King James Version

What Does Mark 15:38 Mean?

“And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.”

Context

And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.

And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.

And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;

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Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**64. Ye have heard the blasphemy--**(See Joh 10:33). In Luke (Lu 22:71), "For we ourselves have heard of His own mouth"--an affectation of religious horror. (Also see on Joh 18:28.) **what think ye?--**"Say what the verdict is to be." **they all condemned him to be guilty of death--**or of a capital crime, which blasphemy against God was according to the Jewish law (Le 24:16). Yet not absolutely all; for Joseph of Arimathea, "a good man and a just," was one of that Council, and "he was not a consenting party to the counsel and deed of them," for that is the strict sense of the words of Lu 23:50, 51. Probably he absented himself, and Nicodemus also, from this meeting of the Council, the temper of which they would know too well to expect their voice to be listened to; and in that case, the words of our Evangelist are to be taken strictly, that, without one dissentient voice, "all [present] condemned him to be guilty of death." The Blessed One Is Now Shamefully Entreated (Mr 14:65). Every word here must be carefully observed, and the several accounts put together, that we may lose none of the awful indignities about to be described.

Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset, David Brown. Public Domain.

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Mark. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Mark 15:38 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.