Mark 15:8

8 The crowd came to Pilate and began to ask him to free a prisoner as he always did.

Mark 15:8 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 15:8

And the multitude crying aloud
The Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions read, and when the "multitude", or "people went up", to the place called the pavement, where the judgment seat was; and so it is read in Beza's most ancient copy; but the former reading is to be preferred:

began to desire [him to do] as he had ever done to them:
that is, release a prisoner to them, as he had done at every passover, since he had been a governor over them.

Mark 15:8 In-Context

6 Every year at the time of the Passover the governor would free one prisoner whom the people chose.

7 At that time, there was a man named Barabbas in prison who was a rebel and had committed murder during a riot.

8 The crowd came to Pilate and began to ask him to free a prisoner as he always did.

9 So Pilate asked them, "Do you want me to free the king of the Jews?"

10 Pilate knew that the leading priests had turned Jesus in to him because they were jealous.