Mark 15:11
But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.
Original Language Analysis
οἱ
G3588
οἱ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
1 of 12
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ἀρχιερεῖς
the chief priests
G749
ἀρχιερεῖς
the chief priests
Strong's:
G749
Word #:
3 of 12
the high-priest (literally, of the jews; typically, christ); by extension a chief priest
τὸν
G3588
τὸν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
5 of 12
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ὄχλον
the people
G3793
ὄχλον
the people
Strong's:
G3793
Word #:
6 of 12
a throng (as borne along); by implication, the rabble; by extension, a class of people; figuratively, a riot
μᾶλλον
he should rather
G3123
μᾶλλον
he should rather
Strong's:
G3123
Word #:
8 of 12
(adverbially) more (in a greater degree)) or rather
τὸν
G3588
τὸν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
9 of 12
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
Historical Context
The chief priests wielded enormous social capital—they controlled Temple employment, certified ritual purity, and managed the economic ecosystem around pilgrimage and sacrifice. Thousands depended on their favor. They could mobilize clients, servants, and associates quickly. The crowd's transformation from neutral (v. 8) to demanding Jesus's death (v. 13-14) in minutes testifies to organized manipulation. This mirrors modern propaganda techniques—controlling narrative, appealing to nationalist sentiments, and demonizing opponents.
Questions for Reflection
- What tactics did the chief priests likely use to 'move the people' so quickly toward demanding Jesus's death?
- How does the crowd's choice of Barabbas over Jesus reveal the fallenness of human moral judgment?
- What responsibility do religious leaders bear when they manipulate people toward evil ends?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
But the chief priests moved the people (οἱ δὲ ἀρχιερεῖς ἀνέσεισαν τὸν ὄχλον, hoi de archiereis aneseisan ton ochlon)—The verb ἀνασείω (anaseiō) means to shake up, stir up, incite. It suggests agitation, deliberate manipulation. The ὄχλος (ochlos, crowd) becomes a weapon in the chief priests' hands. That he should rather release Barabbas unto them (ἵνα μᾶλλον τὸν Βαραββᾶν ἀπολύσῃ αὐτοῖς, hina mallon ton Barabban apolysē autois)—The conjunction ἵνα (hina) indicates purpose; μᾶλλον (mallon, 'rather, instead') shows substitution.
The chief priests—who should shepherd God's people toward righteousness—instead manipulate them toward murdering the Righteous One. They preferred a murderer to the Messiah, violence to peace, insurrection to the Kingdom of God. This reveals the complete moral inversion of corrupt leadership. Barabbas becomes history's most dramatic recipient of substitutionary grace—the guilty released because the innocent takes his place (Isaiah 53:5-6).