Luke 23:16
in Luke 23Therefore I will punish Him and release Him.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I will therefore chastise him, and release him.
KJV
I will therefore chastise him, and release him.
⋯
This verse in Luke 23
Commentary
16 notes on this verseI will therefore chastise him,.... Give him some correction, as by scourging, or beating with rods: this he proposed, not because he thought him deserving of it, but in complaisance to the Jews; since it would look as if their charges were not altogether weak and groundless; and that Jesus was not entirely innocent: this would carry a show of guilt and punishment, and he hoped this might be thought sufficient, and so he should please them, and save Jesus from dying, which he much desired: and release him; from his bonds, and let him go.
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
I will punish Him and release Him
Pilate's offer contradicts his own verdict. Albert Barnes notes that punishing a man found innocent was as unjust as crucifying him. John Gill thinks Pilate proposed it to please the accusers, giving their charges a show of weight while he tried to save Jesus from death.
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 Church5 voices
And because it is unjust for such a one to be condemned, therefore he adds: I will therefore chastise him and release him, pronouncing an equitable sentence; for this sentence was to be delivered according to justice, since an innocent man was being accused. But …
Therefore, I will have him corrected and release him. I will scourge him and mock him as much as you demand, as long as you do not thirst for innocent blood.
"So, having punished Him," he says, that is, having disciplined Him with scourges, "I will release Him." And it was fitting for the Romans, to please the Jews, to release one prisoner for the feast. For when making a covenant with the Jews, they gave …
As if he said, I will subject Him to all the scourgings and mockings you desire, but do not thirst after the innocent blood. It follows, For of necessity he must release one unto them, &c. an obligation not imposed by a decree of the imperial law, but binding by the annual custom of the nation, whom in such things he was glad to please.
Pilate therefore lenient and easy, yet wanting in firmness for the truth, because afraid of being accused, adds, I will therefore chastise him and release him.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
I will therefore chastise him - The word “chastise” here means to “scourge or to whip.” This was usually done before capital punishment, to increase the sufferings of the man condemned. It is not easy to see the reason why, if Pilate supposed Jesus to be “innocent,” he should propose publicly to scourge him. It was as “really” unjust to do that as it was to crucify him.
A 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.
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
4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| παιδεύσας | paideusas | Having chastised | G3811 → | |
| οὖν | oun | therefore | G3767 → | 497 times |
| αὐτὸν | auton | Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἀπολύσω. | apoluso | I will release [Him]. | G630 → | 63 times |
παιδεύσαςHaving chastised
paideusasG3811 →
οὖνtherefore
ounG3767 →497 times
αὐτὸνHim
autonG846 →5565 times
ἀπολύσω.I will release [Him].
apolusoG630 →63 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
Isaiah 53:5But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 3:18
For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Peter 2:24–25
He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.”
- Matthew 20:28
just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
- 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.
- Romans 5:6–10
For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
- 1 Peter 3:18
Through
Matthew 27:26So Pilate released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.
it leads to
- John 19:1
Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 53:5
But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
- John 19:1
Through
Mark 15:15And wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.
it leads to
- Isaiah 50:6
I offered My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who tore out My beard. I did not hide My face from scorn and spittle.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 50:6
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 Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); 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 (1746-1748); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Luke and Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas.