Verse 1Mt 27:1,2; Lu 22:66; Lu 23:1; John 18:28. Verse 3Mt 27:12. Verse 7Insurrection - A crime which the Roman governors, and Pilate in particular, were more especially concerned and careful to punish. Verse 9Will 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. Verse 16Praetorium - The inner hall, where the praetor, a Roman magistrate, used to give judgment. But St. John calls the whole palace by this name. Mt 27:27; John 19:2. Verse 17Purple - 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. Verse 20Mt 27:31; John 19:16. Verse 21The father of Alexander and Rufus - These were afterward two eminent Christians, and must have been well known when St. Mark wrote. Verse 22Mt 27:33; Lu 23:33; John 19:17. Verse 24St. Mark seems to intimate, that they first nailed him to the cross, then parted his garments, and afterward reared up the cross. Verse 28Isa 53:12. Verse 29Mt 27:39. Verse 33Mt 27:45; Lu 23:44. Verse 34My 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. Verse 37Mt 27:50; Lu 23:46; John 19:30. Verse 41Who served him - Provided him with necessaries. Verse 42Because 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. Verse 43Honourable - 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. Mt 27:57; Lu 23:50; John 19:38. Verse 46He rolled a stone - By his servants. It was too large for him to roll himself.