Discovery BoxLuke 23:5-17
Context23:5 But they persisted 1 in saying, “He incites 2 the people by teaching throughout all Judea. It started in Galilee and ended up here!” 3
23:6 Now when Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 23:7 When 4 he learned that he was from Herod’s jurisdiction, 5 he sent him over to Herod, 6 who also happened to be in Jerusalem 7 at that time. 23:8 When 8 Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform 9 some miraculous sign. 10 23:9 So 11 Herod 12 questioned him at considerable length; Jesus 13 gave him no answer. 23:10 The chief priests and the experts in the law 14 were there, vehemently accusing him. 15 23:11 Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, 16 dressing him in elegant clothes, 17 Herod 18 sent him back to Pilate. 23:12 That very day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other, 19 for prior to this they had been enemies. 20
23:13 Then 21 Pilate called together the chief priests, the 22 rulers, and the people, 23:14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading 23 the people. When I examined him before you, I 24 did not find this man guilty 25 of anything you accused him of doing. 23:15 Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, he has done nothing 26 deserving death. 27 23:16 I will therefore have him flogged 28 and release him.”
23:17 [[EMPTY]] 29
[23:5] 1 tn Or “were adamant.” For “persisted in saying,” see L&N 68.71.
[23:5] 2 sn He incites the people. The Jewish leadership claimed that Jesus was a political threat and had to be stopped. By reiterating this charge of stirring up rebellion, they pressured Pilate to act, or be accused of overlooking political threats to Rome.
[23:5] 3 tn Grk “beginning from Galilee until here.”
[23:7] 4 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[23:7] 5 sn Learning that Jesus was from Galilee and therefore part of Herod’s jurisdiction, Pilate decided to rid himself of the problem by sending him to Herod.
[23:7] 6 sn Herod was Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. See the note on Herod in 3:1.
[23:7] 7 sn Herod would probably have come to Jerusalem for the feast, although his father was only half Jewish (Josephus, Ant. 14.15.2 [14.403]). Josephus does mention Herod’s presence in Jerusalem during a feast (Ant. 18.5.3 [18.122]).
[23:8] 7 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[23:8] 8 tn Grk “to see some sign performed by him.” Here the passive construction has been translated as an active one in keeping with contemporary English style.
[23:8] 9 sn Herod, hoping to see him perform some miraculous sign, seems to have treated Jesus as a curiosity (cf. 9:7-9).
[23:9] 10 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the previous statements in the narrative about Herod’s desire to see Jesus.
[23:9] 11 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[23:9] 12 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[23:10] 13 tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 5:21.
[23:10] 14 sn Luke portrays the Jewish leadership as driving events toward the cross by vehemently accusing Jesus.
[23:11] 16 tn This is a continuation of the previous Greek sentence, but because of its length and complexity, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying “then” to indicate the sequence of events.
[23:11] 17 sn This mockery involved putting elegant royal clothes on Jesus, either white or purple (the colors of royalty). This was no doubt a mockery of Jesus’ claim to be a king.
[23:11] 18 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[23:12] 19 sn Herod and Pilate became friends with each other. It may be that Pilate’s change of heart was related to the death of his superior, Sejanus, who had a reputation for being anti-Jewish. To please his superior, Pilate may have ruled the Jews with insensitivity. Concerning Sejanus, see Philo, Embassy 24 (160-61) and Flaccus 1 (1).
[23:12] 20 tn Grk “at enmity with each other.”
[23:13] 22 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[23:13] 23 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] 25 tn This term also appears in v. 2.
[23:14] 26 tn Grk “behold, I” A transitional use of ἰδού (idou) has not been translated here.
[23:14] 27 tn Grk “nothing did I find in this man by way of cause.” The reference to “nothing” is emphatic.
[23:15] 28 sn With the statement “he has done nothing,” Pilate makes another claim that Jesus is innocent of any crime worthy of death.
[23:15] 29 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] 31 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] 34 tc Many of the best
