As they had requested, he released the one imprisoned for insurrection and murder, and handed Jesus over to their will.
Parallel translations
- WEB He released him who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus up to their will.
- KJV And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.
- NKJV And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.
- NASB And he released the man for whom they were asking, who had been thrown into prison for a revolt and murder; but he handed Jesus over to their will.
- NLT As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder. But he turned Jesus over to them to do as they wished.
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
Pilate released the guilty Barabbas and handed Jesus over to their will. The exchange dramatizes the heart of the gospel.
Overview
Luke pointedly contrasts the freed murderer with the condemned Savior delivered to the people's will. The guilty insurrectionist goes free while the innocent is led to death, a living parable of substitution. So Christ was delivered up for our trespasses, that we who deserve condemnation might be set at liberty.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Acts 3:14You rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.
- Mark 15:15And wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.
- Mark 15:6–7Now it was Pilate’s custom at the feast to release to the people a prisoner of their choosing.
- Matt 27:26So Pilate released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.
- Luke 23:2And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man subverting our nation, forbidding payment of taxes to Caesar, and proclaiming Himself to be Christ, a King.”
- 1 Sam 12:13Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you requested. Behold, the LORD has placed a king over you.
- Luke 23:5But they kept insisting, “He stirs up the people all over Judea with His teaching. He began in Galilee and has come all the way here.”
- John 18:40“Not this man,” they shouted, “but Barabbas!” (Now Barabbas was an insurrectionist.)
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 23:25 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.