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“Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” Pilate asked.
Mark 15:9 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
  • KJV But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
  • NKJV But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
  • NASB Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?”
  • NLT “Would you like me to release to you this ‘King of the Jews’?” Pilate asked.

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 offers to release the King of the Jews. He attempts to free Jesus by appealing to the crowd.

Overview

Recognizing Jesus' innocence, Pilate seeks a way out by proposing his release. His use of the title 'King of the Jews' both probes the charge and subtly mocks the leaders. His maneuver fails because, as the next verses show, the crowd has been turned against Jesus.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 5

  • John 19:4–5Once again Pilate came out and said to the Jews, “Look, I am bringing Him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against Him.”
  • Acts 3:13–15The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus. You handed Him over and rejected Him before Pilate, even though he had decided to release Him.
  • John 19:14–16It was the day of Preparation for the Passover, about the sixth hour. And Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is your King!”
  • John 18:39But it is your custom that I release to you one prisoner at the Passover. So then, do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
  • Matt 27:17–21So when the crowd had assembled, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

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 15:9YouTube · 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 15:9 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.