Markus 15:6

Jesus and Barabbas

15:6 During the feast it was customary to release one prisoner to the people, ¹  whomever they requested.

Markus 15:15

15:15 Because he wanted to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them. Then, ²  after he had Jesus flogged, ³  he handed him over ⁴  to be crucified.

[15:6]  ¹ tn Grk “them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:6]  sn The custom of Pilate to release one prisoner to them is unknown outside the gospels in Jewish writings, but it was a Roman custom at the time and thus probably used in Palestine as well (cf. Matt 27:15; John 18:39); see W. W. Wessel, “Mark,” EBC 8:773-74.

[15:15]  ² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[15:15]  ³ tn The Greek term φραγελλόω (fragellow) refers to flogging. BDAG 1064 s.v. states, “flog, scourge, a punishment inflicted on slaves and provincials after a sentence of death had been pronounced on them. So in the case of Jesus before the crucifixion…Mt 27:26; Mk 15:15.”

[15:15]  sn A Roman flogging (traditionally, “scourging”) was an excruciating punishment. The victim was stripped of his clothes and bound to a post with his hands fastened above him (or sometimes he was thrown to the ground). Guards standing on either side of the victim would incessantly beat him with a whip (flagellum) made out of leather with pieces of lead and bone inserted into its ends. While the Jews only allowed 39 lashes, the Romans had no such limit; many people who received such a beating died as a result. See C. Schneider, TDNT, 4:515-19.

[15:15]  ⁴ tn Or “delivered him up.”