Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?”
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?
- BSB “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” Pilate asked.
- NKJV But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to 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 19:4–5Then Pilate went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I bring him out to you, that you may 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, whom you delivered up, and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had determined to release him.
- John 19:14–16Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, at about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!”
- John 18:39But you have a custom, that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Therefore do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
- Matt 27:17–21When therefore they were gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus, who is called Christ?”
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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.