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.
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.
- BSB As they had requested, he released the one imprisoned for insurrection and murder, and handed Jesus over 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 3:14But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
- Mark 15:15And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
- Mark 15:6–7Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.
- Matt 27:26Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
- Luke 23:2And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.
- 1 Sam 12:13Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you.
- Luke 23:5And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.
- John 18:40Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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.