15:6 During the feast it was customary to release one prisoner to the people, 1 whomever they requested. 15:7 A man named Barabbas was imprisoned with rebels who had committed murder during an insurrection. 15:8 Then the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to release a prisoner for them, as was his custom. 2 15:9 So Pilate asked them, 3 “Do you want me to release the king of the Jews for you?” 15:10 (For he knew that the chief priests had handed him over because of envy.) 4
1 tn Grk “them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
sn The custom of Pilate to release one prisoner to them is unknown outside the gospels in Jewish writings, but it was a Roman custom at the time and thus probably used in Palestine as well (cf. Matt 27:15; John 18:39); see W. W. Wessel, “Mark,” EBC 8:773-74.
2 tn Grk “Coming up the crowd began to ask [him to do] as he was doing for them.”
3 tn Grk “Pilate answered them, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.
4 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.