Mark 15 31

Mark 15:31 kjv

Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.

Mark 15:31 nkjv

Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save.

Mark 15:31 niv

In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself!

Mark 15:31 esv

So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, "He saved others; he cannot save himself.

Mark 15:31 nlt

The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus. "He saved others," they scoffed, "but he can't save himself!

Mark 15 verses

Mark 15 31 Meaning

Mark 15:31 depicts the deep religious leaders of the Jews, the chief priests and scribes, mocking Jesus as He hung on the cross. Their taunt, "He saved others; he cannot save himself," reveals their profound spiritual blindness and irony. They acknowledge His previous acts of healing and deliverance ("saved others") but misconstrue His inability to "save himself" (from the cross) as a sign of weakness and failure, rather than understanding it as His deliberate act of self-sacrifice necessary for the salvation of all humanity. Their ridicule is not mere scorn, but a pointed theological challenge to His claim as the Messiah, believing a true deliverer would rescue himself from such a fate.

Mark 15 31 Context

Mark 15:31 is set during the horrific hours of Jesus' crucifixion on Golgotha, following His trial and condemnation. Prior to this verse, the Roman soldiers had already mocked Him, clothing Him in a purple robe, crowning Him with thorns, and striking Him (Mark 15:16-20). As He hung on the cross, those who passed by also joined in the derision, telling Him to "save Himself" (Mark 15:29-30). This specific verse highlights the cruelest irony, as it records the spiritual leaders—the chief priests and scribes, the very interpreters of God's law and prophets—adding their voices to the chorus of scorn. Their mockery is delivered "among themselves," indicating a shared, self-congratulatory consensus in their rejection of Jesus. The context emphasizes the complete human rejection of Jesus at the zenith of His redemptive work, fulfilling prophecies of a suffering Messiah.

Mark 15 31 Word analysis

• Ὡσαύτως (Hosautōs - Likewise / In the same way): This adverb links the chief priests and scribes' mockery to the previous taunts by the passersby. It signifies a continuous, widespread contempt for Jesus, emphasizing that even the religious elite joined in the popular derision, showing a collective blindness and rebellion against the Lord.
• καὶ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς (kai hoi archiereis - and the chief priests): The term 'archiereis' refers to the powerful, aristocratic families from whom the high priest was chosen. These individuals held immense religious and political authority. Their participation in the mockery demonstrates the apex of Jewish religious leadership rejecting and despising the true Messiah, sealing their culpability in His death.
• ἐμπαίζοντες (empaizontes - mocking / scoffing): This word indicates deep, scornful ridicule. It's a cruel, sustained act of making sport of someone. The present participle suggests a continuous, active engagement in mockery, not a fleeting comment, conveying the malicious enjoyment they derived from Jesus' suffering.
• πρὸς ἀλλήλους (pros allēlous - among themselves / to one another): This phrase emphasizes that their mockery was a private, shared act of contempt, perhaps muttered amongst themselves with a sense of agreement or camaraderie in their denouncement of Jesus. It reveals their unified conviction that Jesus was a fraud, and they celebrated His apparent defeat.
• μετὰ τῶν γραμματέων (meta tōn grammateōn - with the scribes): The 'grammateis' were the experts in the Mosaic Law, interpreters and teachers. Their presence alongside the chief priests further underscores that both the spiritual authorities and the legal/theological experts conspired in this rejection. It reveals the complete corruption of the religious leadership who should have recognized the Christ through Scripture.
• ἔλεγον (elegon - they were saying): The imperfect tense suggests a continuous action of speaking. They repeatedly expressed their scorn.
• Ἄλλους (Allous - Others): This plural pronoun is crucial. It implicitly acknowledges Jesus' past miraculous power and healing ministry. The very people who denied His Messiahship paradoxically confirm His public record of performing signs, providing irrefutable proof of His past mighty works.
• ἔσωσεν (esōsen - He saved): This verb in the aorist tense denotes a completed action in the past, directly referring to Jesus' various acts of healing, deliverance from demons, and spiritual liberation throughout His ministry. It implies a recognition of His power to deliver individuals from suffering.
• ἑαυτὸν (heauton - himself): This emphatic reflexive pronoun highlights the direct comparison the mockers draw. The expectation is that if He truly possessed divine power, He would use it for self-preservation, demonstrating control over His fate and contradicting their view of a powerless criminal.
• οὐ δύναται (ou dunatai - he cannot / he is not able): This strong negative statement, combined with 'dunatai' (able), asserts their conclusion that Jesus is incapable of self-preservation. From their limited human perspective, His continued suffering signifies a lack of divine power, disproving His claims. They cannot grasp that His inability to "save himself" (from the cross) is actually His divine choice to "save others."
• σῶσαι (sōsai - to save): This infinitive echoes the previous 'esōsen'. It’s the specific act they believe He should perform for Himself if His earlier saving acts were legitimate. Their definition of "save" here is physical deliverance from death on the cross, revealing their misapprehension of the spiritual salvation Jesus offers.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Ὡσαύτως καὶ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς... ἔλεγον" (In the same way the chief priests also... were saying): This phrase indicates the leaders' descent to the level of common, vulgar mockery, joining the mob's derision. It emphasizes their collective role and voice in rejecting Jesus, marking a powerful theological indictment of Israel's spiritual guides. Their deliberate participation in this scorn elevates the tragic nature of Jesus' rejection.
• "ἐμπαίζοντες πρὸς ἀλλήλους μετὰ τῶν γραμματέων" (mocking among themselves with the scribes): This descriptive phrase reveals the internal, consensual, and cruel nature of their ridicule. It suggests not spontaneous outburst but shared malice. The presence of both chief priests and scribes indicates that the highest religious and intellectual authorities of Judaism united in their rejection, reinforcing the theme of divine blindness and human perversity at the heart of the Passion.
• "Ἄλλους ἔσωσεν, ἑαυτὸν οὐ δύναται σῶσαι." (He saved others; he cannot save himself.): This is the core taunt, filled with profound theological irony. The first part, "He saved others," is an inadvertent confession of Jesus' true power and divine nature, affirming His earlier miracles and works of mercy. The second part, "he cannot save himself," highlights their fundamental misunderstanding of Jesus' mission. From a divine perspective, His refusal to save Himself from the cross was not a demonstration of inability, but of deliberate obedience, infinite love, and His chosen method for accomplishing the salvation of others – a salvation far greater than mere physical rescue from suffering. It is a divine paradox: to save humanity, He must allow Himself to be consumed by the cross, embodying ultimate self-sacrificial love. This very 'inability' is the wellspring of human redemption.

Mark 15 31 Bonus section

The irony in the chief priests' and scribes' words underscores the biblical theme of God's ways being higher than human ways (Isa 55:8-9). What appeared to be a demonstration of utter defeat and impotence on the cross, was, in fact, the greatest demonstration of divine power and love. This divine irony is consistent throughout scripture, where God often uses what is perceived as weak or foolish to confound the strong and wise (1 Cor 1:25-29). The mockers’ demand for Jesus to come down from the cross, in essence, was a demand for Him to abandon His mission, to abort the plan of salvation for humanity. Had He saved Himself, no one else could be truly saved in a spiritual sense from sin and death. This moment highlights that Jesus was the ultimate Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53), whose "weakness" and sacrificial death purchased eternal life for many. It stands as a testament to the fact that Jesus did not cling to divine privilege, but willingly embraced the cross as the path to glory, not for Himself, but for all who would believe.

Mark 15 31 Commentary

Mark 15:31 presents a stark moment of cosmic irony. The most learned and influential religious figures, the chief priests and scribes, embody the climax of humanity's rejection of Jesus. Their bitter taunt, "He saved others; he cannot save himself," simultaneously affirms Jesus' divine power (His past miracles) and yet fundamentally misinterprets the very nature of His messianic work. They perceived His suffering on the cross as the ultimate sign of weakness, a failure to demonstrate the power they expected of a Messiah who would overthrow their enemies. Yet, precisely because He chose not to save Himself, humanity could be truly saved. His surrender to the cross was not an act of inability, but a profound, deliberate act of infinite love and obedience to His Father's will. It was the only way to reconcile sinful humanity to a holy God, by offering His own perfect life as the ultimate sacrifice. Their scoffing, therefore, unknowingly proclaimed the very truth of His mission: salvation for all required His voluntary and agonizing self-sacrifice, leading Him to bear the weight of sin and God's wrath, securing victory through apparent defeat. This scene powerfully illustrates the clash between worldly wisdom and the profound, paradoxical wisdom of God's redemptive plan through the cross.