The Meaning of Mark 15:12 Explained

Mark 15:12

KJV: And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?

YLT: And Pilate answering, again said to them, 'What, then, will ye that I shall do to him whom ye call king of the Jews?'

Darby: And Pilate answering said to them again, What will ye then that I do to him whom ye call King of the Jews?

ASV: And Pilate again answered and said unto them, What then shall I do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  Pilate  answered  and said  again  unto them,  What  will ye  then  that I shall do  [unto him] whom  ye call  the King  of the Jews? 

What does Mark 15:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Mark 15:1-21 - The Choice Of The Multitude
The hurried consultation of the evening was followed by the more formal meeting of the early morning; and even the decision made then had no binding force till ratified by Pilate, the Roman governor, who happened at that time to be in Jerusalem. John gives a more detailed account of this memorable interview, John 18:33-38. Our Lord did not plead His own cause but committed Himself to the One who judges righteously, 1 Peter 2:23. It was only when Pilate asked questions for his own guidance that Jesus sought to help him and then He relapsed into silence. "Like a sheep dumb before her shearers, so He opened not His mouth." Men like Barabbas, embodiments of brute force, are ever the darlings of the crowd. By narrowing the people's choice to the murderer and Jesus, Pilate expected to bring them to demand the release of the lover and helper of men. But he failed to gauge the malice of which men are capable. Perhaps he hoped that the marks of extreme suffering would soften their hatred. As well appeal to a pack of hungry wolves! His purple stood for royalty won by blood; thorns, because His diadem was won by suffering; the reed, because he can wield the frailest life to momentous issues. Happy is the man who shares Christ's cross! Simon was an African, probably colored, and this incident changed his life, Romans 16:13. [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 15

1  Jesus brought bound, and accused before Pilate
6  Upon the clamor of the people, the murderer Barabbas is released,
12  and Jesus delivered up to be crucified
16  He is crowned with thorns, spit on, and mocked;
21  faints in bearing his cross;
27  hangs between two thieves;
29  suffers the triumphing reproaches of the crowd;
39  but is confessed by the centurion to be the Son of God;
42  and is honorably buried by Joseph

Greek Commentary for Mark 15:12

Whom ye call the King of the Jews [ον λεγετε τον βασιλεα των Ιουδαιων]
Pilate rubs it in on the Jews (cf. Mark 15:9). The “then” (ουν — oun) means since you have chosen Barabbas instead of Jesus. [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 15:12 mean?

- And Pilate again answering was saying to them What then do you wish [that] I should do to Him you call the King of the Jews
δὲ Πιλᾶτος πάλιν ἀποκριθεὶς ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς Τί οὖν ‹θέλετε› ποιήσω ὃν λέγετε τὸν Βασιλέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων

  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Πιλᾶτος  Pilate 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Πειλᾶτος 
Sense: the sixth Roman procurator of Judah and Samaria who ordered Christ to be crucified.
πάλιν  again 
Parse: Adverb
Root: πάλιν  
Sense: anew, again.
ἀποκριθεὶς  answering 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Passive, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀποκρίνομαι  
Sense: to give an answer to a question proposed, to answer.
ἔλεγεν  was  saying 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
αὐτοῖς  to  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
‹θέλετε›  do  you  wish  [that] 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: θέλω  
Sense: to will, have in mind, intend.
ποιήσω  I  should  do 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: ποιέω  
Sense: to make.
ὃν  to  Him 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
λέγετε  you  call 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
Βασιλέα  King 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: βασιλεύς  
Sense: leader of the people, prince, commander, lord of the land, king.
τῶν  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰουδαίων  Jews 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: Ἰουδαῖος  
Sense: Jewish, belonging to the Jewish race.