Luke 23:14
in Luke 23and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined Him here in your presence and found Him not guilty of your charges against Him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and said unto them, Ye brought unto me this man, as one that perverteth the people: and behold, I, having examined him before you, found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him:
KJV
Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him:
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This verse in Luke 23
Commentary
16 notes on this verseA commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
We should observe, for one thing, in this passage — what striking testimony was borne to our Lord Jesus Christ's perfect innocence by His judges. We are told that Pilate said to the Jews, "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence, and have found no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod — for he sent him back to us; as you can see — he has done nothing to deserve death." The Roman and the Galilean governors were both of one mind.
This site's exposition
called together the chief priests
on Luke 23:13-16
Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people to give his second acquittal: He has done nothing deserving of death. His offer, I will punish Him and release Him, is itself unjust, since a man found guilty of nothing should not be flogged at all.
This site's exposition
inciting the people to rebellion
Pilate gathers the three charges into one, inciting rebellion, the count that mattered to Rome. The hearing took place in their presence. Adam Clarke, citing this verse, says all the evidence amounted to no proof that Jesus had set himself up as a temporal king.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
Here Pilate, who as a judge acquits Christ, is made the minister of His crucifixion. He is sent to Herod, sent back to Pilate, as it follows, Nor yet Herod, for I sent you to him, and behold nothing worthy of death is done unto him. They both refuse to pronounce Him guilty, yet for fear's sake, Pilate gratifies the cruel desires of the Jews.
He is sent to Herod, sent back to Pilate. And although neither of them pronounce him guilty, they still comply with the desires of someone else's cruelty. Indeed, Pilate washed his hands, but he did not wash away his deeds; for a judge ought not to yield to envy or fear, so as to deliver the blood of an innocent person. His wife warned him: grace shone in the darkness; divinity was evident; yet she did not temper the sacrilegious sentence in this way.
Similarly, I think that this is a prototype of all judgments that they would condemn those whom they believed to be innocent. However, it is evident that the Gentiles are more tolerant than the Jews, as Pilate's association with them demonstrates, and they are more persuaded by divine works.
They brought the holy and just One to Pilate. They spoke violent and unrestrained words against him and poured out falsely invented accusations. They persisted in the ferocity with which they accused him. Pilate then ruled that it should be as they desired, although he had publicly said, "I find no wickedness in this man." It says, "They cried out, 'Away with him, crucify him!' " The Lord had rebuked this unmerciful and unlawful cry by the voice of the prophet Isaiah. It is written, "The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, a cry!" In another place, he said of them, "Woe to them, for they have strayed from me! Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against me! I would redeem them, but they speak lies against me." It is written again, "Their princes shall fall by the sword, because of the rudeness of their tongue."
Many have been crucified throughout the world, but the demons are not afraid of any of these. These people died because of their own sins, but Christ died for the sin of others. He "did not sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth." It was not Peter, who could be suspected of partiality, who said this, but Isaiah, who, although not present in the flesh, in spirit foresaw the Lord's coming in the flesh. Why do I bring only the prophet as a witness? Take the witness of Pilate himself. He passed judgment on him, by saying, "I find no guilt in this man." When he delivered him over and washed his hands, he said, "I am innocent of the blood of this just man." The robber is another witness to Jesus' innocence. He is the first man to enter paradise. He rebuked his friend and said, "We are receiving what our deeds deserved, but this man has done nothing wrong, because you and I were present at his judgment."
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church6 voices
When Christ was sent back to Pilate, see how the truth shines forth again. "You," says Pilate, "brought this man to me as one who perverts the people"; but I find nothing in Him "worthy of death," nor does Herod. Do you see the testimony …
Wherefore by the testimony of two men, Jesus is declared innocent, but the Jews His accusers brought forward no witness whom they could believe. See then how truth triumphs. Jesus is silent, and His enemies witness for Him; the Jews make loud cries, and not one of them corroborates their clamour.
Therefore it is added: He said to them: You have brought this man to me as one turning the people away, recalling the accusation: whence John eighteen: "If this man were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him to you." And after the …
But Pilate, having called together the chief priests, and the magistrates, and the people, said to them: Consider how much effort Pilate took to release Jesus. First, when the chief priests accused him, he said he found no cause in him. Then, when they persisted …
You have presented this man to me as turning away the people, yet look, I have questioned him before you and found no basis for your charges against him. By saying this, Pilate indeed absolved Jesus, whom he found innocent, but so that the Scriptures …
Perish then those writings, which, composed so long a time after Christ, convict not the accused of magical arts against Pilate, but the writers themselves of treachery and lying against Christ.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Said unto them, ye have brought this man unto me,.... Pointing to Jesus, who stood before him; as one that perverteth the people; from their religion, and laws, and allegiance to Caesar.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
We should observe, for one thing, in this passage — what striking testimony was borne to our Lord Jesus Christ's perfect innocence by His judges. We are told that Pilate said to the Jews, "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence, and have found no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod — for he sent him back to us; as you can see — he has done nothing to deserve death." The Roman and the Galilean governors were both of one mind. Both agreed in pronouncing our Lord not guilty of the things laid to His charge. There was a peculiar fitness in this public declaration of Christ's innocence . Our Lord, we must remember, was about to be offered up as a sacrifice for our sins. It was proper and right that those who examined Him should formally pronounce Him to be an innocent and blameless person. It was fit and right that the Lamb of God should be found by those who slew Him, to be "a Lamb without blemish and without spot." (1 Peter 1:19.) The over-ruling hand of God so ordered the events of His trial, that even when His enemies were judges — they could find no fault with Him, nor prove any charge against Him. The circumstance before us, may seem of trifling importance to a careless Bible reader. It ought however to commend itself to the heart of every well-instructed Christian. We ought to be daily thankful that our great Substitute was in all respects perfect — and that our Surety was a complete and faultless Surety. What man can count the number of his sins? We leave undone, things which we should do; and we do things which we ought not to do — every day we live. But this must be our comfort, that Christ the Righteous One has undertaken to stand in our place, to pay the debt we all owe, and to fulfill the law we have all broken. He did fulfill that law completely.
The words behind it
29 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| εἶπεν | eipen | said | G2036 → | 925 times |
| πρὸς | pros | to | G4314 → | 700 times |
| αὐτούς· | autous | them; | G846 → | 5565 times |
| προσηνέγκατέ | prosenegkate | You brought | G4374 → | 47 times |
| μοι | moi | to me | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἄνθρωπον | anthropon | man | G444 → | 549 times |
| τοῦτον | touton | this | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| ὡς | hos | as | G5613 → | 500 times |
| ἀποστρέφοντα | apostrephonta | misleading | G654 → | |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λαόν· | laon | people; | G2992 → | 141 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἰδοὺ | idou | behold | G2400 → | 200 times |
| ἐγὼ | ego | I myself | G1473 → | 839 times |
| ἐνώπιον | enopion | before | G1799 → | 94 times |
| ὑμῶν | humon | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἀνακρίνας | anakrinas | having examined [Him] | G350 → | |
| οὐθὲν | outhen | no [thing] | G3762 → | 232 times |
| εὗρον | heuron | found | G2147 → | 175 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀνθρώπῳ | anthropo | man | G444 → | 549 times |
| τούτῳ | touto | this | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| αἴτιον | aition | guilty | G159 → | 5 times |
| ὧν | hon | of that | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| κατηγορεῖτε | kategoreite | accusation you are bringing | G2723 → | 22 times |
| κατ᾽ | kat᾽ | against | G2596 → | 468 times |
| αὐτοῦ· | autou | Him; | G846 → | 5565 times |
εἶπενsaid
eipenG2036 →925 times
πρὸςto
prosG4314 →700 times
αὐτούς·them;
autousG846 →5565 times
προσηνέγκατέYou brought
prosenegkateG4374 →47 times
μοιto me
moiG3165 →1936 times
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἄνθρωπονman
anthroponG444 →549 times
τοῦτονthis
toutonG3778 →1381 times
ὡςas
hosG5613 →500 times
ἀποστρέφονταmisleading
apostrephontaG654 →
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
λαόν·people;
laonG2992 →141 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἰδοὺbehold
idouG2400 →200 times
ἐγὼI myself
egoG1473 →839 times
ἐνώπιονbefore
enopionG1799 →94 times
ὑμῶνyou
humonG4771 →2973 times
ἀνακρίναςhaving examined [Him]
anakrinasG350 →
οὐθὲνno [thing]
outhenG3762 →232 times
εὗρονfound
heuronG2147 →175 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
ἀνθρώπῳman
anthropoG444 →549 times
τούτῳthis
toutoG3778 →1381 times
αἴτιονguilty
aitionG159 →5 times
ὧνof that
honG3739 →1405 times
κατηγορεῖτεaccusation you are bringing
kategoreiteG2723 →22 times
κατ᾽against
kat᾽G2596 →468 times
αὐτοῦ·Him;
autouG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hebrews 7:26Such a high priest truly befits us—One who is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 5:21
God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Peter 2:22
“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.”
- Hebrews 4:14–15
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess.
- Hebrews 8:1
The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,
- 2 Corinthians 5:21
Through
Daniel 6:4Thus the administrators and satraps sought a charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find no charge or corruption, because he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 3:16
keeping a clear conscience, so that those who slander you may be put to shame by your good behavior in Christ.
- Philippians 2:15
so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world
- 1 Peter 2:12
Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.
- 1 Peter 3:16
Through
Matthew 27:54When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified and said, “Truly this was the Son of God.”
it leads to
- Matthew 27:36
And sitting down, they kept watch over Him there.
- Matthew 27:36
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Luke
This page draws on 15 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Ambrose of Milan, EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 10.100; Ambrose of Milan, EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 10.101; Bede, On the Gospel of Luke; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 23; Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 152; Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture 13:3; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Luke and Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas.