Matthew 27:15 BSB — MannaFest

Matthew 27:15

Now it was the governor’s custom at the feast to release to the crowd a prisoner of their choosing.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

Now at the feast the governor was wont to release unto the multitude one prisoner, whom they would.

KJV

Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.

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Commentary

4 voices

Origen of Alexandria

COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 120 (253)

You should not be surprised that shortly after Roman rule had begun [in Palestine], the Jews who came under their yoke were granted the priviledge of asking for [the release of] "one [prisoner] whom they wanted," even though he appeared to be guilty of a thousand murders; the pagan nations granted a certain amount of leniency to their subjects until the yoke had been firmly secured around them.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

Jerome

Commentary on Matthew (420)

(Verse 13 and following) Then Pilate said to him: Do you not hear how many testimonies they speak against you? And he did not respond to him with any word, so that the governor wondered greatly. Now it was customary for the governor to release one prisoner to the people on the solemn day, whom they desired. Indeed, it is a Gentile who condemns Jesus, but he refers the matter to the Jewish people. Do you not hear how many testimonies they speak against you?

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748)

Now at that feast,.... The Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read, "at every feast": which looks as if the authors of these versions thought the sense was, that the following custom was used at each feast in the year, at the feasts of pentecost, and tabernacles, and passover; whereas it was only at the feast of the passover; and which is meant by the feast here, as is clear from Joh 18:

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

See also the parallel places in Mar 15:6-14; Luk 23:17-23; Joh 18:39-40. Mat 27:15 At that feast - The feast of the Passover. The governor was wont to release ... - that is, was “accustomed” to release. From what this custom arose, or by whom it was introduced, is not known. It was probably adopted to secure popularity among the Jews, and to render the government of the Romans less odious. Any little indulgence granted to the Jews during the heavy oppression of the Romans would serve to conciliate their favor, and to keep the nation from sedition.

J.C. Ryle

1816–1900

(1856)

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

13 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
Κατὰ	Kata	At	G2596 →
δὲ	de	now	G1161 →
ἑορτὴν	he'ortēn	[the] feast	G1859 →
εἰώθει	eiōthei	had been accustomed	G1486 →
ὁ	ho	the	G3588 →
ἡγεμὼν	hēgemōn	governor	G2232 →
ἀπολύειν	apoluein	to release	G630 →
ἕνα	hena	one	G1520 →
τῷ	tō	to the	G3588 →
ὄχλῳ	ochlō	multitude	G3793 →
δέσμιον	desmion	prisoner	G1198 →
ὃν	hon	whom	G3739 →
ἤθελον.	ēthelon	they were wishing.	G2309 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Acts 24:27
After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.
leads to
- Acts 12:3
  And seeing that this pleased the Jews, Herod proceeded to seize Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
- Mark 15:15
  And wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
- Acts 25:9

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About Matthew

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Continue: Matthew 27 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About Matthew

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About Matthew