one who was thrown into prison for a certain revolt in the city, and for murder.
Parallel translations
- KJV (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.)
- BSB (Barabbas had been imprisoned for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)
- NKJV who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.
- NASB (He was one who had been thrown into prison for a revolt that took place in the city, and for murder.)
- NLT (Barabbas was in prison for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government, and for murder.)
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
Barabbas had been imprisoned for insurrection and murder. The man set free was truly guilty of the very crimes falsely charged against Jesus.
Overview
Luke identifies Barabbas as a rebel and murderer, sharpening the irony of the crowd's choice. Jesus, accused of perverting the nation, is exchanged for an actual revolutionary. The guilty rebel walks free because the innocent Christ takes his place, a vivid emblem of substitutionary atonement in which sinners are acquitted through the One condemned for them.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Acts 3:14But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,
- Luke 23:5But they insisted, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee even to this place.”
- Luke 23:2They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man perverting the nation, forbidding paying taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 23:19 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.