15:17 clothed him in a purple cloak. Purple was expensive and hard to produce, and for this reason was a mark of high rank (Esth. 1:6; Prov. 31:22; Luke 16:19; Rev. 17:4), especially of royalty (2 Chr. 2:7, 14; 3:14; Song 3:10).

crown of thorns. Jesus bore the divine curse (v. 13 note) on the ground, which produced thorns after Adam sinned (Gen. 3:17, 18).The soldiers used the crown to ridicule the idea that Jesus was a king.