The Meaning of Mark 15:18 Explained

Mark 15:18

KJV: And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!

YLT: and began to salute him, 'Hail, King of the Jews.'

Darby: And they began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!

ASV: and they began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  began  to salute  him,  Hail,  King  of the Jews! 

What does Mark 15:18 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 15:18 mean?

and they began to salute Him Hail King of the Jews
καὶ ἤρξαντο ἀσπάζεσθαι αὐτόν Χαῖρε Βασιλεῦ τῶν Ἰουδαίων

ἤρξαντο  they  began 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἄρχω  
Sense: to be the first to do (anything), to begin.
ἀσπάζεσθαι  to  salute 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Middle or Passive
Root: ἀπασπάζομαι 
Sense: to draw to one’s self.
Χαῖρε  Hail 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: χαίρω  
Sense: to rejoice, be glad.
Βασιλεῦ  King 
Parse: Noun, Vocative 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.