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.
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.”
- BSB 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.”
- 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 23:14Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him:
- Luke 23:20Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them.
- Luke 23:16I will therefore chastise him, and release him.
- 1 Pet 1:19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
- 1 Pet 3:18For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by 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.
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Original language
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