A third time he said to them, “What evil has this man done? I have found in Him no offense worthy of death. So after I punish Him, I will release Him.”
Parallel translations
- WEB He said to them the third time, “Why? What evil has this man done? I have found no capital crime in him. I will therefore chastise him and release him.”
- KJV And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go.
- NKJV Then he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go.”
- NASB And he said to them a third time, “Why, what has this Man done wrong? I have found in His case no grounds for a sentence of death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.”
- NLT For the third time he demanded, “Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death. So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”
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
A third time Pilate protested Jesus' innocence and proposed to release Him. His threefold declaration leaves no doubt that Jesus was condemned unjustly.
Overview
Pilate asks what evil Jesus has done and again affirms he finds no capital crime. This third testimony of innocence forms a solemn legal record that Christ died blameless. Yet Pilate still offers only to chastise and release, clinging to compromise; the One declared guiltless is nonetheless handed over, fulfilling the role of the spotless sacrifice.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Luke 23:14and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined Him here in your presence and found Him not guilty of your charges against Him.
- Luke 23:20Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate addressed them again,
- Luke 23:16Therefore I will punish Him and release Him.”
- 1 Pet 1:19but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.
- 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,
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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 23:22 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
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