Daniel 3:13

3:13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in a fit of rage ¹  demanded that they bring ²  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego before him. So they brought them ³  before the king.

Matthew 27:17-24

27:17 So after they had assembled, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus ⁴  Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Christ?” ⁵  27:18 (For he knew that they had handed him over because of envy.) ⁶  27:19 As ⁷  he was sitting on the judgment seat, ⁸  his wife sent a message ⁹  to him: ¹⁰  “Have nothing to do with that innocent man; ¹¹  I have suffered greatly as a result of a dream ¹²  about him today.” 27:20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. 27:21 The ¹³  governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas!” 27:22 Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?” ¹⁴  They all said, “Crucify him!” ¹⁵  27:23 He asked, “Why? What wrong has he done?” But they shouted more insistently, “Crucify him!”

Jesus is Condemned and Mocked

27:24 When ¹⁶  Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but that instead a riot was starting, he took some water, washed his hands before the crowd and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. You take care of it yourselves!” ¹⁷ 

Mark 6:26

6:26 Although it grieved the king deeply, ¹⁸  he did not want to reject her request because of his oath and his guests.

Luke 23:13-21

Jesus Brought Before the Crowd

23:13 Then ¹⁹  Pilate called together the chief priests, the ²⁰  rulers, and the people, 23:14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading ²¹  the people. When I examined him before you, I ²²  did not find this man guilty ²³  of anything you accused him of doing. 23:15 Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, he has done nothing ²⁴  deserving death. ²⁵  23:16 I will therefore have him flogged ²⁶  and release him.”

23:17 [[EMPTY]] ²⁷ 

23:18 But they all shouted out together, ²⁸  “Take this man ²⁹  away! Release Barabbas for us!” 23:19 (This ³⁰  was a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection ³¹  started in the city, and for murder.) ³²  23:20 Pilate addressed them once again because he wanted ³³  to release Jesus. 23:21 But they kept on shouting, ³⁴  “Crucify, crucify ³⁵  him!”

John 19:7-12

19:7 The Jewish leaders ³⁶  replied, ³⁷  “We have a law, ³⁸  and according to our law he ought to die, because he claimed to be the Son of God!” ³⁹ 

19:8 When Pilate heard what they said, ⁴⁰  he was more afraid than ever, ⁴¹  19:9 and he went back into the governor’s residence ⁴²  and said to Jesus, “Where do you come from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 19:10 So Pilate said, ⁴³  “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know I have the authority ⁴⁴  to release you, and to crucify you?” ⁴⁵  19:11 Jesus replied, “You would have no authority ⁴⁶  over me at all, unless it was given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you ⁴⁷  is guilty of greater sin.” ⁴⁸ 

19:12 From this point on, Pilate tried ⁴⁹  to release him. But the Jewish leaders ⁵⁰  shouted out, ⁵¹  “If you release this man, ⁵²  you are no friend of Caesar! ⁵³  Everyone who claims to be a king ⁵⁴  opposes Caesar!”

[3:13]  ¹ tn Aram “in anger and wrath”; NASB “in rage and anger.” The expression is a hendiadys.

[3:13]  ² tn The Aramaic infinitive is active.

[3:13]  ³ tn Aram “these men.” The pronoun is used in the translation to avoid undue repetition.

[27:17]  ⁴ tc Again, as in v. 16, the name “Jesus” is supplied before “Barabbas” in Θ Ë¹ 700* pc sy^s Or^mss (Θ 700* lack the article τόν [ton] before Βαραββᾶν [Barabban]). The same argument for accepting the inclusion of “Jesus” as original in the previous verse applies here as well.

[27:17]  ⁵ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[27:18]  ⁶ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[27:19]  ⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[27:19]  ⁸ tn Or “the judge’s seat.”

[27:19]  ⁹ tn The word “message” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[27:19]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[27:19]  ¹¹ tn The Greek particle γάρ (gar, “for”) has not been translated here.

[27:19]  ¹² tn Or “suffered greatly in a dream.” See the discussion on the construction κατ᾿ ὄναρ (kat’ onar) in BDAG 710 s.v. ὄναρ.

[27:21]  ¹³ tn Grk “answering, the governor said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[27:22]  ¹⁴ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[27:22]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “Him – be crucified!” The third person imperative is difficult to translate because English has no corresponding third person form for the imperative. The traditional translation “Let him be crucified” sounds as if the crowd is giving consent or permission. “He must be crucified” is closer, but it is more natural in English to convert the passive to active and simply say “Crucify him.”

[27:24]  ¹⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[27:24]  ¹⁷ sn You take care of it yourselves! Compare the response of the chief priests and elders to Judas in 27:4. The expression is identical except that in 27:4 it is singular and here it is plural.

[6:26]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “and being deeply grieved, the king did not want.”

[23:13]  ¹⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[23:13]  ²⁰ tn Grk “and the,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[23:14]  ²¹ tn This term also appears in v. 2.

[23:14]  ²² tn Grk “behold, I” A transitional use of ἰδού (idou) has not been translated here.

[23:14]  ²³ tn Grk “nothing did I find in this man by way of cause.” The reference to “nothing” is emphatic.

[23:15]  ²⁴ sn With the statement “he has done nothing,” Pilate makes another claim that Jesus is innocent of any crime worthy of death.

[23:15]  ²⁵ tn Grk “nothing deserving death has been done by him.” The passive construction has been translated as an active one in keeping with contemporary English style.

[23:16]  ²⁶ tn Or “scourged” (BDAG 749 s.v. παιδεύω 2.b.γ). This refers to a whipping Pilate ordered in an attempt to convince Jesus not to disturb the peace. It has been translated “flogged” to distinguish it from the more severe verberatio.

[23:17]  ²⁷ tc Many of the best mss, as well as some others (Ì⁷⁵ A B K L T 070 1241 pc sa), lack 23:17 “(Now he was obligated to release one individual for them at the feast.)” This verse appears to be a parenthetical note explaining the custom of releasing someone on amnesty at the feast. It appears in two different locations with variations in wording, which makes it look like a scribal addition. It is included in א (D following v. 19) W Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 Ï lat. The verse appears to be an explanatory gloss based on Matt 27:15 and Mark 15:6, not original in Luke. The present translation follows NA²⁷ in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.

[23:18]  ²⁸ tn Grk “together, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated here.

[23:18]  ²⁹ tn Grk “this one.” The reference to Jesus as “this man” is pejorative in this context.

[23:19]  ³⁰ tn Grk “who” (a continuation of the previous sentence).

[23:19]  ³¹ sn Ironically, what Jesus was alleged to have done, started an insurrection, this man really did.

[23:19]  ³² sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[23:20]  ³³ 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.

[23:21]  ³⁴ tn Grk “shouting, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated here.

[23:21]  ³⁵ tn This double present imperative is emphatic.

[19:7]  ³⁶ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin, and their servants (mentioned specifically as “the chief priests and their servants” in John 19:6).

[19:7]  ³⁷ tn Grk “answered him.”

[19:7]  ³⁸ sn This law is not the entire Pentateuch, but Lev 24:16.

[19:7]  ³⁹ tn Grk “because he made himself out to be the Son of God.”

[19:8]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “heard this word.”

[19:8]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “became more afraid.”

[19:9]  ⁴² tn Grk “into the praetorium.”

[19:10]  ⁴³ tn Grk “said to him.” The words “to him” are not translated because they are unnecessary in contemporary English style.

[19:10]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “the power.”

[19:10]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “know that I have the authority to release you and the authority to crucify you.” Repetition of “the authority” is unnecessarily redundant English style.

[19:11]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “power.”

[19:11]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “who delivered me over to you.”

[19:11]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “has the greater sin” (an idiom).

[19:12]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “sought.”

[19:12]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin, and their servants (mentioned specifically as “the chief priests and their servants” in John 19:6). See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 7.

[19:12]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “shouted out, saying.”

[19:12]  ⁵² tn Grk “this one.”

[19:12]  ⁵³ sn Is the author using the phrase Friend of Caesar in a technical sense, as a title bestowed on people for loyal service to the Emperor, or in a more general sense merely describing a person as loyal to the Emperor? L. Morris (John [NICNT], 798) thinks it is “unlikely” that the title is used in the technical sense, and J. H. Bernard (St. John [ICC], 2:621) argues that the technical sense of the phrase as an official title was not used before the time of Vespasian (a.d. 69-79). But there appears to be significant evidence for much earlier usage. Some of this is given in BDAG 498-99 s.v. Καῖσαρ. E. Bammel (“φίλος τοῦ καίσαρος (John 19:12),” TLZ 77 [1952]: 205-10) listed significant and convincing arguments that the official title was indeed in use at the time. Granting that the title was in use during this period, what is the likelihood that it had been bestowed on Pilate? Pilate was of the equestrian order, that is, of lower nobility as opposed to senatorial rank. As such he would have been eligible to receive such an honor. It also appears that the powerful Sejanus was his patron in Rome, and Sejanus held considerable influence with Tiberius. Tacitus (Annals 6.8) quotes Marcus Terentius in his defense before the Senate as saying that close friendship with Sejanus “was in every case a powerful recommendation to the Emperor’s friendship.” Thus it is possible that Pilate held this honor. Therefore it appears that the Jewish authorities were putting a good deal of psychological pressure on Pilate to convict Jesus. They had, in effect, finally specified the charge against Jesus as treason: “Everyone who makes himself to be king opposes Caesar.” If Pilate now failed to convict Jesus the Jewish authorities could complain to Rome that Pilate had released a traitor. This possibility carried more weight with Pilate than might at first be evident: (1) Pilate’s record as governor was not entirely above reproach; (2) Tiberius, who lived away from Rome as a virtual recluse on the island of Capri, was known for his suspicious nature, especially toward rivals or those who posed a political threat; and (3) worst of all, Pilate’s patron in Rome, Sejanus, had recently come under suspicion of plotting to seize the imperial succession for himself. Sejanus was deposed in October of a.d. 31. It may have been to Sejanus that Pilate owed his appointment in Judea. Pilate was now in a very delicate position. The Jewish authorities may have known something of this and deliberately used it as leverage against him. Whether or not they knew just how potent their veiled threat was, it had the desired effect. Pilate went directly to the judgment seat to pronounce his judgment.

[19:12]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “who makes himself out to be a king.”