Matthew 27:15-26 - Pilate Releases Barabbas

¹⁵ Now at the [Passover] Festival, the governor was accustomed to releasing whatever prisoner the crowd wanted. ¹⁶ There was at that time in custody a notorious prisoner named Barabbas. ¹⁷ Therefore, when the people had gathered together, Pilate asked them, "Whom do you want me to release, Barabbas or Jesus, who is called 'Christ'?" ¹⁸ For he knew that the reason they had turned Jesus over to him was out of envy.

¹⁹ Then while he was seated in Pilate's courtroom of justice, Pilate's wife sent [word] to him, saying, "You should have nothing to do with that innocent man. For I was very troubled in a dream over him today." [Note: That is, she was troubled over a dream she had before waking up that morning].

²⁰ Now the leading priests and [Jewish] elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas [to be released] and for Jesus to be killed. ²¹ But the governor asked them, "Which one of these two men do you want me to release to you?" And they answered, "Barabbas."

²² Pilate replied, "Then what should I do to Jesus, who is called 'Christ'?" They all shouted, "Let him be crucified!"

²³ And he said, "Why [should he be]? What wrong has he done?" But they shouted out even louder, "Let him be crucified!"

²⁴ So, when Pilate saw that he was not convincing anyone, but that a riot was brewing instead, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd saying, "I am not responsible for this man's blood. [Note: Some ancient manuscripts say "righteous man's blood"]. You tend to the matter."

²⁵ And all the people answered, "Let his blood be on our hands, and on our children's [as well]." ²⁶ Then he released Barabbas to them, but he had Jesus flogged and then turned over to be crucified.

⁶ Now at the Passover Festival Pilate customarily released whatever prisoner the people asked him to. ⁷ One prisoner, named Barabbas, was kept chained up in prison along with men who had committed murder during a rebellion. ⁸ The crowd [then] went to Pilate and asked him to do what he was accustomed to doing for them [i.e., release a prisoner of their choosing during the Passover Festival]. ⁹ Pilate answered them, "Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews [i.e., Jesus]?" ¹⁰ For he perceived that the leading priests had turned Jesus over to him out of envy. ¹¹ But the leading priests stirred up the crowd to insist that Pilate release Barabbas to them instead.

¹² [So], Pilate again asked them, "Then what shall I do to this one you call the king of the Jews?"

¹³ And they shouted out again, "Crucify him "

¹⁴ And Pilate said to them, "Why [should we]; what wrong has he done?" But they shouted out even louder, "Crucify him."

¹⁵ So Pilate, wanting to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them, and after he had Jesus flogged, he turned Him over to be crucified.

¹³ Then Pilate called together the leading priests, the [Jewish] leaders and the people, ¹⁴ and said to them, "You brought this man to me, claiming he was inciting people to disloyalty [i.e., to the government]. And look, I questioned him in front of you people but did not find him guilty of the charges you ¹⁵ or Herod have brought [against him]. For Herod sent him back to us and now I find that he has not done anything deserving of death. ¹⁶ Therefore, I will have him punished and [then] release him." {{Some ancient manuscripts include verse ¹⁷ For Pilate was required to release one prisoner to the people at the [Passover] Festival}}.

¹⁸ But the people all joined together shouting, "Take this man [i.e., Jesus] and release Barabbas to us [instead]." ¹⁹ [Now] Barabbas was a person who had been thrown into prison for [inciting] a rebellion in the city [of Jerusalem] and for committing murder.

²⁰ Then Pilate spoke to them again [because] he wanted to release Jesus, ²¹ but they continued shouting, "Crucify him, crucify him."

²² So, Pilate called out to them a third time, "Why [should he be crucified]; what wrong has this man done? I have not found any reason for putting him to death, so I will punish him and [then] release him."

²³ But the people loudly demanded that Jesus be crucified. And their shouting won out. ²⁴ So, Pilate issued the sentence the people were demanding ²⁵ and released the man they had asked for [i.e., Barabbas], who had been thrown into prison for [inciting] a rebellion and committing murder. But he turned Jesus over to the people do with Him whatever they wanted.