Mark 15 22

Mark 15:22 kjv

And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull.

Mark 15:22 nkjv

And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull.

Mark 15:22 niv

They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means "the place of the skull").

Mark 15:22 esv

And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull).

Mark 15:22 nlt

And they brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which means "Place of the Skull").

Mark 15 verses

Mark 15 22 Meaning

Mark 15:22 describes the final destination of Jesus' procession to His crucifixion. It precisely identifies the site as Golgotha, providing its Aramaic name and immediately translating it into Greek as "Place of a Skull." This verse signifies the exact location where the atoning sacrifice of Christ would occur, emphasizing a specific, well-known, and perhaps somber place of execution outside the city walls.

Mark 15 22 Context

Mark chapter 15 vividly describes the final hours of Jesus' life before His death. After being unjustly tried by Pontius Pilate and publicly condemned by the crowd's outcry, Jesus endured scourging and cruel mockery by the Roman soldiers. This verse, Mark 15:22, marks the continuation of the grim procession towards His execution. Simon of Cyrene, compelled by the soldiers, carries Jesus' crossbeam, underscoring Jesus' physical weakness and the Romans' authority. The act of "bringing" Jesus to Golgotha highlights the finality of the state-sanctioned execution process.

Historically, crucifixion was a brutal Roman form of capital punishment designed to be agonizing and publicly humiliating, serving as a deterrent. Executions typically occurred outside the city walls to avoid defiling the sacred space within and for maximum public exposure. Jewish law also mandated that those executed were taken "outside the camp" (analogous to outside the city) for various reasons, including ritual purity and disposal of "cursed" individuals. Therefore, Golgotha being outside Jerusalem aligns with both Roman custom and elements of Old Testament law regarding such deaths. The verse specifically identifies the location, emphasizing its physical reality and prophetic significance.

Mark 15 22 Word analysis

• And (καὶ - kai): Connects the narrative seamlessly, indicating the next logical step in the events following Jesus' condemnation and mistreatment.
• they bring (φέρουσιν - pherousin): Present tense, denoting ongoing action. "They" refers primarily to the Roman soldiers who were responsible for the execution. This highlights Jesus' passive, yet intentional, movement towards His destiny under their command.
• Him (αὐτὸν - auton): Refers to Jesus Christ, the one being led to crucifixion. It subtly conveys His state as the condemned one.
• to the place (εἰς τὸν τόπον - eis ton topon): Emphasizes a specific, designated destination, not just any random spot. It indicates the fated execution site.
• Golgotha (Γολγοθᾶ - Golgotha): An Aramaic word (likely Gūlgōlthā), adopted directly into Greek. Its literal meaning is "skull." Its use adds an authentic, original layer to the narrative, specific to the region.
• which is translated (ὅ ἐστιν μεθερμηνευόμενος - ho estin methermēneuomenos): Mark, writing primarily for a Greek-speaking audience (likely Romans), provides a translation for the foreign Aramaic term. This serves to clarify the name and ensures his readers understand the full, solemn meaning of the location.
• Place of a Skull (Κρανίου Τόπος - Kraniou Topos): This is the direct Greek translation of Golgotha. The name's origin has several traditional explanations:
  • Geological feature: The hill might have resembled a skull.
  • Execution site: It was a known place for executions, thus strewn with bones or skulls of the condemned.
  • Symbolic: It may represent death itself, the place where mortality reigns, or a symbolic connection to Adam, the first man, whose skull (tradition suggests) was buried there, thus emphasizing where the "Last Adam" (Christ) conquers death and the fall of the "first Adam."

Words-group analysis

• "And they bring Him": This phrase underlines the forced journey of Jesus. He is not going willingly in terms of being carried there by His own strength, but being led as a lamb to the slaughter, fulfilling prophecy, enduring the ultimate humiliation. It accentuates the external coercion imposed upon Him by His executioners.
• "to the place Golgotha": The specification of "the place" with its unique name makes it distinct. This isn't just a generic execution ground but a location historically etched in the memories of the local people as the place of crucifixion, adding gravitas and foreboding to the event about to unfold.
• "Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull": The explicit translation reveals Mark's concern for his Gentile readership to grasp the macabre imagery conveyed by the name. This "Place of a Skull" is where death, through Jesus' sacrifice, would be overcome. It points to the confrontation between life and death, sin and righteousness, culminating in a cosmic victory.

Mark 15 22 Bonus section

• While the New Testament provides the location of Golgotha as being outside the city gate, the exact modern-day archaeological identification of "the place" remains debated among scholars and traditions (e.g., Church of the Holy Sepulchre vs. Garden Tomb site). However, Mark's primary theological purpose is in identifying what the place represented, not necessarily its precise coordinates for future visitors.
• Early Christian tradition, particularly from the 3rd century onward, occasionally associated Golgotha with the burial site of Adam, suggesting that the first man's skull was buried there. This symbolic connection amplified the significance of Jesus' crucifixion as the "second Adam" conquering the sin introduced by the first Adam, overcoming death at its very root. While not explicit in the Bible, this interpretation highlights the theological weight attached to the "Place of a Skull."
• The selection of this desolate, morbid place for the greatest act of love and salvation presents a profound theological contrast: the ultimate expression of divine love in the face of human wickedness and death, turning the cursed tree into a blessing.

Mark 15 22 Commentary

Mark 15:22 marks the poignant arrival at the execution ground, "Golgotha," a name inherently laden with the grim reality of death. The gospel writer's careful inclusion of the Aramaic name followed by its Greek translation underscores the importance of the location, ensuring the audience comprehends its evocative meaning: "Place of a Skull." This immediate clarification by Mark indicates his awareness of a wider, possibly non-Jewish, readership, for whom Aramaic terms would be unfamiliar.

The act of "bringing Him" to this specific location signifies the completion of the Roman judicial process and the ushering in of the ultimate suffering. This was not a hidden event but a public spectacle, as was common with Roman crucifixions, carried out on a noticeable elevation outside the city walls for maximum visibility and deterrent effect. For the Jews, this "outside the city" location resonated with the Old Testament concept of atonement offerings and the carrying of defiling things "outside the camp," connecting Jesus' sacrifice to a pattern of separation and purity.

Golgotha, the Place of a Skull, stands as the chosen ground for the most profound act in human history. It symbolizes the domain of death and humanity's sin, where Christ, through His willing sacrifice, directly confronted and conquered these very realities. It is at this bleak site that eternal life would triumph over mortality, where the Lamb of God would shed His blood to redeem humanity. The name "Skull" is not merely descriptive of geography or human remains; it encapsulates the raw truth that at this precise place, the Head of the New Creation would decisively overcome the spiritual headship of sin and death.