They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights a striking irony: the people, incited by the religious leaders, reject Jesus, the innocent Son of God, in favor of Barabbas, a notorious criminal. This stark choice reveals how prejudice and a thirst for violence can eclipse truth and justice, leading people to champion a known lawbreaker over the very embodiment of righteousness.
They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Pilate, seeking a way to release Jesus, offers the crowd a choice between Jesus and a notorious prisoner named Barabbas. The crowd, spurred on by the religious leaders, loudly demands Barabbas's release and Jesus's crucifixion, completely rejecting the man declared innocent by Pilate. This stark choice highlights the crowd's murderous intent and sets the stage for Jesus's condemnation.
Why would a crowd, faced with a choice between an innocent man and a known criminal, choose the criminal? This verse reveals a startling truth about the human heart.
The people's demand to release Barabbas instead of Jesus is a powerful illustration of humanity's deep-seated rebellion against God.
A Loud Rejection
The word for 'cried' here isn't a gentle request; it's a loud, insistent shouting (ἐκραύγασαν). It suggests a frenzied, almost animalistic demand, echoing the way spectators might clamor in a theater or stadium. This wasn't a reasoned debate; it was an emotional outburst.
Who Was Barabbas?
Barabbas wasn't just a petty thief. The Gospels paint a clearer picture:
The Stark Contrast
By choosing Barabbas, the crowd rejected:
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This choice wasn't accidental. It was a deliberate, loud rejection of divine authority in favor of chaos and rebellion. As Clarke observes, 'Like cleaves to like; hence we need not be surprised to find the vilest things still preferred to Christ.'
The name 'Barabbas' itself holds a profound, almost poetic irony when placed beside Jesus. What does this pairing reveal about God's plan?
The exchange of Jesus for Barabbas wasn't just a political maneuver; it was a divinely orchestrated substitution, foreshadowing the core of the Gospel message.
Bar Abba: Son of the Father
Barabbas's name likely means 'son of the father' (Bar-Abba). This is a striking parallel to Jesus, who is the unique 'Son of the Father' (John 1:14, 18).
A Tragic Irony
The Cambridge commentary highlights this tragic irony: 'The innocent Son of the Father is rejected for the blood-stained son of a father.' The crowd chose the literal son of a father over the ultimate Son of God.
Divine Providence at Play
While the people acted out of malice and misunderstanding, the Gospel writers see God's hand at work. Calvin suggests this choice 'did not happen without a singular interposition of the providence of God.'
This profound exchange—the pure Son dying for the sinful 'son of the father'—is the heart of God's redemptive plan.
Understand the original words
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.
c. AD 27-30
Jesus' Ministry and Growing Opposition
During Jesus' public ministry, his teachings and miracles gained him a following but also attracted the suspicion and hostility of the Jewish religious authorities.
c. AD 30
Barabbas' Arrest and Imprisonment
Barabbas, a known insurrectionist and murderer, is arrested and imprisoned, likely for leading or participating in a violent uprising against Roman rule in Jerusalem.
Passover, c. AD 30
The Passover Pardon Custom
Pilate, the Roman governor, follows a custom of releasing a prisoner to the Jewish crowd during the Passover festival to gain favor.
Passover, c. AD 30— this verse
Pilate Presents Jesus and Barabbas
Pilate, seeking to appease the crowd and pressured by the chief priests and elders, offers them a choice between releasing Jesus or Barabbas.
Passover, c. AD 30
Crowd Demands Barabbas' Release
Fueled by the religious leaders' instigation, the crowd loudly demands the release of Barabbas, the insurrectionist, and the crucifixion of Jesus.
This passage directly parallels John's account, detailing the Passover custom of releasing a prisoner and the crowd's choice between Jesus and Barabbas, highlighting the people's choice for a known criminal over Christ.
Luke 23:18-19Luke emphasizes that Barabbas was imprisoned for an insurrection and murder, underscoring the gravity of his crimes and the stark contrast with Jesus' innocence.
Isaiah 53:4-7This prophecy speaks of a suffering servant who is 'pierced for our transgressions' and 'led like a lamb to the slaughter,' echoing the unjust condemnation of Jesus and the preference for a guilty man over him.
Romans 5:7-8Paul contrasts the righteousness of dying for a good person with God's love shown by Christ dying for us while we were still sinners, which directly relates to the baffling choice of releasing a sinner (Barabbas) and condemning the Righteous One.
1 Peter 2:22This verse states that Jesus 'committed no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth,' powerfully contrasting with the known sins of Barabbas and highlighting the injustice of the crowd's demand.
vincentJohn 18:40: "Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber."
Cried (ἐκραύγασαν)Peculiarly of a loud, importunate cry; a shout. Plato uses it of the howling of a dog: "The yelping hound, howling (κραυγάζουσα) at her Lord" ("Republic," 607). Others, of the cries of spectators in the theaters and of the croak of a raven. See on Matthew 15:22.AgainAssuming John's recollection of a previous "crying out," which he has not recorded.Robber (λῃστής)See on…
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…
The verse highlights a striking irony: the people, incited by the religious leaders, reject Jesus, the innocent Son of God, in favor of Barabbas, a notorious criminal. This stark choice reveals how prejudice and a thirst for violence can eclipse truth and justice, leading people to champion a known lawbreaker over the very embodiment of righteousness.
Pilate, seeking a way to release Jesus, offers the crowd a choice between Jesus and a notorious prisoner named Barabbas. The crowd, spurred on by the religious leaders, loudly demands Barabbas's release and Jesus's crucifixion, completely rejecting the man declared innocent by Pilate. This stark choice highlights the crowd's murderous intent and sets the stage for Jesus's condemnation.
Pilate, seeking a way to release Jesus, offers the crowd a choice between Jesus and a notorious prisoner named Barabbas. The crowd, spurred on by the religious leaders, loudly demands Barabbas's release and Jesus's crucifixion, completely rejecting the man declared innocent by Pilate. This stark choice highlights the crowd's murderous intent and sets the stage for Jesus's condemnation.
"They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber." — The verse highlights a striking irony: the people, incited by the religious leaders, reject Jesus, the innocent Son of God, in favor of Barabbas, a notorious criminal. This stark choice reveals how p…
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Last reviewed October 2026