Mark 15:17 kjv
And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,
Mark 15:17 nkjv
And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head,
Mark 15:17 niv
They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.
Mark 15:17 esv
And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him.
Mark 15:17 nlt
They dressed him in a purple robe, and they wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head.
Mark 15 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 27:28-29 | And they stripped him… put on him a scarlet robe… platted a crown of thorns… | Parallel account of Jesus' mockery by soldiers |
| John 19:2-3 | And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns… put on him a purple robe… | Parallel account, emphasizing the mockery |
| Isa 53:3 | He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief… | Prophecy of the Suffering Servant's scorn |
| Ps 22:6-7 | But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. | Prophetic image of the ridiculed Messiah |
| Zech 13:6 | ...what are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded… | Foreshadowing of physical abuse and wounds |
| Phil 2:8 | And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself… even the death of the cross. | Jesus' ultimate act of humility and obedience |
| Heb 12:2 | ...who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame… | Christ's endurance of shame for redemptive purpose |
| 1 Pet 2:21-23 | Christ also suffered for us… When he was reviled, reviled not again… | Christ's patient endurance as a model |
| Gen 3:18 | Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee… | Thorns as a biblical symbol of the curse |
| Num 24:17 | ...there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel… | Prophecy of a royal figure from Jacob |
| John 18:36 | My kingdom is not of this world… | Jesus clarifies His spiritual kingship |
| Rev 19:16 | And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. | Revelation of Jesus' supreme authority |
| 1 Tim 6:15 | ...who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; | Affirmation of Christ's true universal sovereignty |
| Matt 20:19 | And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify… | Jesus' prior prediction of Gentile mockery |
| Luke 23:11 | And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe… | Herod's earlier similar mockery with a "gorgeous" robe |
| John 1:49 | Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. | Early acknowledgment of Jesus as Israel's King |
| Phil 2:9-11 | Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name… | Divine exaltation following humiliation |
| Isa 50:6 | I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. | Prophetic image of profound abuse and shame |
| Dan 7:13-14 | I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven… there was given him dominion… | Prophecy of the Son of Man's future glorious reign |
| Col 2:15 | And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. | Jesus' victory over spiritual forces through suffering |
| Rom 5:8 | But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. | God's love demonstrated through Christ's death |
| Ps 109:25 | I am become also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads. | Prophecy of being publicly scorned and ridiculed |
| Ps 2:4 | He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. | Divine perspective on human arrogance against God |
Mark 15 verses
Mark 15 17 Meaning
Mark 15:17 vividly details the Roman soldiers' cruel mockery of Jesus Christ. They clothed Him in a purple garment and forcibly placed a woven crown of sharp thorns upon His head. This act was a deliberate and public humiliation, designed to deride His claim to kingship through symbolic torture and profound scorn, just before His crucifixion. It represents the depth of human sin and the extreme humility endured by the Son of God.
Mark 15 17 Context
Mark 15:17 takes place after Pontius Pilate, swayed by the demands of the chief priests and the crowd, condemns Jesus to crucifixion (Mark 15:15). Having been delivered into the hands of the Roman soldiers, Jesus is led into the praetorium, the governor's official residence and administrative center. There, the soldiers unleash a torrent of ridicule and physical abuse upon Him before leading Him to the site of crucifixion. This specific verse highlights the soldiers' mock investiture of Jesus as "King of the Jews," building upon Pilate's own ambivalent interrogation about His kingship, and serving as a preamble to the final act of the passion.
Mark 15 17 Word analysis
- And: Connects the scene of abuse directly to the preceding events of Jesus' condemnation.
- they: Refers to the Roman soldiers who had assumed control of Jesus. Their collective, unnamed action emphasizes their role as instruments in the wider scheme of divine and human purposes.
- clothed: (Greek: endedysan) To put a garment on someone, often replacing previous attire. This act was coercive, adding deliberate shame by removing His clothes and dressing Him for ridicule.
- him: Jesus Christ, the one targeted for this brutal mockery and suffering.
- with purple: (Greek: porphýran) A highly prized dye, typically reserved for royalty, high-ranking officials, or the very wealthy. The use of a "purple" garment was a direct and scornful imitation of a king's robes, highlighting the soldiers' contempt for Jesus' claimed authority. It was likely a worn or discarded soldier's cloak, further amplifying the insult by its cheap, imitative quality.
- and platted: (Greek: pleksantes) Woven, braided, or twisted together. This action reveals a conscious, intentional effort to craft the instrument of suffering, signifying calculated cruelty rather than impulsive behavior.
- a crown of thorns: (Greek: akánthinon stéphanon) A "crown" (stephanos) traditionally symbolized honor, victory, or royal status. By crafting it from "thorns" (akanthinon), they created a symbol of torture and debasement. Thorns, biblically linked to the curse from Genesis 3:18, inflicted constant pain, physical injury, and visual degradation.
- and put: (Greek: epethetan) Placed or imposed, indicating a forceful action of positioning the "crown" onto Jesus' head.
- it: Referring specifically to the newly made crown of thorns.
- about his head: Placing the thorns on His head, a particularly sensitive area, maximized physical pain from piercing wounds and represented a direct assault on His "headship" or authority, completing the ritual of mock enthronement and humiliation.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "clothed him with purple": This phrase symbolizes the theatrical and utterly demeaning charade. By draping Jesus in mock royal attire, the soldiers orchestrated a grotesque parody of kingship, publicly broadcasting their contempt and insolence against any divine authority Jesus might possess.
- "platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head": This specific action is highly significant for its blend of mockery and malice. The intentional weaving of thorns into a "crown" highlights a premeditated cruelty. The placement on the head ensures not only pain but also a visual representation of desecrated majesty, signifying suffering as His "royal" adornment.
Mark 15 17 Bonus section
- The mockery in the praetorium was a common practice by soldiers against those condemned as pretenders to royal status, aimed at breaking their will and asserting imperial power.
- The "purple" robe was likely a soldier's old military cloak (Latin: chlamys), cheap and readily available, making the mockery more biting by being a shabby imitation of royal splendor.
- The "crown" of thorns might have been more cap-like, designed to press the thorns deep into the scalp from all sides, maximizing constant pain rather than being a decorative circlet.
- Unbeknownst to them, the soldiers, in their crude mockery, were unwittingly participating in the "crowning" of the true King, whose eventual exaltation would overshadow all earthly dominions.
- The meticulous detailing of this abuse across the Gospels emphasizes the vast extent of Jesus' suffering, underlining the immense cost of atonement and His total commitment to bearing all human indignity for salvation.
Mark 15 17 Commentary
Mark 15:17 profoundly illustrates the deliberate dehumanization and ridicule directed at Jesus by Roman soldiers, anticipating the agony of the crucifixion. This act was far from random; it was a staged ceremony of degradation, a cruel play mocking His alleged claim to kingship. The choice of a "purple" garment, symbolic of royalty, and a "crown of thorns," a paradox of honor and agony, underscores the stark irony. Their actions, though filled with scorn and physical torment, unknowingly served to fulfill prophecy, presenting the true King in the garb of a mock king, His pain an integral part of His redemptive work. Jesus’ silent endurance through this profound humiliation highlights His complete submission to God’s will and His unwavering commitment to the cross for humanity’s salvation.