And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The soldiers' actions are described using verbs in a tense that suggests repeated, ongoing abuse, not just isolated incidents. This emphasizes the relentless and systematic nature of their cruelty as they repeatedly struck, spat on, and mocked Jesus.
And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus, having been condemned by Pilate, is now subjected to the cruel and repeated mockery of Roman soldiers before his crucifixion. They dress him as a mock king, crown him with thorns, and then proceed to hit his head with the very reed they used as a scepter, spit on him, and kneel in derisive worship. This brutal scene immediately precedes Jesus being led out to be crucified.
The soldiers' actions towards Jesus are described with a word usually reserved for divine reverence. What does this twisted homage reveal about their hearts and Jesus' identity?
The soldiers, part of the Roman occupation force, were ordered to mock Jesus. They used a reed as a mock scepter, placed a crown of thorns on His head, and then performed actions that mimicked worship. The text uses the Greek word for 'worship' (proskuneō), which could mean bowing down in respect. However, here it's clearly not genuine reverence but a deeply insulting parody. They were not acknowledging Jesus as divine, but as a pathetic claimant to kingship, someone to be ridiculed by the powerful. This highlights the profound contrast between the world's view of power and God's true kingly reign. Jesus, the true King, endured this ultimate degradation not because He was weak, but as a deliberate act of love and obedience to His Father's will, revealing His kingdom is not of this world.
The text doesn't just say these soldiers did these things once. What does the repeated action tell us about the nature of their abuse and Jesus' endurance?
The verbs used in Mark 15:19, like 'smote,' 'spitting,' and 'bowing,' are in a grammatical tense that implies ongoing or repeated action. This wasn't a single, quick insult; it was a sustained period of torment. They 'kept on smiting' His head, 'kept on spitting' on Him, and repeatedly bowed and mocked. This emphasizes the brutal, relentless nature of the soldiers' cruelty. They were reveling in their power over Jesus, prolonging His humiliation. For Jesus, it meant enduring wave after wave of physical and emotional pain. It paints a picture of His incredible patience and the depth of His suffering, absorbing the full force of their hatred and scorn without retaliation.
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Understand the original words
emptuontes · Greek Verb
A physical act of extreme contempt and degradation. In biblical literature, it serves as a sign of rejection and judgment, intended to humiliate the victim.
gonypetountes · Greek Verb
The act of bowing the knee as a gesture of profound respect or worship. While meant as mockery here, the action itself anticipates the biblical promise that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow.
c. AD 30— this verse
Jesus faces Roman Governor Pilate
Jesus is brought before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, accused of claiming to be King of the Jews, a charge that threatened Roman authority.
c. AD 30
Pilate's indecision and release of Barabbas
Pilate, finding no guilt in Jesus, attempts to appease the crowd by offering them a choice between Jesus and a notorious prisoner named Barabbas. The crowd demands Barabbas' release and Jesus' crucifixion.
c. AD 30
Jesus is scourged and handed over for crucifixion
Despite his own judgment that Jesus was innocent, Pilate succumbs to the pressure of the crowd and religious leaders, having Jesus scourged and delivering him to be crucified.
c. AD 30
Roman soldiers mock Jesus as 'King of the Jews'
The Roman soldiers, carrying out the execution, engage in a brutal act of mockery. They dress Jesus in a purple robe, place a crown of thorns on his head, and hand him a reed as a scepter, all in derision of his supposed kingship.
c. AD 30
The soldiers' violent humiliation of Jesus
The soldiers repeatedly strike Jesus' head with the reed scepter, spit on him, and kneel before him in mock worship, fulfilling their cruel parody of a royal acclamation before leading him to his crucifixion.
This prophetic passage describes the Suffering Servant as despised and rejected by humankind, mirroring the profound humiliation Jesus endured at the hands of the soldiers.
Matthew 27:29-30This parallel account details the soldiers' mocking actions, emphasizing the crown of thorns and the reed scepter, which directly connect to the physical abuse described in Mark's Gospel.
Psalm 22:6-7This ancient psalm speaks of the suffering individual being a 'scorn of men, and an outcast of the people,' which vividly captures the essence of Jesus's mockery and degradation by the soldiers and the crowd.
Philippians 2:7-8This passage highlights how Christ 'emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,' fully illustrating the voluntary descent into such profound suffering and humiliation for humanity's sake.
barnesMark 15:19: "And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him."
Worshipped him - Mocked him with the "appearance" of homage. The word "worship" here denotes only the respect and honor shown to princes and kings. It does not refer to any "religious" homage. They regarded him as foolishly and madly claiming to be a king - not as claiming to be divine.
ellicottMark 15:19: "And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him."
(19) They smote . . . did spit . . . worshipped. —All three verbs are in the tense which implies frequent repetition.
The soldiers' actions are described using verbs in a tense that suggests repeated, ongoing abuse, not just isolated incidents. This emphasizes the relentless and systematic nature of their cruelty as they repeatedly struck, spat on, and mocked Jesus.
Jesus, having been condemned by Pilate, is now subjected to the cruel and repeated mockery of Roman soldiers before his crucifixion. They dress him as a mock king, crown him with thorns, and then proceed to hit his head with the very reed they used as a scepter, spit on him, and kneel in derisive worship. This brutal scene immediately precedes Jesus being led out to be crucified.
Jesus, having been condemned by Pilate, is now subjected to the cruel and repeated mockery of Roman soldiers before his crucifixion. They dress him as a mock king, crown him with thorns, and then proceed to hit his head with the very reed they used as a scepter, spit on him, and kneel in derisive worship. This brutal scene immediately precedes Jesus being led out to be crucified.
"And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him." — The soldiers' actions are described using verbs in a tense that suggests repeated, ongoing abuse, not just isolated incidents. This emphasizes the relentless and systematic nature of their cruelty as…
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Last reviewed October 2026