15:8a

As mentioned above, 15:6–7 is background information. In 15:8, the main story continues.

So: If there is a word or phrase in your language to indicate that the main story is continuing, you should use it here. For example:

Then (NET Bible)

the crowd went up:

There is a textual issue with
came up: (1) Some Greek manuscripts have “having gone up” which the Berean Standard Bible translates as “went up” (Berean Standard Bible, Contemporary English Version, English Standard Version, God’s Word, New American Standard Bible, New Century Version, NET Bible, New International Version, New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New Living Translation, Revised English Bible, Revised Standard Version, Good News Bible). (2) Other Greek manuscripts have “crying out/shouting.” This is only followed by the King James Version. It is recommended that you follow option (1). It has better manuscript support and nearly every English version follows this option.) The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as went up probably indicates that the people walked from a lower to a higher place in Jerusalem.

In some languages, it is important to say whether a person goes up or down when he travels. If your language has a way to indicate movement to a higher place, you should use it here. In other languages, it may not be necessary or possible to include this idea. These languages can say:

came (New Century Version)
-or-
approached

15:8b

began asking Pilate to keep his custom: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as began asking Pilate to keep his custom means that the crowd asked Pilate to release a prisoner just like he did for them every year.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

ask him to free a prisoner as he always did (New Century Version)
-or-
ask Pilate for the usual favor (Good News Bible)
-or-
ask Pilate the customary favor (New Jerusalem Bible)

General Comment on 15:8a–b

In some languages it may be more natural to express this verse with a direct quote. For example:

The crowd came up to Pilate to request a favor. They said, “Do for us as it is your custom to do each year during the festival by releasing a prisoner.”

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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