You rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.
Parallel translations
- WEB But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,
- KJV But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
- NKJV But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,
- NASB But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,
- NLT You rejected this holy, righteous one and instead demanded the release of a murderer.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Peter charges the people with disowning the Holy and Righteous One and demanding a murderer in his place. Their choice of Barabbas over Jesus exposed a tragic exchange.
Overview
The titles 'Holy and Righteous One' affirm Jesus' sinless character and messianic identity. The contrast between releasing a murderer (Barabbas) and condemning the innocent Jesus sharpens the people's guilt. Yet this very injustice fulfilled God's plan of redemption, as the Righteous One bore the penalty for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God (1 Pet. 3:18).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Mark 1:24“What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
- Acts 7:52Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers—
- 1 Pet 3:18For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit,
- Acts 4:27In fact, this is the very city where Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed.
- Jas 5:6You have condemned and murdered the righteous, who did not resist you.
- Zech 9:9Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
- Acts 22:14Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear His voice.
- Luke 23:18–19But they all cried out in unison: “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!”
- 2 Cor 5:21God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
- Rev 3:7To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of the One who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open.
- Luke 23:25As they had requested, he released the one imprisoned for insurrection and murder, and handed Jesus over to their will.
- 1 Jn 2:1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
- Acts 2:27because You will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.
- Luke 1:35The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.
- Ps 16:10For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.
- Mark 15:7And a man named Barabbas was imprisoned with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection.
- Mark 15:11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas to them instead.
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Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 3:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.