But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Pilate's question is dripping with sarcasm. He’s not genuinely asking if they want their Messiah released; he’s mocking their national aspirations by offering them a man they’ve just condemned, calling him "King of the Jews" to highlight the absurdity and their own rejection of their true King.
But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Pilate, having declared Jesus innocent, now tries a different tactic to appease the angry crowd and avoid sentencing an innocent man. He reminds them of a Passover custom where a prisoner is released, and sarcastically offers them a choice between releasing Jesus, whom he mockingly calls "the King of the Jews," or a notorious criminal named Barabbas. The crowd, spurred on by the chief priests, demands the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus.
Pilate asks Jesus, "Are you the King of the Jews?" but Jesus' answer reveals a kingdom far different from what Pilate, or the crowds, expected.
Jesus clarifies that His kingship isn't about political power or military might. It's a spiritual reality, focused on bearing witness to the truth.
Pilate offers the crowd a choice: release Jesus, the King of the Jews, or Barabbas, a notorious criminal. Their decision reveals a deep rejection of God's chosen King.
The custom of releasing a prisoner at Passover was meant to acknowledge the feast's significance, but the people pervert it into a rejection of Jesus.
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Understand the original words
pascha · Greek Noun
A Jewish festival commemorating the deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt. It serves as a shadow of the ultimate deliverance from sin through the blood of Christ, the true Passover Lamb.
lēstēs · Greek Noun
A person who takes property by force or deceit; a bandit or revolutionary, representing the violent and lawless nature of the fallen world that rejects the Messiah.
This verse reveals a politically charged moment where Roman authority, represented by Pilate, uses a local Jewish custom to navigate a religious and political crisis, ultimately sacrificing an innocent man to appease popular demand.
c. 27-30 AD
Pilate's Governorship of Judea
Pontius Pilate served as the Roman prefect (governor) of Judea from approximately 26 AD to 36 AD. His tenure was marked by tension between Roman rule and Jewish customs and religious sensitivities.
c. 30 AD, during Passover week— this verse
Pilate's release of a prisoner custom
During the Passover festival, Pilate followed a custom (the origin of which is unknown) of releasing one Jewish prisoner to the people. This was likely intended to appease the Jewish population during a significant religious holiday.
c. 30 AD, Passover week
Trial of Jesus before Pilate
Jesus is brought before Pilate, accused of claiming to be King of the Jews. Pilate questions Jesus and, according to John's Gospel, finds no guilt in him.
c. 30 AD, Passover week
Pilate offers a choice: Jesus or Barabbas
To appease the crowd and avoid making a decision he found unjust, Pilate offers them a choice between releasing Jesus or a notorious prisoner named Barabbas. The crowd, incited by the chief priests, demands Barabbas' release and Jesus' crucifixion.
This passage describes the same custom of releasing a prisoner at Passover, highlighting the choice between Jesus and Barabbas, which directly parallels Pilate's offer in John.
Mark 15:6-8Similar to John, Mark also mentions the custom of releasing a prisoner during the Passover feast and presents the crowd's choice between Jesus and Barabbas.
Luke 23:17-19Luke's Gospel includes the detail of the custom of releasing a prisoner at Passover and the crowd's clamor for Barabbas instead of Jesus, reinforcing the narrative presented in John.
John 19:14-15This passage immediately follows the verse in question, showing the crowd's ultimate rejection of Jesus as their King and their demand for His crucifixion, which is the outcome of the choice Pilate offered.
Isaiah 53:7This prophetic passage describes the suffering servant being led like a lamb to the slaughter, silent and uncomplaining, mirroring Jesus' silent response to Pilate's accusations and the crowd's demands.
vincentJohn 18:39: "But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?"
Ye have a customThe word συνήθεια, custom, originally means intimacy, habitual intercourse, and thence naturally passes into the meaning of habit or custom. Only John puts the statement of this custom into the mouth of Pilate. Matthew and Mark relate it as a fact.At the Passover (ἐν τῷ πάσχα)More specific than Matthew and Mark, where the ex…
henryJohn 18:33-40: "Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?"
18:33-40 Art thou the King of the Jews? that King of the Jews who has been so long expected? Messiah the Prince; art thou he? Dost thou call thyself so, and wouldest thou be thought so? Christ answered this question with another; not for evasion, but that Pilate might consider what he did. He never took upon him any earthly power, never were any traitorous princ…
Pilate's question is dripping with sarcasm. He’s not genuinely asking if they want their Messiah released; he’s mocking their national aspirations by offering them a man they’ve just condemned, calling him "King of the Jews" to highlight the absurdity and their own rejection of their true King.
Pilate, having declared Jesus innocent, now tries a different tactic to appease the angry crowd and avoid sentencing an innocent man. He reminds them of a Passover custom where a prisoner is released, and sarcastically offers them a choice between releasing Jesus, whom he mockingly calls "the King of the Jews," or a notorious criminal named Barabbas. The crowd, spurred on by the chief priests, demands the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus.
Pilate, having declared Jesus innocent, now tries a different tactic to appease the angry crowd and avoid sentencing an innocent man. He reminds them of a Passover custom where a prisoner is released, and sarcastically offers them a choice between releasing Jesus, whom he mockingly calls "the King of the Jews," or a notorious criminal named Barabbas. The crowd, spurred on by the chief priests, demands the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus.
"But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber." — Pilate's question is dripping with sarcasm. He’s not genuinely asking if they want their Messiah released; he’s mocking their national aspirations by offering them a man they’ve just condemned, calli…
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Last reviewed October 2026