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Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they cried out exceedingly, “Crucify him!”
Mark 15:14 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.
  • BSB “Why?” asked Pilate. “What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!”
  • NKJV Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”
  • NASB But Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify Him!”
  • NLT “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?” But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Pilate asks what evil Jesus has done, but the crowd only shouts louder for crucifixion. Jesus' innocence is publicly acknowledged yet ignored.

Overview

Pilate's question affirms that no crime warrants such a sentence. The crowd's escalating demand shows passion overriding justice. The scene underscores that the spotless Christ is condemned not for any wrong of his own but in the place of sinners.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 21

  • Luke 23:41And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.”
  • Acts 22:22–23They listened to him until he said that; then they lifted up their voice, and said, “Rid the earth of this fellow, for he isn’t fit to live!”
  • Luke 23:4Pilate said to the chief priests and the multitudes, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”
  • Matt 27:23–25But the governor said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they cried out exceedingly, saying, “Let him be crucified!”
  • Ps 69:4Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head. Those who want to cut me off, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty. I have to restore what I didn’t take away.
  • Acts 7:54–57Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.
  • John 18:38Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” When he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no basis for a charge against him.
  • Matt 27:19While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of him.”
  • Luke 23:47When the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous man.”
  • Isa 53:3He was despised, and rejected by men; a man of suffering, and acquainted with disease. He was despised as one from whom men hide their face; and we didn’t respect him.
  • Acts 19:34But when they perceived that he was a Jew, all with one voice for a time of about two hours cried out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
  • Matt 27:54Now the centurion, and those who were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake, and the things that were done, feared exceedingly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God.”
  • John 19:6When therefore the chief priests and the officers saw him, they shouted, saying, “Crucify! Crucify!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves, and crucify him, for I find no basis for a charge against him.”
  • Heb 7:26For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
  • 1 Pet 1:19but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or spot, the blood of Christ;
  • Matt 27:4saying, “I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? You see to it.”
  • Luke 23:21but they shouted, saying, “Crucify! Crucify him!”
  • Luke 23:14–15and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one that perverts the people, and see, I have examined him before you, and found no basis for a charge against this man concerning those things of which you accuse him.
  • John 19:12–15At this, Pilate was seeking to release him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you release this man, you aren’t Caesar’s friend! Everyone who makes himself a king speaks against Caesar!”
  • Luke 23:23–24But they were urgent with loud voices, asking that he might be crucified. Their voices and the voices of the chief priests prevailed.
  • Isa 53:9They made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death; although he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Mark videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Mark 15:14YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on MarkMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'

How Mark 15:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.