16And the soldiers led him away into the courtyard — that is, the palace — and they called together the whole cohort. [15:17] And they clothed him in purple and wove together a crown of thorns and placed it on him. [15:18] And they began to salute him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" [15:19] And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him, and kneeling down before him in mock worship. [15:20] And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple and put his own garments on him. And they led him out to crucify him.
MRK 15:16-20
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
In the world it was spoken into
In the Roman military context, the Praetorium was the governor’s official residence, often housing soldiers. The cohort summoned here would have been a detachment of Roman soldiers, likely auxiliaries or local recruits, accustomed to enforcing Roman authority through public displays of power. Purple was a symbol of imperial authority and wealth, reserved for emperors and high-ranking officials. By dressing Jesus in purple and crowning Him with thorns, the soldiers mocked His claim to kingship, a direct challenge to Roman imperial power. The act of striking His head with a reed and spitting on Him was a deliberate humiliation, echoing Roman practices of degrading prisoners. Kneeling was a gesture of homage, often reserved for deities or emperors, making their mockery a grotesque parody of imperial worship. This scene reflects the Roman military’s role in maintaining order through public spectacles of humiliation, reinforcing their dominance over subject populations.
›See the receipts
How other translations render this
MRK 15:16
- KJV
- And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.
- BSB
- Then the soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called the whole company together.
- Koinōnos
- And the soldiers led him away into the courtyard — that is, the palace — and they called together the whole cohort.
MRK 15:17
- KJV
- And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,
- BSB
- They dressed Him in a purple robe, twisted together a crown of thorns, and set it on His head.
- Koinōnos
- And they clothed him in purple and wove together a crown of thorns and placed it on him.
MRK 15:18
- KJV
- And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!
- BSB
- And they began to salute Him: “Hail, King of the Jews!”
- Koinōnos
- And they began to salute him, "Hail, King of the Jews!
MRK 15:19
- KJV
- And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.
- BSB
- They kept striking His head with a staff and spitting on Him. And they knelt down and bowed before Him.
- Koinōnos
- And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him, and kneeling down before him in mock worship.
MRK 15:20
- KJV
- And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.
- BSB
- After they had mocked Him, they removed the purple robe and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they led Him out to crucify Him.
- Koinōnos
- And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple and put his own garments on him. And they led him out to crucify him.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Where the historical framing draws from
- Tacitus, AnnalsAnn. 15.44
›Tacitus, Annals Ann. 15.44
“Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus”
Cited to ground: Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus
Translator's notes
MRK 15:16
- palace,:The word translated 'palace' here refers to the large, open courtyard of a Roman praetorium, not necessarily an enclosed building. It was a common public space within such a complex.
- cohort:The term 'cohort' refers to a specific Roman military unit, typically comprising about 600 soldiers. This indicates a substantial number of soldiers were present.
MRK 15:17
- purple:The 'purple' mentioned here was a highly prized and expensive dye, often associated with royalty and high status in the ancient world. It was a color reserved for the elite.
MRK 15:19
- they were kneeling down:The phrase 'they were kneeling down' uses a word that often describes an act of worship or profound reverence. Here, it is used ironically to mock Jesus as a king.