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And they repeatedly beat His head with a reed and spit on Him, and kneeling, they bowed down before Him.
Mark 15:19 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB They struck his head with a reed, and spat on him, and bowing their knees, did homage to him.
  • 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.
  • NKJV Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him.
  • NLT And they struck him on the head with a reed stick, spit on him, and dropped to their knees in mock worship.

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

They strike Jesus, spit on him, and kneel in mock homage. He endures cruel abuse fulfilling the suffering servant prophecies.

Overview

The beating with a reed, spitting, and false worship fulfill the prophecies of Isaiah 50 and 53 concerning the smitten and despised servant. Their sarcastic homage contrasts with the true worship Jesus deserves and will one day receive from all. The King silently absorbs this cruelty as part of the redemptive suffering he willingly bears for sinners.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 29

  • Mark 14:65Some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to beat him with fists, and to tell him, “Prophesy!” The officers struck him with the palms of their hands.
  • Isa 53:3–5He 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.
  • Job 13:9Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceives a man, will you deceive him?
  • Heb 13:13Let us therefore go out to him outside of the camp, bearing his reproach.
  • Phil 2:10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,
  • Isa 49:7Yahweh, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, says to him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhors, to a servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and rise up; princes, and they shall worship; because of Yahweh who is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
  • Luke 23:36The soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar,
  • Ps 69:12Those who sit in the gate talk about me. I am the song of the drunkards.
  • Matt 20:18–19“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death,
  • Ps 69:19–20You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor. My adversaries are all before you.
  • Job 30:8–12They are children of fools, yes, children of base men. They were flogged out of the land.
  • Heb 12:2–3looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
  • Isa 52:14Just as many were astonished at you (his appearance was marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men),
  • Luke 18:32–33For he will be delivered up to the Gentiles, will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit on.
  • Mark 9:12He said to them, “Elijah indeed comes first, and restores all things. How is it written about the Son of Man, that he should suffer many things and be despised?
  • Rom 11:4But how does God answer him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
  • Isa 45:23I have sworn by myself. The word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and will not be revoked, that to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath.
  • Mic 5:1Now you shall gather yourself in troops, daughter of troops. He has laid siege against us. They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.
  • Ps 35:15–17But in my adversity, they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together. The attackers gathered themselves together against me, and I didn’t know it. They tore at me, and didn’t cease.
  • Ps 22:6–7But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people.
  • Mark 10:34They will mock him, spit on him, scourge him, and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.”
  • Gen 43:28They said, “Your servant, our father, is well. He is still alive.” They bowed down humbly.
  • Rom 14:10–11But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
  • Isa 50:6I gave my back to those who beat me, and my cheeks to those who plucked off the hair. I didn’t hide my face from shame and spitting.
  • Luke 22:63The men who held Jesus mocked him and beat him.
  • Gen 24:52When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the earth to Yahweh.
  • 1 Kgs 19:18Yet I reserved seven thousand in Israel, all the knees of which have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth which has not kissed him.”
  • Esth 3:2–5All the king’s servants who were in the king’s gate bowed down, and paid homage to Haman; for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai didn’t bow down or pay him homage.
  • Luke 23:11Herod with his soldiers humiliated him and mocked him. Dressing him in luxurious clothing, they sent him back to Pilate.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

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 15:19YouTube · 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 15:19 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.