Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross. They divided his clothes and threw dice to decide who would get each piece.
Parallel translations
- WEB Crucifying him, they parted his garments among them, casting lots on them, what each should take.
- KJV And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.
- BSB And they crucified Him. They also divided His garments by casting lots to decide what each of them would take.
- NKJV And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take.
- NASB And they *crucified Him, and *divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots for them to decide what each man would take.
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
The soldiers crucify Jesus and gamble for his clothing. Even the manner of his death fulfills Scripture.
Overview
Mark states the crucifixion plainly, without dwelling on its horror, while the soldiers divide his garments by lot. This fulfills Psalm 22:18, a psalm that runs through the whole passion narrative. The Son of God is stripped of everything, that those who trust him might be clothed in his righteousness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- John 19:23–24Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also the coat. Now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
- Luke 23:34Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots.
- Matt 27:35–36When they had crucified him, they divided his clothing among them, casting lots,
- Isa 53:4–8Surely he has borne our sickness, and carried our suffering; yet we considered him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted.
- Ps 22:16–18For dogs have surrounded me. A company of evildoers have enclosed me. They have pierced my hands and feet.
- Deut 21:23his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him the same day; for he who is hanged is accursed of God; that you don’t defile your land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance.
- Gal 3:13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,”
- 2 Cor 5:21For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
- 1 Pet 2:24who his own self bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed.
- Acts 5:30The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed, hanging him on a tree.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 15:24 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.