The Meaning of Mark 15:14 Explained

Mark 15:14

KJV: Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.

YLT: And Pilate said to them, 'Why -- what evil did he?' and they cried out the more vehemently, 'Crucify him;'

Darby: And Pilate said to them, What evil then has he done? But they cried out the more urgently, Crucify him.

ASV: And Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out exceedingly, Crucify him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then  Pilate  said  unto them,  Why,  what  evil  hath he done?  And  they cried out  the more exceedingly,  Crucify  him. 

What does Mark 15:14 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

What do the individual words in Mark 15:14 mean?

- And Pilate was saying to them What indeed did He commit evil - But much more they shouted Crucify Him
δὲ Πιλᾶτος ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς Τί γὰρ ἐποίησεν κακόν Οἱ δὲ περισσῶς ἔκραξαν Σταύρωσον αὐτόν

  - 
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.
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.
γὰρ  indeed 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: γάρ  
Sense: for.
ἐποίησεν  did  He  commit 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ποιέω  
Sense: to make.
κακόν  evil 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: κακός  
Sense: of a bad nature.
Οἱ  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
περισσῶς  much  more 
Parse: Adverb
Root: περισσῶς  
Sense: beyond measure, extraordinary.
ἔκραξαν  they  shouted 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: κράζω  
Sense: to croak.
Σταύρωσον  Crucify 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: σταυρόω  
Sense: to stake, drive down stakes.