Mark 15:28 · Bible study
Mark 15:28 Commentary: Counted with Transgressors
Greek · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore Mark 15:28: how Jesus' crucifixion fulfills Isaiah 53:12, revealing his identification with sinners and the nature of his atoning work.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus’ crucifixion fulfills Isaiah 53:12 by placing him among criminals, identifying him with sinners in his atoning death.
- Key words: ἐλογίσθη (was credited), aorist passive of λογίζομαι, an accounting term meaning sin was imputed; ἀνόμων (lawless ones), those who break God’s law.
- Main debate: Whether the verse is original to Mark (some manuscripts omit it) and how precisely 'counted with' should be understood (substitution vs simple association).
- Theological theme: Vicarious atonement: the sinless one stands in the sinner’s place, bearing their guilt and punishment.
- Best use: Teaching Jesus’ identification with sinners and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy in the crucifixion.
Translation Comparison
WEB World English Bible 2000
The Scripture was fulfilled which says, “He was counted with transgressors.”
KJV King James Version 1769
And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and the Writing was fulfilled that is saying, `And with lawless ones he was numbered.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
[And the scripture was fulfilled which says, And he was reckoned with the lawless.]
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith: And with the wicked he was reputed.
Translations in other languages (9 available)
Y se cumplió la Escritura, que dice: Y con los inicuos fué contado.
—
Ainsi fut accompli ce que dit l’Écriture: Il a été mis au nombre des malfaiteurs.
Da ward die Schrift erfüllet, die da sagt: “Er ist unter die Übeltäter gerechnet.”
En de Schrift is vervuld geworden, die daar zegt: En Hij is met de misdadigers gerekend.
E si adempié la Scrittura che dice: Egli è stato annoverato fra gli iniqui.
I wypełniło się Pismo, które mówi: Z złoczyńcami jest policzony.
И сбылось слово Писания: и к злодеям причтен.
這就應了 經上 的 話說： 他被列 在 罪犯之中。）
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Mark 15:28
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree this verse quotes Isaiah 53:12 and declares that Jesus, though sinless, was placed among lawbreakers. Barnes notes that the phrase does not mean Jesus was a transgressor, but that in dying he shared a place with them. Gill adds that he stood in the place of sinners, with their sins imputed to him, and was therefore treated by God's justice as a transgressor. The Greek verb ἐλογίσθη ('was credited') is an accounting term, in the aorist passive, it points to a legal reckoning: sin was charged to the innocent one. Mark's use of 'the Scripture' (ἡ γραφή) identifies a specific prophecy, and the present participle λέγουσα ('saying') presents it as still speaking even as it comes true. Matthew Henry observes that Jesus was 'in all respects numbered with the transgressors.' All agree this is a fulfillment of prophecy that underscores Jesus’ substitutionary suffering. The textual variant (some manuscripts omit the verse) does not affect the consensus that the passage theologically echoes Isaiah 53:12 and is consistent with Luke 22:37, where Jesus himself applies the prophecy to his mission.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Jesus, though sinless, was placed among lawbreakers, fulfilling Isaiah 53:12, showing his identification with sinners in his atoning death.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Prophecy fulfillment | This verse clearly quotes Isaiah 53:12, and Mark intends to show that Jesus' death between criminals was foretold. | Some argue the quotation is added later (based on manuscript evidence), while others see it as original to Mark; both sides affirm the theological link to Isaiah 53. |
| Jesus' sinlessness | All commentators agree Jesus was personally sinless; he did not commit any transgression. | No debate among the supplied sources on this point; traditions uniformly affirm his perfect righteousness. |
| Meaning of 'counted' | The word entails identification: Jesus was treated as if he were a transgressor. | Some emphasize forensic imputation (sin credited to him), while others focus more on social identification with outcasts; both highlight his substitutionary role. |
| Textual authenticity | The verse accurately reflects the theology of Isaiah 53:12 and Luke 22:37. | Manuscript evidence is mixed: some early witnesses omit Mark 15:28, leading to questions about originality, but it is widely accepted as genuine by many scholars. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Mark 15:28 sits within the larger crucifixion account. Jesus has been scourged, mocked, and led to Golgotha (the Place of the Skull). Roman crucifixion was a public, shameful death reserved for the worst criminals, slaves, rebels, and violent offenders. Mark notes that two robbers (λησταί, likely insurrectionists) were crucified with Jesus, one on his right and one on his left (v.27). This visual scene fulfills the prophecy from Isaiah 53:12: 'he poured out his soul to death and was counted with the transgressors.'
In Luke 22:37, Jesus himself cites this very verse as something that 'must still be fulfilled in me.' So the early Christian community saw this moment not as random cruelty but as the climax of a divine plan. The word 'transgressors' translates the Greek ἀνόμων (anomōn), meaning 'lawless ones', those who break God's commands. By being crucified between them, Jesus took the lowest possible place in the eyes of society and the Law.
Mark links this fulfillment to the immediate context: above Jesus is the mocking inscription 'King of the Jews' (v.26), and passersby taunt him to save himself (v.30). Yet the narrator steps back to point out that, ironically, this degradation is precisely what Scripture had foretold. The darkness and the rending of the temple veil that follow (vv.33,38) will further reveal that this apparent defeat is a victory, the sinless one bearing sin for others.
Textual Notes
This verse is absent from several important early manuscripts (including Codex Sinaiticus and Vaticanus) and from some ancient versions and church fathers, as noted by Adam Clarke and the Cambridge Bible. However, it is present in the majority of later Greek manuscripts and is directly paralleled in Luke 22:37, where Jesus himself cites the same prophecy. Many editors include the verse, considering it authentic, though some think it a later scribal addition. Either way, the quote from Isaiah 53:12 aligns perfectly with Mark’s theological emphasis and with the broader New Testament understanding of Jesus’ suffering.
Reception History
Early church writers like Tertullian and Origen saw this verse as a direct proof that Jesus was the Suffering Servant of Isaiah, fulfilling prophecy to the letter. Matthew Henry records a tradition that Golgotha was Adam's burial place, suggesting that Christ’s blood fell on the skull of the first sinner, a symbolic extension of being 'numbered with transgressors.' Throughout church history, this verse has been central to teaching on substitutionary atonement: the sinless one bears the penalty for the guilty. It appears in Holy Week liturgies across traditions, reminding believers that Christ entered the depths of human sin and shame to bring salvation.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- A specific prophecy fulfilled. Mark directly quotes Isaiah 53:12, showing that Jesus’ cross was not an accident but the fulfillment of God's plan revealed centuries earlier.
- A righteous person misjudged. Though sinless (Barnes: 'he was holy, harmless, undefiled'), Jesus was treated as a lawbreaker. This highlights the injustice he suffered and the depth of his identification with sinners.
- A substitutionary death accomplished. As Gill puts it, he was 'reckoned as such' because sin was imputed to him. His death was not for his own sins but for the sins of those he came to save.
Five-point outline
- The Scripture is fulfilled, God’s Word kept.
- Jesus is counted, a divine accounting.
- He is with the lawless, the innocent among the guilty.
- This reveals the heart of the atonement: the sinless one bears sin.
- It invites response, trust in the one who took our place.
Illustration hooks
- A wrongly convicted person who serves time alongside hardened criminals, yet remains innocent. Their presence changes how others see punishment and mercy.
- A parent who takes the blame for a child's mistake, accepting the consequence so the child can go free. The parent did nothing wrong but chooses to be 'counted' as guilty.
- A student who sits with the bullied kid in the cafeteria, risking reputation to show solidarity. Jesus' association with the outcast was deeper: he bore their shame and sin.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Did Jesus become a sinner on the cross? How do we understand his identification with transgressors without making him guilty?
- Why would God plan for his Son to die between criminals? What does that teach about God's character?
- If Jesus was counted with sinners, how does that change how we see our own failures, and how we treat others who are outcasts?
Leading a Discussion
This short verse ties the crucifixion directly to Isaiah's prophecy. Mark shows that Jesus' death between two criminals was not mere chance; it was the fulfillment of a promise about the Suffering Servant. The word 'counted' (λογίζομαι) is the same term Paul uses for 'imputed', a legal transfer. This opens up deep questions about what Jesus accomplished on the cross.
Discussion questions
- Read Isaiah 53:12 aloud. What stands out to you about the phrase 'was counted with the transgressors'?
- Why do you think Mark specifically quotes this verse at this point in the narrative? What point is he trying to make?
- Jesus was sinless (Hebrews 4:15). How can he be 'counted' as a transgressor? What does that tell us about the nature of the atonement?
- Compare Mark 15:28 with Luke 22:37. How does Jesus' own use of this prophecy shape your understanding of his mission?
- In the Greek, 'counted' (ἐλογίσθη) is an accounting term, it means something is placed on your account. How does this concept help explain the idea that Christ bore our sins?
- How does knowing that Jesus was placed among lawbreakers affect the way you view people who are outcasts, prisoners, or those society labels as 'transgressors'?
- What is one way you can live this week in light of the truth that Jesus was numbered with the guilty so you could be set free?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Isaiah 53:12 | Therefore I will give him a portion with the great. He will divide the plunder with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was counted with the transgressors; yet he bore the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressors. |
| Luke 22:37 | For I tell you that this which is written must still be fulfilled in me: ‘He was counted with transgressors.’ For that which concerns me is being fulfilled.” |
| Hebrews 12:2 | looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke draws attention to the weak manuscript support for this phrase, noting it is absent from many early copies, versions, and church fathers. He suggests the words may not belong to the original text, making this a textual rather than a theological observation.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes distinguishes between human judgment and divine reality: Jesus was counted among transgressors only in the eyes of the law and the crowd, not by God. His death alongside criminals did not make Him a sinner. He remained holy, harmless, and undefiled, the just dying for the unjust.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that this verse is a direct fulfillment of Isaiah 53:12, but also observes a significant textual issue: some ancient manuscripts omit the verse entirely. This means the passage may not have been present in all early copies of the Gospel.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note emphasizes that Jesus being crucified between two criminals was not a random event, but a precise fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy that He would be counted among the wicked.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill's key point is the sharp distinction between Christ's actual innocence and his judicial treatment. Though perfectly sinless and obedient, he willingly stood in the place of sinners, had their guilt imputed to him, and was therefore counted a transgressor by God's justice. The two thieves on either side symbolically represented this substitution.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees the third and sixth hours of the crucifixion as marking two distinct judgments. At the third hour, the death of Judaism was decided in Jesus being crucified as King of the Jews. At the sixth hour, the darkness over the land signaled the judgment and passing of the old world itself.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes the ancient tradition that Golgotha, the place of the skull, was also Adam's burial site. He finds this fitting, because as all die in Adam, so Christ was crucified there to bring life. Several early church writers supported this belief.