Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Mark 15:9

"And Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?" — Mark 15:9 (ASV)

The question of Pilate implies that the crowd had asked for the release of Jesus (perhaps Jesus Barabbas?). It is possible that Pilate mistook the crowd’s request for releasing Jesus Barabbas as a request for releasing Jesus of Nazareth. Pilate, of course, used the title “king of the Jews” contemptuously . He was too shrewd a politician to believe that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him out of loyalty to Caesar! He reasoned, and rightly so, that they envied Jesus’ popularity and influence with the people.