Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Mark 15:32

ὁ Χριστός. Alluding to His declaration before the Sanhedrin (Mark 14:62).

ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἰσραήλ. Alluding to the title on the cross. It is probably from this expression (Mk, Mt.) that the Gospel of Peter gets the idea that the wording of the title was “This is the King of Israel.” Jews would say “of Israel,” but Pilate would write “of the Jews.”

ἵνα … πιστεύσωμεν. Mt. has καὶ πιστεύσομεν, turning the saying into a promise to believe. They failed to understand Moses and the Prophets, and they did not believe Him of whom they wrote, even when He raised the dead. But when He Himself rose, many of the priests became obedient to the faith (Acts 6:7).

ὠνείδιζον. As in Mark 15:29; Mark 15:31, the imperf. expresses continued action. Mt. retains the imperf. in all three places. We may suppose that Mk and Mt. were ignorant of the subsequent conduct of the penitent robber. The frequent reviling of the other robber was much better known and was commonly spoken of as done by “the robbers.” So Cyril of Jerusalem, Ambrose, and Augustine. Origen, Chrysostom, and Jerome suppose that both robbers at first reviled, and that afterwards one of them changed and rebuked the other. This is less probable. Much less satisfactory is the suggestion that ὠνείδιζον (Mk, Mt.) means much less than ἐβλασφήμει (Lk.); both reproached Jesus, but only one railed on Him. There is little difference in meaning between the two verbs (Luke 6:22; Romans 15:3; Hebrews 11:26; 1 Peter 4:14), and they are sometimes coupled (2 Kings 19:22). Vulg. here has conviciabantur, in Mt. improperabant.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Mark 15:32

Old Testament

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