Matthew 27:16

Matthew 27:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.
• New International Version (NIV)At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.

Context of Matthew 27:16

14But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor’s surprise. 15Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd—anyone they wanted. This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas. 17As the crowds gathered before Pilate’s house that morning, he asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18(He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.)

Matthew 27:16 word by word

εἶχον δὲ τότε δέσμιον ἐπίσημον λεγόμενον Ἰησοῦν Βαραββᾶν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andδέde · thenG1161
• they hadἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• thenτότεtote · thenG5119
• a notableἐπίσημοςepisēmos · notableG1978
• prisonerδέσμιοςdesmios · prisonerG1198
• calledλέγωlegō · to say: callG3004
• BarabbasΒαραββᾶςBarabbas · BarabbasG912

Cross-references for Matthew 27:16

• Mark 15:7One of the prisoners at that time was Barabbas, a revolutionary who had committed murder in an uprising.
• Luke 23:18Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, “Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!”
• John 18:40But they shouted back, “No! Not this man. We want Barabbas!” (Barabbas was a revolutionary.)
• Acts 3:14You rejected this holy, righteous one and instead demanded the release of a murderer.
• Romans 1:32They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

Commentaries on Matthew 27:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16A notable prisoner - Barabbas - This person had, a short time before, raised an insurrection in Jerusalem, in which it appears, from Mark 15:7, some lives were lost. In some MSS., and in the Armenian and Syriac Hieros., this man has the surname of Jesus. Professor Birch has discovered this reading in a Vatican MS., written in 949, and numbered 354, in which is a marginal note which has been attributed to Anastasius, bishop of Antioch, and to Chrysostom…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. 16notorious prisoner named Barabbas: He is also called an "insurrectionist" (Mark 15:7; John 18:40). This word can also mean a robber or someone who led a revolt (see Luke 23:19). To the zealots, Barabbas was considered a hero.Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 27:16

• Barabbas
• Jesus, the Christ
• Judge
• Prisoners
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Barabbas
• Accusation
• Notable
• Plat
• Seal
• Wag
• Watch
• Wont
• Armenian Versions, of the Bible
• Jesus Christ

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