Matthew 27:20–26
The crowd shouts “Let him be crucified”; Pilate asks what evil he did, washes his hands, and gives in
Study it word by word20But the high priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to destroy Jesus.
21And the governor answered them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.”
22Pilate says to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Messiah?” They all say, “Let him be crucified!”
23And he said, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Let him be crucified!”
24When Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this blood; you will see to it.”
25And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”
26Then he released Barabbas for them; but after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.
In its context
18For he knew that it was out of envy that they had handed him over.
19And while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Let there be nothing between you and that righteous man; for I have suffered much today in a dream because of him.”
…
27Then the soldiers of the governor, taking Jesus into the praetorium, gathered the whole cohort around him.
28And they stripped him and put a scarlet cloak around him.
Its words in the original
- ἀρχιερεῖςarchiereis· chief priest, high priest
High priest. In the plural, the one then in office, those who had held it before, and the heads of the priestly families: the chief priests.
- πρεσβύτεροιpresbyteroi· elder
Elder: an older man; also the leaders of a people or of a community.
- ἔπεισανepeisan· persuade, trust
To persuade, convince; to trust.
- ὄχλουςochlous· crowd
Crowd, throng; the people.
- αἰτήσωνταιaitēsōntai· ask
Ask, ask for.
- ΒαραββᾶνBarabban· Barabbas
Barabbas: an Aramaic name meaning "son of the father".
- ἸησοῦνIēsoun· Jesus
Jesus, the Greek form of the Hebrew Yehoshua (Joshua), which means "YHWH saves". It is the name the angel told Joseph to give him (Matthew 1:21).
- ἀπολέσωσινapolesōsin· destroy, perish
Destroy, cause to perish; in the middle voice, perish, be lost.
- ἀποκριθεὶςapokritheis· answer
Answer, reply; speak up.
- ἡγεμὼνhēgemōn· governor
Governor, the one in charge of a region; a leader.
- εἶπενeipen· say
Say, speak; in the passive, "be called".
- θέλετεthelete· want, wish
Want, wish, be willing.
- δύοdyo· two
Two.
- ἀπολύσωapolysō· release, send away
Release, let go, send away; said of a wife, divorce her.
- ΠιλᾶτοςPilatos· Pilate
Pilate: Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea.
- ποιήσωpoiēsō· do, make
Do, make, produce.
- χριστόνchriston· Messiah
Messiah: literally "anointed", the king or envoy God consecrates with oil. It is a title, not a surname; in Hebrew, mashiach.
- ΣταυρωθήτωStaurōthētō· crucify
Crucify: nail or tie to a cross.
- ἔφηephē· say
Say.
- κακὸνkakon· bad, evil
Bad, evil.
- περισσῶςperissōs· all the more
Even more, exceedingly.
- ἔκραζονekrazon· cry out
Shout, cry out.
- ἰδὼνidōn· see
See, look; notice.
- ὠφελεῖōphelei· help, benefit
Help, be of use.
- μᾶλλονmallon· more, rather
More, rather.
- θόρυβοςthorybos· uproar
Uproar, commotion.
- γίνεταιginetai· become, happen
Become, happen, come about; be born.
- λαβὼνlabōn· take, receive
Take, receive.
- ὕδωρhydōr· water
Water.
- ἀπενίψατοapenipsato· wash
Wash, wash off.
- χεῖραςcheiras· hand
Hand.
- ἀπέναντιapenanti· before, opposite
Before, in front of, in the presence of; also against.
- ἈθῷόςAthōios· innocent
Innocent, guiltless.
- εἰμιeimi· be
Be, exist.
- αἵματοςhaimatos· blood
Blood; also life poured out.
- λαὸςlaos· people
People. Often the people of Israel.
- τέκναtekna· child
Child, son, daughter.
- τότεtote· then
Then, at that time.
- φραγελλώσαςphragellōsas· flog
Flog with a whip.
- παρέδωκενparedōken· hand over
Hand over: put into someone else's hands; also betray, or pass on a teaching.