Matthew 27:20

Matthew 27:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
• New International Version (NIV)But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.

Context of Matthew 27:20

18Pilate knew why the Jewish leaders had brought Jesus to him. They were jealous because people liked Jesus so much. 19Pilate was sitting on his special seat as a judge. Then his wife sent a message to him. She said, ‘Do not do anything to that man. He has done nothing wrong. Last night I had a dream about him. It gave me a lot of trouble in my mind.’ But the leaders of the priests and the important Jews talked to the crowds of people. They said, ‘You must ask Pilate to let Barabbas go free. Then he must tell the soldiers to kill Jesus.’ 21Pilate asked the people again, ‘Which of these two men should go free?’ The people answered, ‘Barabbas.’ 22Then Pilate asked the people, ‘So what should I do with Jesus, who is called the Messiah?’ The people all shouted, ‘Take him and kill him on a cross!’

Matthew 27:20 word by word

Οἱ δὲ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ἔπεισαν τοὺς ὄχλους ἵνα αἰτήσωνται τὸν Βαραββᾶν, τὸν δὲ Ἰησοῦν ἀπολέσωσιν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• the chief priestsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the chief priestsἀρχιερεύςarchiereus · high-priestG749
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• eldersπρεσβύτεροςpresbuteros · elder (leader)G4245
• persuadedπείθωpeithō · to persuadeG3982
• the multitudeὄχλοςochlos · crowdG3793
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• they should askαἰτέωaiteō · to askG154
• BarabbasΒαραββᾶςBarabbas · BarabbasG912
• destroyἀπολλύωapollumi · to destroyG622
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424

Cross-references for Matthew 27:20

• Mark 15:11But the leaders of the priests talked strongly to the people. They said, ‘Ask Pilate to let Barabbas go free instead of Jesus.’
• Acts 14:18Even when Paul had said all this, the people still wanted to offer sacrifices to him and Barnabas. Finally Paul and Barnabas were able to stop them.
• Acts 19:23Soon after that, there was bad trouble in Ephesus. Some people began to speak strongly against the Way of the Lord Jesus.
• Luke 23:18But the crowd all shouted together, ‘Take this man away and kill him! We want Barabbas to go free.’
• John 18:40They shouted their answer, ‘No, we do not want him! Let Barabbas go free!’ (Barabbas was a man who had attacked people and robbed them.)
• John 19:15But they shouted, ‘Take him away! Take him away! Kill him on a cross!’ Pilate asked them, ‘Do you want me to kill your king on a cross?’ The leaders of the priests answered, ‘Caesar is the only ruler that we call king.’
• Acts 3:14Jesus was God's Holy One who always did what was right. But you did not accept him. You told Pilate to let another man go free instead of Jesus. That man was in prison because he had killed people.

Commentaries on Matthew 27:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Ask Barabbas - Who had raised an insurrection and committed murder - and to destroy Jesus, whose voice was never heard in their streets, and who had, during the space of three years and a half, gone about unweariedly, from village to village, instructing the ignorant, healing the diseased, and raising the dead.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15-23Verses 15-23 See also the parallel places in Mark 15:6-14; Luke 23:17-23; John 18:39-40. Matthew 27:15 At that feast - The feast of the Passover. The governor was wont to release … - that is, was “accustomed” to release. From what this custom arose, or by whom it was introduced, is not known. It was probably adopted to secure popularity among the Jews, and to render the government of the Romans less odious. Any little indulgence granted to the Jews during…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-25Verses 11-25 Having no malice against Jesus, Pilate urged him to clear himself, and laboured to get him discharged. The message from his wife was a warning. God has many ways of giving checks to sinners, in their sinful pursuits, and it is a great mercy to have such checks from Providence, from faithful friends, and from our own consciences. O do not this abominable thing which the Lord hates! is what we may hear said to us, when we are entering into…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11-26The Roman trial included an initial hearing before Pilatee (Matthew 27:11–14), then one before Herod Antipas (Luke 23:6–16), and a second hearing with Pilate (Matthew 27:15–26).Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 27:20

• Barabbas
• Complicity
• Court
• Demagogism
• Jesus, the Christ
• Judge
• Priest
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Barabbas
• Jesus
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• Accusation
• Notable
• Plat
• Sanhedrim
• Seal
• Wag
• Watch

Commentaries on Matthew 27

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings