged by no other than Pilate himself. For John writes, Pilate took Jesus, and scourged him, (John 13:1) which we must suppose that he did, that the Jews might be satisfied with His pains and insults, and cease from thirsting for His blood.
Theophylact of Ohrid (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 1107
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Now see the wickedness of the Jews, and the moderation of Pilate, though he too was worthy of condemnation for not resisting the people. For they cried out, Crucify; he faintly tries to save Jesus from their determined sentence, and again puts a question to them. Wherefore there follows, Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? For he wished in this way to find an opportunity for releasing Christ, who was innocent.
He wished indeed to satisfy the people, that is, to do their will, not what was agreeable to justice and to God.
Glossa Ordinaria (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 1274
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(non occ.) Which indeed he was accustomed to do, to obtain favour with the people, and above all, on the feast day, when the people of the whole province of the Jews flocked to Jerusalem. And that the wickedness of the Jews might appear the greater, the enormity of the sin of the robber, whom they preferred to Christ, is next described. Wherefore there follows: And there was one Barabbas, who lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection. In which words their wickedness is shown both from the heinousness of his signal crime, in that he had committed murder, and from the way in which he did it, because he had in doing it raised a sedition and disturbed the city, and also because his crime was notorious, for he was bound with seditious persons. It goes on: And the multitude, when it had come up, began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Mark 15:8 captures the tumultuous atmosphere during Jesus' trial before Pontius Pilate, as the gathered multitude, accustomed to a Passover tradition, begins to clamor for the release of a prisoner. This verse sets the stage for Pilate's pivotal decision, highlighting the powerful influence of public demand and the immediate context for the fateful choice between Jesus and Barabbas, a choice that would tragically lead to Christ's crucifixion.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Mark 15:8 employs several potent literary devices that amplify its dramatic and theological impact. Foreshadowing is prominent, as the crowd's general demand for the customary release immediately sets the stage for the specific, tragic choice between Jesus and Barabbas; this initial clamor hints at the escalating pressure Pilate will face and the ultimate rejection of Christ. Irony pervades the scene: a custom intended to demonstrate goodwill and mercy during a festival celebrating freedom is perverted to condemn the innocent Son of God while liberating a guilty rebel, and the very people who had once hailed Jesus as Messiah now demand His condemnation. Furthermore, the portrayal of the "multitude" highlights the destructive power of Mob Mentality; the collective, "crying aloud" nature of the crowd depicts a group easily swayed by emotion and external influence, losing individual reason and moral compass, and this collective voice becomes a powerful, almost personified, force driving the narrative toward its tragic conclusion, emphasizing the human element in the divine plan of salvation.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Mark 15:8 serves as a stark illustration of humanity's fallen condition and the tragic irony of rejecting divine grace. The crowd, representing a segment of the very people Jesus came to save, opts for a custom rooted in human appeasement rather than recognizing the true King standing before them. This moment encapsulates the human tendency to prefer worldly systems and comfort over the radical truth and transformative power of God's kingdom. The demand for "what he had ever done" reflects a preference for tradition and the familiar, even when it leads to injustice, over the new and challenging revelation embodied in Christ. Yet, even in this profound act of human rejection, God's sovereign plan for redemption unfolds. The condemnation of the innocent Jesus, facilitated by human sin and political expediency, was precisely the means by which humanity's sin would be atoned for, demonstrating God's ultimate control and His unwavering commitment to salvation.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Mark 15:8 offers profound lessons for contemporary believers. It challenges us to critically examine our own susceptibility to popular opinion and the dangers of "mob mentality." In an age dominated by social media and rapidly shifting cultural norms, it is crucial to cultivate a discerning spirit, grounding our convictions in biblical truth rather than succumbing to the loudest voices or prevailing trends. This verse reminds us that true justice and righteousness often stand in stark contrast to what is politically expedient or popularly demanded. We are called to stand for truth, even when it is unpopular, and to advocate for the innocent and the marginalized, just as Jesus, the ultimate innocent one, was condemned by popular clamor. It also prompts us to consider our own "desires" – do we seek the familiar and comfortable, or do we truly desire Christ and His kingdom, even if it means challenging established norms or personal preferences?
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Was the Passover prisoner release a common custom?
Answer: While the Gospels describe this custom as established ("as he had ever done unto them"), there is limited external historical evidence for a widespread Roman practice of releasing prisoners at festivals across the empire. It appears to have been a localized tradition, perhaps specific to Judea and possibly initiated by Pilate or a previous governor, designed as an act of clemency to appease the Jewish populace during the volatile Passover festival. Its existence is primarily attested in the New Testament accounts Matthew 27:15, Luke 23:17, John 18:39.
Why did the crowd demand this custom be observed specifically at this moment?
Answer: The crowd's demand in Mark 15:8 was likely a spontaneous reaction born out of expectation. They were gathered for the trial, and the presence of the governor during Passover naturally brought to mind the customary release. Their "crying aloud" indicates a general clamor for the tradition to be upheld, setting the stage for Pilate to offer them a choice. It was the religious leaders who later manipulated this general desire into a specific demand for Barabbas over Jesus Mark 15:11, but the initial impetus was simply for the custom to be observed.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Mark 15:8, though seemingly a simple description of a crowd's demand, profoundly underscores the Christ-centered narrative of salvation. The multitude's insistence on the customary release, leading to the choice between Jesus and Barabbas, highlights humanity's innate preference for sin and rebellion over righteousness. Barabbas, a murderer and insurrectionist, represents fallen humanity—guilty and deserving of death. Yet, in a stunning display of divine love and substitutionary atonement, the innocent Christ, the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, is condemned in Barabbas's place. This exchange is the heart of the Gospel: Jesus, "who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth" 1 Peter 2:22, bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we, who are guilty, might be set free 1 Peter 2:24. The crowd's rejection of Jesus and their choice of Barabbas, though a heinous act of human depravity, ultimately served God's sovereign plan to offer salvation to all who believe, fulfilling the prophecies of a suffering servant who would be "pierced for our transgressions" and "crushed for our iniquities" Isaiah 53:5. Thus, the clamor of the crowd for a custom of release ultimately paved the way for the ultimate release—humanity's liberation from sin and death through the sacrifice of Christ.