So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Pilate’s decision to scourged Jesus before delivering Him to be crucified wasn't just another brutal step in the process. It was a desperate, last-ditch effort, a cruel hope that this horrific punishment would be enough to appease the crowd and save Jesus from death.
So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Pilate, wanting to appease the angry crowd and avoid unrest, decides to release the notorious prisoner Barabbas instead of Jesus. He then orders Jesus to be severely scourged, a brutal punishment often inflicted on slaves or those condemned to death, in a desperate hope that this display of suffering might satisfy the people's demands. When this fails to quell their fury, Pilate hands Jesus over to be crucified.
Imagine the unthinkable pain and degradation. Pilate’s decision to have Jesus scourged wasn't just a formality; it was a Roman tool of extreme violence.
The gospel writers highlight the scourging of Jesus as a distinct, brutal act. This wasn't a gentle beating; Roman scourging was notoriously severe, often involving whips laced with metal or bone. It was a punishment typically reserved for slaves or those condemned to death, designed to inflict maximum pain and humiliation before execution. Pilate's choice to inflict this on Jesus, whom he had just declared innocent, reveals the depth of his capitulation to the crowd's demands.
Pilate wanted to 'content the people.' But when political expediency trumps justice, the consequences can be devastating.
The phrase 'wishing to satisfy the people' (or 'content' them, as some translations say) is key. Pilate, as a Roman governor, was responsible for maintaining order. Faced with a volatile crowd stirred up by the religious leaders, he saw his own position and safety threatened. His decision to release Barabbas, a known insurrectionist and murderer, and condemn Jesus, whom he knew to be innocent, was a pragmatic but morally bankrupt choice. It set a dangerous precedent: the will of the agitated masses could override truth and justice.
Understand the original words
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phragelloō · Greek Verb
A severe punishment involving a whip made of leather thongs embedded with metal or bone, used by the Romans to weaken a prisoner before execution. It resulted in intense pain and physical trauma.
paradidōmi · Greek Verb
To hand over, betray, or commit someone into the power or authority of another. In the context of Christ’s Passion, it signifies the act of God and human authorities relinquishing Jesus to the hands of those who would execute him.
Pilate's decision to yield to the crowd's demand, rather than upholding justice, highlights the dangerous interplay of political pressure and religious fervor that led to Jesus' crucifixion.
c. AD 26-36
Pilate's Governorship of Judea
Pontius Pilate served as the Roman prefect (governor) of Judea during this period. His tenure was marked by tension with the Jewish populace due to his insensitivity to their religious customs, leading to several clashes.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' Ministry and Arrest
During this time, Jesus conducted his public ministry, drawing large crowds and attracting the attention of the Jewish religious authorities, who saw him as a threat.
Passover Week, c. AD 30-33
Jewish Council Convenes
The chief priests and elders, seeking to arrest Jesus, convened their council. They decided to hand Jesus over to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, to carry out the execution.
Passover Week, c. AD 30-33— this verse
Pilate's Trial of Jesus
Pilate interrogated Jesus, finding no basis for the charges brought by the Jewish leaders. He attempted to release Jesus by offering the crowd a choice between Jesus and Barabbas.
Passover Week, c. AD 30-33
Scourging and Crucifixion Order
To appease the crowd's demands and perhaps hoping to elicit pity, Pilate had Jesus scourged. However, the crowd, incited by the chief priests, persisted in their demand for crucifixion.
Passover Week, c. AD 30-33
Crucifixion of Jesus
Ultimately yielding to the crowd's pressure and fearing political repercussions, Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified.
This passage shows the crowd's ultimate rejection of Jesus as king, opting for Barabbas and clamoring 'We have no king but Caesar,' highlighting the theme of choosing rebellion over the true King, which is central to Mark 15:15.
Matthew 27:26Similar to Mark 15:15, this verse details Pilate handing Jesus over after he had him scourged, emphasizing the brutality and the Roman governor's yielding to the crowd's demands.
Isaiah 53:5This prophetic passage speaks of the suffering servant being 'pierced for our transgressions' and 'crushed for our iniquities,' which directly foreshadows the scourging and crucifixion of Jesus described in Mark 15:15.
Luke 23:18-19This parallel account describes the crowd shouting for Barabbas's release instead of Jesus, underscoring the collective decision to save a known criminal and condemn the innocent Son of God.
Hebrews 12:2This verse speaks of Jesus 'for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame,' which offers perspective on Jesus's inner state during the agonizing events of his scourging and crucifixion, as depicted in Mark 15:15.
pulpitMark 15:15: "And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified."
Verse 15. - And Pilate, wishing βουλόμενος to content the multitude, released unto them Barabbas, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified. St. Luke and St. John are more full in details here. From their narratives it appears that when Pilate found that his attempt to rescue our Lord, by putting Barabbas in contrast with h…
ellicottMark 15:15: "And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified."
(15-21) And so Pilate, willing to content the people. —The word which St. Mark uses for “content” appears to be the Greek equivalent for the Latin satisfacere, and so takes its place in the evidence for St. Mark’s connection with Rome and the Roman Church. Scourged him.—The word, like that in St. Matthew, is formed from the Latin flagellum, and…
Pilate’s decision to scourged Jesus before delivering Him to be crucified wasn't just another brutal step in the process. It was a desperate, last-ditch effort, a cruel hope that this horrific punishment would be enough to appease the crowd and save Jesus from death.
Pilate, wanting to appease the angry crowd and avoid unrest, decides to release the notorious prisoner Barabbas instead of Jesus. He then orders Jesus to be severely scourged, a brutal punishment often inflicted on slaves or those condemned to death, in a desperate hope that this display of suffering might satisfy the people's demands. When this fails to quell their fury, Pilate hands Jesus over to be crucified.
Pilate, wanting to appease the angry crowd and avoid unrest, decides to release the notorious prisoner Barabbas instead of Jesus. He then orders Jesus to be severely scourged, a brutal punishment often inflicted on slaves or those condemned to death, in a desperate hope that this display of suffering might satisfy the people's demands. When this fails to quell their fury, Pilate hands Jesus over to be crucified.
"So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified." — Pilate’s decision to scourged Jesus before delivering Him to be crucified wasn't just another brutal step in the process. It was a desperate, last-ditch effort, a cruel hope that this horrific puni…
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Last reviewed October 2026