In Mark 15:12, Pilate confronts the crowd with a haunting question that reverberates through the Passion narrative. The verse — ὁ δὲ Πιλᾶτος ἀποκριθεὶς πάλιν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· τί οὖν θέλετε ποιήσω ὃν λέγετε τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων; — employs aorist participles, interrogative pronouns, and layered direct discourse. The grammar sharpens the rhetorical edge of the question: what do you want me to do with the one you call “King of the Jews”?
The Greek Text in Focus
ὁ δὲ Πιλᾶτος ἀποκριθεὶς πάλιν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· τί οὖν θέλετε ποιήσω ὃν λέγετε τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων; (Mark 15:12)
“And Pilate again answered and said to them, ‘What then do you want me to do with the one you call the King of the Jews?’”
Grammatical Highlights
- ὁ δὲ Πιλᾶτος — nominative masculine singular; subject of the main clause.
- ἀποκριθεὶς — aorist participle passive (deponent in meaning), nominative masculine singular; “having answered.”
- πάλιν — adverb; “again.”
- εἶπεν — aorist indicative active, 3rd singular; “he said.”
- αὐτοῖς — dative masculine plural pronoun; “to them.”
- τί — neuter interrogative pronoun; “What?”
- οὖν — inferential particle; “then.”
- θέλετε — present indicative active, 2nd plural; “you want.”
- ποιήσω — aorist subjunctive active, 1st singular; “that I should do.”
- ὃν λέγετε — relative clause; “whom you call.”
- τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων — accusative phrase; predicate of the relative clause.
Aorist Participle: ἀποκριθεὶς
Though passive in form, ἀποκριθεὶς (from ἀποκρίνομαι) functions as a deponent — it is active in meaning: “having answered.” As aorist, it signals that the action of answering precedes the main verb εἶπεν (“he said”), forming a narrative pair that sets up direct speech.
Interrogative + Subjunctive: Τί… ποιήσω
The question τί… θέλετε ποιήσω; is grammatically intricate. Τί is the interrogative object (“What?”), and ποιήσω is a deliberative aorist subjunctive, common in Greek questions asking, “What should I do?” The structure depends on the main verb θέλετε (“you want”): “What do you want me to do?”
Relative Clause: ὃν λέγετε τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων
The relative pronoun ὃν is the direct object of ποιήσω (“What do you want me to do with the one whom you call…”). The clause ὃν λέγετε has τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων as its predicate accusative, revealing how the crowd identifies the man in question. The accusative structure shows that Pilate is highlighting their designation of Jesus — perhaps distancing himself from it.
| Phrase | Form | Function | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ἀποκριθεὶς | Aorist Deponent Participle | Temporal modifier | Having answered |
| εἶπεν αὐτοῖς | Aorist Indicative + Dative | Main narrative action | He said to them |
| τί οὖν θέλετε | Interrogative + Present Indicative | Main question frame | What then do you want |
| ποιήσω | Aorist Subjunctive, 1st Singular | Deliberative / subordinate clause | That I should do |
| ὃν λέγετε | Relative Clause | Describes “what” | Whom you call |
| τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων | Accusative Noun Phrase | Predicate of relative clause | The King of the Jews |
The Grammar of Conscience and Choice
Mark 15:12 uses grammar to press the weight of decision: aorists mark past responses, present verbs press current demands, and the subjunctive opens a window of moral possibility. The relative clause delivers a sting — “the one you call King of the Jews.” Pilate’s grammar doesn’t just ask a question. It reflects a tension between politics, justice, and truth, laid bare through syntax.
