Luke 23:16–23

23:16 I will therefore have him flogged44 and release him.”45

23:18 But they all shouted out together,46 “Take this man47 away! Release Barabbas for us!” 23:19 (This48 was a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection49 started in the city, and for murder.)50 23:20 Pilate addressed them once again because he wanted51 to release Jesus. 23:21 But they kept on shouting,52 “Crucify, crucify53 him!” 23:22 A third time he said to them, “Why? What wrong has he done? I have found him guilty54 of no crime deserving death.55 I will therefore flog56 him and release him.” 23:23 But they were insistent,57 demanding with loud shouts that he be crucified. And their shouts prevailed.

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44	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.
45	tc Many of the best mss, as well as some others (𝔓75 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 f1, 13 𝔐 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 NA 27 in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.
46	tn Grk “together, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated here.
47	tn Grk “this one.” The reference to Jesus as “this man” is pejorative in this context.
48	tn Grk “who” (a continuation of the previous sentence).
49	sn Ironically, what Jesus was alleged to have done, started an insurrection, this man really did.
50	sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
51	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.
52	tn Grk “shouting, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated here.
53	tn This double present imperative is emphatic. sn Crucifixion was the cruelest form of punishment practiced by the Romans. Roman citizens could not normally undergo it. It was reserved for the worst crimes, like treason and evasion of due process in a capital case. The Roman historian Cicero called it “a cruel and disgusting penalty” (Against Verres 2.5.63–66 §§163–70); Josephus (J. W. 7.6.4 [7.203]) called it the worst of deaths.
54	tn Grk “no cause of death I found in him.”
55	sn The refrain of innocence comes once again. Pilate tried to bring some sense of justice, believing Jesus had committed no crime deserving death.
56	tn Or “scourge” (BDAG 749 s.v. παιδεύω 2.b.γ). See the note on “flogged” in v. 16.
57	tn Though a different Greek term is used here (BDAG 373 s.v. ἐπίκειμαι), this remark is like 23:5.

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