SEV Biblia, Chapter 27:17
Y juntos ellos, les dijo Pilato: ¿Cul queris que os suelte? ¿A Barrabs o a Jess que se dice Cristo?
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 17. Therefore when they were gathered together , etc.] Meaning not the chief priests and elders; for these were together before, but the common people; and so the Persic version renders the words, when the people increased into a multitude: for it was to them the release of a prisoner was to be made, and so the proposal of one; and it was at their option, who should be the person; for it was whom they would, as in ( Matthew 27:15), and where the Ethiopic version adds, and should choose. Pilate said unto them, whom will ye that I should release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus, which is called Christ ? He puts it to them, whom they would choose to have released, Barabbas, the thief and robber, the seditious person and murderer, or Jesus, whom some called the Christ, the Messiah, the king of the Jews. Pilate on purpose proposed such an infamous person along with him, not doubting but they would have preferred him, whatever were their prejudices against him, before such a scandalous person as Barabbas; and whatever good will they might secretly have to put Jesus to death, and release Barabbas, yet he thought they could not, for shame, speak out their sense, and desire him, and not Jesus. His view was not to reproach Christ, by joining him with so wicked a man, but in order to save him.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 11-25 - Having no malice against Jesus, Pilate urged him to clear himself, an laboured to get him discharged. The message from his wife was warning. God has many ways of giving checks to sinners, in their sinfu pursuits, and it is a great mercy to have such checks from Providence from faithful friends, and from our own consciences. O do not thi abominable thing which the Lord hates! is what we may hear said to us when we are entering into temptation, if we will but regard it. Being overruled by the priests, the people made choice of Barabbas Multitudes who choose the world, rather than God, for their ruler an portion, thus choose their own delusions. The Jews were so bent upo the death of Christ, that Pilate thought it would be dangerous to refuse. And this struggle shows the power of conscience even on the worst men. Yet all was so ordered to make it evident that Chris suffered for no fault of his own, but for the sins of his people. Ho vain for Pilate to expect to free himself from the guilt of the innocent blood of a righteous person, whom he was by his office boun to protect! The Jews' curse upon themselves has been awfully answere in the sufferings of their nation. None could bear the sin of others except Him that had no sin of his own to answer for. And are we not all concerned? Is not Barabbas preferred to Jesus, when sinners rejec salvation that they may retain their darling sins, which rob God of his glory, and murder their souls? The blood of Christ is now upon us for good, through mercy, by the Jews' rejection of it. O let us flee to it for refuge!
Greek Textus Receptus
συνηγμενων 4863 5772 V-RPP-GPM ουν 3767 CONJ αυτων 846 P-GPM ειπεν 2036 5627 V-2AAI-3S αυτοις 846 P-DPM ο 3588 T-NSM πιλατος 4091 N-NSM τινα 5101 I-ASM θελετε 2309 5719 V-PAI-2P απολυσω 630 5661 V-AAS-1S υμιν 5213 P-2DP βαραββαν 912 N-ASM η 2228 PRT ιησουν 2424 N-ASM τον 3588 T-ASM λεγομενον 3004 5746 V-PPP-ASM χριστον 5547 N-ASM
Robertson's NT Word Studies
27:17 {barabbas or Jesus which is called Christ?} (barabban e iesoun ton legomenon criston;). Pilate was catching at straws or seeking any loophole to escape condemning a harmless lunatic or exponent of a superstitious cult such as he deemed Jesus to be, certainly in no political sense a rival of Caesar. The Jews interpreted "Christ" for Pilate to be a claim to be King of the Jews in opposition to Caesar, "a most unprincipled proceeding" (Bruce). So he bethought him of the time-honored custom at the passover of releasing to the people "a prisoner whom they wished" (desmion hon thelon). No parallel case has been found, but Josephus mentions the custom (_Ant_. xx. 9,3). barabbas was for some reason a popular hero, a notable (epismon), if not notorious, prisoner, leader of an insurrection or revolution (#Mr 15:7) probably against Rome, and so guilty of the very crime that they tried to fasten on Jesus who only claimed to be king in the spiritual sense of the spiritual kingdom. So Pilate unwittingly pitted against each other two prisoners who represented the antagonistic forces of all time. It is an elliptical structure in the question, "whom do you wish that I release?" (tina thelete apolusw;), either two questions in one (asyndeton) or the ellipse of hina before apolusw. See the same idiom in verse #21. But Pilate's question tested the Jews as well as himself. It tests all men today. Some manuscripts add the name Jesus to barabbas and that makes it all the sharper. Jesus barabbas or Jesus Christ?
