2:2 The kings of the earth 1 form a united front; 2
the rulers collaborate 3
against the Lord and his anointed king. 4
A psalm of David, written when he fled from his son Absalom. 6
3:1 Lord, how 7 numerous are my enemies!
Many attack me. 8
23:18 But they all shouted out together, 9 “Take this man 10 away! Release Barabbas for us!” 23:19 (This 11 was a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection 12 started in the city, and for murder.) 13 23:20 Pilate addressed them once again because he wanted 14 to release Jesus. 23:21 But they kept on shouting, 15 “Crucify, crucify 16 him!” 23:22 A third time he said to them, “Why? What wrong has he done? I have found him guilty 17 of no crime deserving death. 18 I will therefore flog 19 him and release him.” 23:23 But they were insistent, 20 demanding with loud shouts that he be crucified. And their shouts prevailed.
1 sn The expression kings of the earth refers somewhat hyperbolically to the kings who had been conquered by and were subject to the Davidic king.
2 tn Or “take their stand.” The Hebrew imperfect verbal form describes their action as underway.
3 tn Or “conspire together.” The verbal form is a Niphal from יָסַד (yasad). BDB 413-14 s.v. יָסַד defines the verb as “establish, found,” but HALOT 417 s.v. II יסד proposes a homonym meaning “get together, conspire” (an alternate form of סוּד, sud).
4 tn Heb “and against his anointed one.” The Davidic king is the referent (see vv. 6-7).
5 sn Psalm 3. The psalmist acknowledges that he is confronted by many enemies (vv. 1-2). But, alluding to a divine oracle he has received (vv. 4-5), he affirms his confidence in God’s ability to protect him (vv. 3, 6) and requests that God make his promise a reality (vv. 7-8).
6 sn According to Jewish tradition, David offered this prayer when he was forced to flee from Jerusalem during his son Absalom’s attempted coup (see 2 Sam 15:13-17).
7 tn The Hebrew term מָה (mah, “how”) is used here as an adverbial exclamation (see BDB 553 s.v.).
8 tn Heb “many rise up against me.”
9 tn Grk “together, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated here.
10 tn Grk “this one.” The reference to Jesus as “this man” is pejorative in this context.
11 tn Grk “who” (a continuation of the previous sentence).
12 sn Ironically, what Jesus was alleged to have done, started an insurrection, this man really did.
13 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
14 sn The account pictures a battle of wills – the people versus Pilate. Pilate is consistently portrayed in Luke’s account as wanting to release Jesus because he believed him to be innocent.
15 tn Grk “shouting, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated here.
16 tn This double present imperative is emphatic.
17 tn Grk “no cause of death I found in him.”
18 sn The refrain of innocence comes once again. Pilate tried to bring some sense of justice, believing Jesus had committed no crime deserving death.
19 tn Or “scourge” (BDAG 749 s.v. παιδεύω 2.b.γ). See the note on “flogged” in v. 16.
20 tn Though a different Greek term is used here (BDAG 373 s.v. ἐπίκειμαι), this remark is like 23:5.