Mark 15:16

And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(16) Into the hall, called Prætorium.—The same word is used by St. Matthew (Matthew 27:27), but is there translated the “common hall.” See Note there as to the meaning of the word. Here, again, we have a Latin word.

Benson Commentary

Mark 15:16-19. And the soldiers led him away — The soldiers, knowing that it was a Roman custom to scourge prisoners just before they were put to death, interpreted Pilate’s order on this head as a declaration that he was immediately to be crucified; therefore they led him to the hall, called the Pretorium — As being the place where the pretor, a Roman magistrate, used to keep his court, and give judgment; but in common language, the term was applied to the palace in general. And they call together the whole band, &c. — Or cohort, to insult and torment him, not being concerned to keep any measures with a person whom they looked upon as entirely abandoned to their will. And they clothed him with purple — As royal robes were usually purple and scarlet, Mark and John term this a purple robe, Matthew a scarlet one. The Tyrian purple is said not to have been very different from scarlet. They clothed Jesus in this gaudy dress that he might have something of a mock resemblance to a prince. And platted a crown of thorns, &c. — Still further to ridicule his pretensions to royalty, which they considered as an affront to their nation and emperor; and began to salute him — In a ludicrous manner, as if he had been a new-created prince, and this his coronation-day. And they smote him on the head —

And so, as it were, nailed down the thorns on his forehead and temples, occasioning thereby as it may be reasonably supposed, exquisite pain, as well as a great effusion of blood. And did spit upon him — Even in his very face; and bowing their knees, worshipped him — Did him reverence in a scoffing and insulting manner: all which indignities and cruelties this holy sufferer bore with the utmost meekness and composure, neither reviling nor threatening them; but silently committing himself to the righteous invisible Judge, 1 Peter 2:23. See note on Matthew 27:27-31, where these particular circumstances of his humiliation are enlarged upon.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

15:15-21 Christ met death in its greatest terror. It was the death of the vilest malefactors. Thus the cross and the shame are put together. God having been dishonoured by the sin of man, Christ made satisfaction by submitting to the greatest disgrace human nature could be loaded with. It was a cursed death; thus it was branded by the Jewish law, De 21:23. The Roman soldiers mocked our Lord Jesus as a King; thus in the high priest's hall the servants had mocked him as a Prophet and Saviour. Shall a purple or scarlet robe be matter of pride to a Christian, which was matter of reproach and shame to Christ? He wore the crown of thorns which we deserved, that we might wear the crown of glory which he merited. We were by sin liable to everlasting shame and contempt; to deliver us, our Lord Jesus submitted to shame and contempt. He was led forth with the workers of iniquity, though he did no sin. The sufferings of the meek and holy Redeemer, are ever a source of instruction to the believer, of which, in his best hours, he cannot be weary. Did Jesus thus suffer, and shall I, a vile sinner, fret or repine? Shall I indulge anger, or utter reproaches and threats because of troubles and injuries?

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Called Praetorium - The hall of the "praetor," or Roman governor, where he sat to administer justice.

Whole band - See the notes at Matthew 27:27.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 15

Mr 15:1-20. Jesus Is Brought before Pilate—At a Second Hearing, Pilate, after Seeking to Release Him, Delivers Him Up—After Being Cruelly Entreated, He Is Led Away to Be Crucified. ( = Mt 26:1, 2, 11-31; Lu 23:1-6, 13-25; Joh 18:28-19:16).

See on [1518]Joh 18:28-19:16.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Mark 15:10"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the soldiers led him away into the hall,.... From the place called the pavement, where was the judge's bench, from which he passed sentence on Christ, to a large room,

called the praetorium, or judgment hall; being the hall, or room, where the praetor, or Roman magistrate, kept his court of judicature; and is the same place the Jews would not go into, lest they should be defiled, and become unmeet to eat the Chagigah that day; and into which Pilate had Jesus more than once alone, John 18:28, but now he had a large company with him:

and they call together the whole band; very likely the soldiers, into whose custody Jesus was put, and who led him away, were the four soldiers that attended his crucifixion, and parted his garments; but for greater diversion they got together the whole band to which they belonged; See Gill on Matthew 27:27.

Geneva Study Bible

And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Mark 15:16-20. Mocked by the soldiers (Matthew 27:27-31).

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

16–24. The Mockery of the Soldiers. The Way to the Cross

16. the hall, called Prætorium] “in to þe floor of þe moot hall,” Wyclif. The building here alluded to is called by three of the Evangelists the Prætorium. In St Matthew (Matthew 27:27) it is translated “common hall,” with a marginal alternative “governor’s house.” In St John (John 18:28; John 18:33, John 19:9) it is translated “hall of judgment” and “judgment hall,” with a marginal alternative “Pilate’s house” in the first passage; while here it is reproduced in the English as “prætorium.” In Acts 23:35 it is rendered “judgment hall,” and in Php 1:13, where it signifies “the prætorian army,” it is rendered “palace.” This last rendering might very properly have been adopted in all the passages in the Gospels and Acts, as adequately expressing the meaning. See Professor Lightfoot on the Revision of the New Testament, p. 49.

the whole band] In the palace-court, which formed a kind of barracks or guard-room, they gathered the whole cohort. The word translated “band” is applied to the detachment brought by Judas (John 18:3), and occurs again Acts 10:1; Acts 21:31; Acts 27:1.

Bengel's Gnomen

Mark 15:16. Αὐλῆς, the hall) The Greek word is put before its Latin synonym, Prœtorium.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 16. - And the soldiers led him away within the court, which is the Praetorium; and they call together the whole band. This was the principal court of the palace, where a large number of soldiers were always quartered. "The whole band" would be the "cohors praetoria" of Cicero; Pilate's body-guard. Mark 15:16

Vincent's Word Studies

Into the hall called Pretorium

Mark, as usual, amplifies. Matthew has simply the Pretorium. The courtyard, surrounded by the buildings of the Pretorium, so that the people passing through the vestibule into this quadrangle found themselves in the Pretorium.

Band (σπεῖραν)

Originally anything wound or wrapped round; as a ball, the coils of a snake, a knot or curl in wood. Hence a body of men-at-arms. The same idea is at the bottom of the Latin manipulus, which is sometimes (as by Josephus) used to translate σπεῖρα. Manipulus was originally a bundle or handful. The ancient Romans adopted a pole with a handful of hay or straw twisted about it as the standard of a company of soldiers; hence a certain number or body of soldiers under one standard was called manipulus.