Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley, [1754-65], at sacred-texts.com
Mark 15:1
mar 15:1
Mat 27:1-2; Luk 22:66; Luk 23:1; Joh 18:28.
Mark 15:3
mar 15:3
Mat 27:12.
Mark 15:7
mar 15:7
Insurrection - A crime which the Roman governors, and Pilate in particular, were more especially concerned and careful to punish.
Mark 15:9
mar 15:9
Will ye that I release to you the king of the Jews - Which does this wretched man discover most? Want of justice, or courage, or common sense? The poor coward sacrifices justice to popular clamour, and enrages those whom he seeks to appease, by so unseasonably repeating that title, The king of the Jews, which he could not but know was so highly offensive to them.
Mark 15:16
mar 15:16
Praetorium - The inner hall, where the praetor, a Roman magistrate, used to give judgment. But St. John calls the whole palace by this name. Mat 27:27; Joh 19:2.
Mark 15:17
mar 15:17
Purple - As royal robes were usually purple and scarlet, St. Mark and John term this a purple robe, St. Matthew a scarlet one. The Tyrian purple is said not to have been very different from scarlet.
Mark 15:20
mar 15:20
Mat 27:31; Joh 19:16.
Mark 15:21
mar 15:21
The father of Alexander and Rufus - These were afterward two eminent Christians, and must have been well known when St. Mark wrote.
Mark 15:22
mar 15:22
Mat 27:33; Luk 23:33; Joh 19:17.
Mark 15:24
mar 15:24
St. Mark seems to intimate, that they first nailed him to the cross, then parted his garments, and afterward reared up the cross.
Mark 15:28
mar 15:28
Isa 53:12.
Mark 15:29
mar 15:29
Mat 27:39.
Mark 15:33
mar 15:33
Mat 27:45; Luk 23:44.
Mark 15:34
mar 15:34
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me - Thereby claiming God as his God; and yet lamenting his Father's withdrawing the tokens of his love, and treating him as an enemy, while he bare our sins.
Mark 15:37
mar 15:37
Mat 27:50; Luk 23:46; Joh 19:30.
Mark 15:41
mar 15:41
Who served him - Provided him with necessaries.
Mark 15:42
mar 15:42
Because it was the day before the Sabbath - And the bodies might not hang on the Sabbath day: therefore they were in haste to have them taken down.
Mark 15:43
mar 15:43
Honourable - A man of character and reputation: A counsellor - A member of the sanhedrim. Who waited for the kingdom of God - Who expected to see it set up on earth. Mat 27:57; Luk 23:50; Joh 19:38.
Mark 15:46
mar 15:46
He rolled a stone - By his servants. It was too large for him to roll himself.