Mark 15 — Clausal Layout (English)

independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended

Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)

Before Pilate — Barabbas released 15:1–15

vv. 1–5 — the dawn handover and the interrogation

And immediately, early in the morning, the chief priests with the elders and scribes and the whole council, holding a consultation,participial — preposed circumstantial — the night verdict formalized at dawn; leans on ἀπήνεγκαν

and binding Jesus,participial — second preposed participle — he goes to Rome already fettered

led him awayindependent — the transfer to the praetorium

and delivered him to Pilate.independent — παραδίδωμι — the passion's keyword: the handing over to Rome

And Pilate questioned him:independent — the Roman interrogation opens on the political charge

'Are you the king of the Jews?'content — emphatic σύ — you, of all people? the title that will hang over the cross

And he, answering him,participial — preposed pleonastic participle — leans on λέγει

says:independent — historic present — the reply lands vivid

'You say so.'content — the poised σὺ λέγεις — affirmation laid back on the asker's own words, neither yes nor no; his last word to power until the cry

And the chief priests kept accusing him of many things.independent — iterative imperfect — the barrage of charges

And Pilate again questioned him,independent — durative imperfect — the renewed probing

saying:participial — pleonastic speech-participle

'Do you answer nothing?content — οὐ expecting yes — have you no defense?

See how many charges they bring against you.'content — ἴδε — Pilate points at the mounting accusation

But Jesus no longer answered anything,independent — piled negatives — the total silence of Isa 53:7

so that Pilate was amazed.purpose — ὥστε + infinitive — actual result (typed pur; no result key): wonder before the silent prisoner

vv. 6–11 — the Passover amnesty and Barabbas

Now at the feast he used to release to them one prisoner,independent — customary imperfect — the narrator's aside on the amnesty custom

whom they requested.relative — the people's pick — the custom that will free the murderer

And there was the one called Barabbas, bound with the rebels,independent — periphrastic — Βαραββᾶς, 'son of the father': the pointed foil introduced

who had committed murder in the insurrection.relative — qualitative οἵτινες — the crime named: sedition and blood

And the crowd, coming up,participial — preposed circumstantial — leans on ἤρξατο

began to ask him to doindependent — Markan ἤρξατο + infinitive — the crowd claims its custom

as he was accustomed to do for them.comparative — customary imperfect — the yearly precedent invoked

And Pilate answered them,independent — the offer — Pilate reaches for the amnesty as an exit

saying:participial — pleonastic speech-participle

'Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?'content — asyndetic θέλετε + subjunctive — the loaded title dangled before the crowd

for he knewcause — narrator's γάρ — the ground of the offer

that the chief priests had handed him over out of envy.content — διὰ φθόνον — the motive diagnosed: envy, not justice

But the chief priests stirred up the crowd,independent — ἀνασείω — the mob shaken into motion

so that he might release Barabbas to them instead.purpose — μᾶλλον — the murderer chosen over the king

vv. 12–15 — 'Crucify him' and the capitulation

And Pilate, again answering,participial — preposed pleonastic participle — leans on ἔλεγεν

said to them:independent — imperfect — the exchange held open

'Then what do you want me to docontent — deliberative subjunctive — the fate handed to the crowd

with the one you call the king of the Jews?'relative — headless relative — 'whom you call': Pilate puts the title on their own lips

And they cried out again:independent — πάλιν — the shout now a chant

'Crucify him!'content — the first cry for the cross

And Pilate said to them:independent — the protest of innocence

'Why, what evil has he done?'content — γάρ in a question — no crime found, and none named

But they cried out all the more:independent — περισσῶς — argument answered by volume

'Crucify him!'content — the chant verbatim — the crowd's only reason is repetition

So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd,participial — causal participle — τὸ ἱκανὸν ποιῆσαι, the Latinism satis facere: expediency, not verdict

released Barabbas to them,independent — the guilty freed

and delivered Jesus,independent — παρέδωκεν again — the innocent handed on

having scourged him,participial — φραγελλόω (Lat. flagellare) — the lashing that preceded crucifixion

to be crucified.purpose — the sentence in a purpose clause — Rome's verb takes over

The soldiers' mockery and the way to Golgotha 15:16–22

vv. 16–20 — the mock coronation in the praetorium

And the soldiers led him away inside the courtyard,independent — the scene moves indoors — the king's 'court' assembles

that is, the praetorium,phrase modifier — Mark's editorial gloss — the governor's residence, for his Roman readers

and they call together the whole cohort.independent — historic present — the mockery quickens; hyperbolic 'whole' cohort, nominally 600

And they dress him in purple,independent — historic present — the imperial color, a soldier's cast-off cloak

and they put on himindependent — historic present — the coronation continues

a crown of thorns they had twisted together;participial — the participle carries the object — στέφανος, the victor's wreath, in thorn

And they began to salute him:independent — ἤρξαντο + infinitive — the acclamation begins

'Hail, king of the Jews!'content — the Ave Caesar parodied — the true title in mocking vocative

And they kept striking his head with a reed,independent — iterative imperfect — the mock-scepter turned weapon

and kept spitting on him,independent — iterative imperfect — Isa 50:6, the servant spat upon

and bending their knees,participial — preposed manner participle — leans on προσεκύνουν

they kept doing homage to him.independent — προσκυνέω in parody — the obeisance that is unwittingly due

And when they had mocked him,conditional — temporal ὅτε (typed cnd; no temporal key) — the sport concluded

they stripped the purple off himindependent — the costume reclaimed

and put his own clothes on him.independent — re-clothed for the road — the garments soon to be diced for (v. 24)

And they lead him outindependent — historic present — outside the city, to the place of execution

to crucify him.purpose — the purpose stated without comment

vv. 21–22 — Simon conscripted; Golgotha

And they press into service a certain passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country,independent — historic present ἀγγαρεύω — Roman impressment; a stranger takes up the cross

the father of Alexander and Rufus,phrase modifier — apposition — sons evidently known to Mark's church (cf. Rom 16:13)

that he carry his cross.purpose — αἴρω τὸν σταυρόν — the discipleship phrase of 8:34, enacted under compulsion

And they bring him to the place Golgotha,independent — historic present φέρουσιν — 'carry,' perhaps: he can no longer walk

which is, translated, 'Place of a Skull.'phrase modifier — Mark's gloss-formula — the Aramaic name rendered for Greek readers

The crucifixion, the charge, and the mockery 15:23–32

vv. 23–27 — crucified between two robbers

And they offered him wine mingled with myrrh;independent — conative imperfect — the condemned man's narcotic offered

but he did not take it.independent — ὃς δέ near-demonstrative — death met with senses unclouded (cf. 14:25)

And they crucify him,independent — historic present — the crucifixion itself in three words, no description

and divide his garments among them,independent — Ps 22:18 — the psalm's wording absorbed into the narrative, uncited

casting lots for themparticipial — manner participle — the soldiers dice beneath the cross

as to who should take what.content — compressed double interrogative τίς τί — indirect deliberative question

And it was the third hourindependent — 9 a.m. — the first of the chapter's three-hour bells (vv. 33, 34)

when they crucified him.independent — Semitic καί = 'when' — the hour and the act coordinated

And the inscription of the charge against him was written above:independent — periphrastic perfect — the titulus, the legal cause of death posted

'The King of the Jews.'content — verbless titulus — the charge is, ironically, the truth

And with him they crucify two robbers,independent — historic present — λῃσταί, the brigand-word of Barabbas' kind

one on his right and one on his left.phrase modifier — the places James and John asked for (10:37); v. 28 (Isa 53:12) absent from the earliest text

vv. 29–32 — three waves of mockery

And those passing by kept reviling him,independent — ἐβλασφήμουν — the blasphemy charge (14:64) inverted onto the mockers

wagging their headsparticipial — Ps 22:7 — the scorners' gesture from the psalm

and saying:participial — the speech-frame for the first taunt

'Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,content — verbless jeer — the garbled temple-saying of 14:58 thrown back

save yourself,content — the taunt's imperative — σῴζω, the word of his healings

coming down from the cross!'participial — means participle — the descent demanded as proof

Likewise also the chief priests, mocking him among themselves with the scribes,participial — preposed circumstantial — the second wave; leans on ἔλεγον

kept saying:independent — iterative imperfect — the professionals mock to one another, not to him

'Others he saved;content — fronted Ἄλλους — an unwitting confession of his work

himself he cannot save.content — truer than they know — saving others is why he does not save himself (10:45)

Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross,content — third-person imperative — the two trial titles (14:61; 15:2) fused in scorn

that we may see and believe.'purpose — sight demanded before faith — the inversion of the Gospel's order

And those crucified with him kept reviling him.independent — the third wave — even the co-crucified; the rejection total

Darkness, the cry, the death, the confession 15:33–41

vv. 33–36 — the darkness and the cry of dereliction

And when the sixth hour had come,participial — genitive absolute — forward-leaning; noon

darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour.independent — Amos 8:9 — sun down at noon; judgment-darkness over γῆ, land or earth

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice:independent — ἐβόησεν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ — a shout, not a whisper; the only word from the cross in Mark

'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?'content — Ps 22:1 in Aramaic — the psalm prayed, not merely fulfilled

which is, translated:phrase modifier — Mark's gloss-formula, as at Golgotha (v. 22)

'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'content — the dereliction real, yet still 'my God' — abandonment addressed to the Abandoner

And some of the bystanders, hearing it,participial — preposed circumstantial — leans on ἔλεγον

said:independent — the mishearing begins

'Look, he is calling Elijah.'content — Ἐλωΐ misheard as Ἠλίας — the rescuer-prophet (Mal 4:5) heard where God is being addressed

And someone, running,participial — preposed aorist participle — the first of three before the verb

and filling a sponge with sour wine,participial — ὄξος — the soldiers' posca; Ps 69:21 echo

putting it on a reed,participial — third preposed participle — leans on ἐπότιζεν

gave him to drink,independent — conative imperfect — 'tried to give'

saying:participial — the speech-frame

'Wait, let us seecontent — ἄφετε + hortatory subjunctive — the deathbed made a spectacle

whether Elijah is coming to take him down.'content — indirect question — the rescue that will not come; καθελεῖν anticipates the burial (v. 46)

vv. 37–39 — the death, the veil, the confession

But Jesus, letting out a loud cry,participial — the second great cry — strength where the crucified should have none; its force a noted crux

breathed his last.independent — ἐξέπνευσεν — one word; Mark's starkest sentence

And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.independent — divine passive; σχίζω — the verb of the torn heavens (1:10) closes the frame; torn from the top: God's side

And the centurion who stood facing him, seeingparticipial — preposed circumstantial — the executioner watching; leans on εἶπεν

that he thus breathed his last,content — οὕτως — the manner of the dying, not a miracle, converts him

said:independent — the confession-frame

'Truly this man was the Son of God.'content — υἱὸς θεοῦ anarthrous — 'a son' on pagan lips, 'the Son' in Mark's frame (1:1; 9:7): the Gospel's climactic human confession, from a Gentile, at the cross

vv. 40–41 — the women watching from afar

And there were also women looking on from a distance,independent — periphrastic imperfect — the faithful watchers where the Twelve have fled

among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome,relative — verbless relative — the witnesses named: they anchor cross, burial, and empty tomb

who, when he was in Galilee, followed him and ministered to him,relative — ἀκολουθεῖν and διακονεῖν — the discipleship verbs, held by the women

and many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.phrase modifier — verbless addition — the pilgrim company widened beyond the named three

The burial by Joseph of Arimathea 15:42–47

vv. 42–45 — the bold request and the granted corpse

And when evening had already come,participial — genitive absolute — forward-leaning on εἰσῆλθεν (v. 43); the Sabbath presses

since it was the day of Preparation,cause — preposed causal ἐπεί — the urgency explained; leans forward with the genitive absolute

that is, the day before the Sabbath,phrase modifier — Mark's gloss — burial must be done by sundown

Joseph of Arimathea, a respected council member, coming,participial — preposed circumstantial — a Sanhedrist claims the Sanhedrin's victim

who was himself also awaiting the kingdom of God,relative — periphrastic — a kingdom-waiter inside the council

taking courage,participial — τολμήσας — the daring named: to ask for a crucified man's body marks him

went in to Pilateindependent — the bold entry

and asked for the body of Jesus.independent — σῶμα — the request that spares Jesus the criminals' pit

And Pilate wonderedindependent — θαυμάζω again (v. 5) — crucifixion usually took days

whether he was already dead,content — εἰ after θαυμάζω — the object of the surprise

and summoning the centurion,participial — preposed participle — the confessor of v. 39 recalled as death's official witness

he asked himindependent — the verification

whether he had died some time ago;content — indirect question — the death established on Roman record

And learning it from the centurion,participial — preposed participle — leans on ἐδωρήσατο

he granted the corpse to Joseph.independent — πτῶμα — Mark's blunt 'corpse' where the request said σῶμα

vv. 46–47 — the linen, the rock tomb, the watching Marys

And buying a linen cloth,participial — preposed participle — the purchase before sundown

and taking him down,participial — καθελών — the taking-down Elijah was mockingly awaited for (v. 36)

he wrapped him in the linenindependent — the shrouding

and laid him in a tombindependent — ἔθηκεν — answered by τέθειται (v. 47) and 'where they laid him' (16:6)

which had been hewn out of rock,relative — periphrastic pluperfect — a sealed, single-entrance chamber

and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.independent — the λίθος set — the stone 16:3 will find rolled away

And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were watchingindependent — durative imperfect — the two Marys mark the spot

where he was laid.content — indirect question, perfect τέθειται — the chain of witness runs unbroken to 16:1

Analysis. Mark 15 keeps the paratactic drumbeat of Mark 1, but the flush-left verbs now happen to Jesus rather than through him: bound, led away, handed over — παραδίδωμι, the passion's keyword, opens the chapter (v. 1), grounds Pilate's insight (v. 10), and seals the verdict (v. 15). The historic presents cluster where the horror is thickest (συγκαλοῦσιν, ἐνδιδύσκουσιν, περιτιθέασιν, ἐξάγουσιν, ἀγγαρεύουσιν, φέρουσιν, and the three-word σταυροῦσιν αὐτόν), flagged in the tags as they land. Against the purple column the usual two things indent: the preposed participles that load a clause before its verb strikes (the dawn consultation of v. 1, βουλόμενος τῷ ὄχλῳ τὸ ἱκανὸν ποιῆσαι, the genitive absolutes γενομένης ὥρας ἕκτης and ὀψίας γενομένης, Joseph's bare τολμήσας), and speech, hanging blue beneath its verb of saying — nearly all of it hostile: Pilate's four questions, the twice-chanted Σταύρωσον αὐτόν, the cohort's Χαῖρε βασιλεῦ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, and the three waves of mockery at the cross, each hurling a true title back as a jeer. Beneath the narrative the Psalm 22 substructure shows without citation: the divided garments (v. 24 = Ps 22:18), the wagging heads (v. 29 = Ps 22:7), and the ninth-hour cry itself (v. 34 = Ps 22:1, in Aramaic with Mark's translation gloss), joined by the vinegar of Ps 69:21 (v. 36) and the noon darkness of Amos 8:9 (v. 33). Cruxes the layout leaves honest: Σὺ λέγεις (v. 2) keeps its studied poise — an affirmation laid back on the asker's own words, neither yes nor no, after which Jesus is silent until the cry; ἐβόησεν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ (v. 34) and the second great cry of v. 37 carry startling force — the crucified die of slow suffocation, quietly, and it is seeing 'that he thus breathed his last' that moves the centurion; his υἱὸς θεοῦ (v. 39) is anarthrous — 'a son of God' is all a pagan need mean, but Mark hears the Gospel's own title (1:1; 9:7) confessed at last by a human being, a Gentile executioner, beneath the torn veil (ἐσχίσθη, the verb of the torn heavens, 1:10 — the frame closed); and v. 28 (the Isa 53:12 citation) is absent from this text as from the earliest witnesses, so the chapter runs 1–27, 29–47.