“Why?” asked Pilate. “What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!”
Parallel translations
- WEB But the governor said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they cried out exceedingly, saying, “Let him be crucified!”
- KJV And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
- NKJV Then the governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!”
- NASB But he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” Yet they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!”
- NLT “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?” But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify 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
Pilate protests Jesus' innocence, but the crowd only shouts louder for crucifixion. Reason yields to mob fury.
Overview
Pilate's question, 'What evil has he done?', is an admission that he finds no crime in Jesus, yet the crowd answers only with louder demands. The scene exposes the irrationality of their hatred and the injustice of the proceedings. Jesus is condemned not for any wrong but to fulfill God's saving purpose through His undeserved suffering.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Acts 23:12–15When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
- Acts 7:57At this they covered their ears, cried out in a loud voice, and rushed together at him.
- Gen 37:18–19Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him.
- Acts 23:10The dispute grew so violent that the commander was afraid they would tear Paul to pieces. He ordered the soldiers to go down and remove him by force and bring him into the barracks.
- Acts 17:5–7The Jews, however, became jealous. So they brought in some troublemakers from the marketplace, formed a mob, and sent the city into an uproar. They raided Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas, hoping to bring them out to the people.
- Acts 22:22–23The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement. Then they lifted up their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!”
- 1 Sam 19:3–15I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, so I can ask about you. And if I find out anything, I will tell you.”
- 1 Sam 20:31–33For as long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingship shall be established. Now send for him and bring him to me, for he must surely die!”
- Matt 21:38–39But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take his inheritance.’
- 1 Sam 22:14–19Ahimelech answered the king, “Who among all your servants is as faithful as David, the king’s son-in-law, the captain of your bodyguard who is honored in your house?
- Acts 21:28–31crying out, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches everywhere against our people and against our law and against this place. Furthermore, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.”
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 27:23 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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