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Matthew 27

When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:

And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.

And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.

Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.

Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value;

And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.

And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.

And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.

Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?

And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.

Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.

And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.

Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?

For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.

When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.

But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.

Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.

And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.

When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.

And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.

And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.

And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,

They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.

And sitting down they watched him there;

And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.

And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,

And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,

He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.

And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.

The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.

Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:

Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.

When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple:

He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.

And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.

Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,

Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.

Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.

Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.

So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

What does Matthew 27:17 mean?

Explanation

Matthew 27:17 portrays a critical moment in the Passion narrative, where Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, presents a choice to the people assembled during the feast of Passover.

Pilate gives them the option to release either Jesus, who is recognized here as the Christ (the Messiah), or Barabbas, a notorious prisoner.

The mention of “Jesus which is called Christ” underscores Matthew's recognition of Jesus's messianic identity, a key theme in Matthew's Gospel.

The deeper meaning of the verse hints at the moral and spiritual choices that humanity is often faced with, as well as the confrontation between the innocent and the guilty.

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

During the time of Jesus, it was customary for the Roman governor to release to the Jewish people a prisoner of their choice during the Passover festival as an act of goodwill.

Barabbas, whose name suggests 'son of the father', was known to be a criminal, which contrasted sharply with Jesus' sinless reputation.

This verse reflects the tension between the Roman authorities and the Jewish people, as well as the influence and manipulation of public opinion by the religious leaders of the time, who wanted Jesus to be crucified.

Theological Insights

From a theological perspective, this verse can be interpreted in various ways.

For some, it symbolizes the choice between sin and righteousness.

Jesus, the sinless Son of God, stands in the place of guilty sinners.

Others see in Barabbas a representation of every sinner, implying that Jesus was crucified so that the guilty could be set free.

This narrative also highlights the theme of substitutionary atonement found throughout Christian theology, Jesus being the substitute for humanity's punishment.

Practical Applications

This verse encourages readers to contemplate their own choices between what is morally right and what is easy or popular.

In daily life, individuals are often faced with decisions that mirror this biblical event, wherein they must choose between following the crowd or standing for what they believe is just and true.

The story calls for reflection on issues of justice and mercy, prompting believers to act with integrity, even when it involves personal sacrifice.

Cross-References

John 18:39 - "But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the Passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?"
Luke 23:18 - "And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas:"
Acts 3:14 - "But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;"

Language Study

Key words in the original Greek text of this verse include:

"Pilate" (Πιλᾶτος, Pilatos): The Roman governor presiding over the trial of Jesus, playing a key role in the passion narrative.
"Release" (ἀπολύσω, apolysō): The act of setting free or letting go, which in this context, refers to liberating a prisoner.
"Jesus" (Ἰησοῦς, Iēsous): The central figure of Christianity, who Matthew affirms as "the Christ" or the anointed one.
"Christ" (Χριστός, Christos): A title derived from the Greek word for 'anointed', equivalent to the Hebrew 'Messiah'.

It signifies Jesus as the anticipated deliverer.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In the ancient Near East, it was not uncommon for rulers to grant amnesty to prisoners during significant festivals as an act of benevolence.

The narrative also parallels other myths where an innocent figure suffers or is sacrificed due to the actions or choices of others.

In religious interpretations, the choice between Jesus and Barabbas can reflect the human tendency to choose the familiar (even if it's flawed) over the transformative but challenging message that Jesus offered.

Scientific Perspectives

Scientific perspectives do not directly apply to this verse, as it deals with historical and moral dimensions rather than empirical claims.

However, the psychological aspect of crowd behavior and decision-making, as implied in this verse, is subject to study within social psychology, exploring how individuals may conform to the majority opinion, especially under the influence of authority figures or group dynamics.

commentaries

Various biblical scholars and theologians have commented on this verse from multiple angles:

Some suggest that Pilate's offer was a strategic move to placate the crowd, possibly seeing Jesus as less of a threat than Barabbas, who might have been involved in insurrection against Roman rule.
Other commentators focus on the irony of the choice, where the crowd demands the release of a known criminal and consents to the execution of an innocent man.
Another common theme in commentaries is the fulfillment of God's salvific plan through the events of Jesus' trial and crucifixion, highlighting the providential nature of even the most unjust human actions.

Matthew 27

Matthew 27

What does Matthew 27:17 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

commentaries

Want more context?

What does Matthew 27:17 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

commentaries

Want more context?