Luke 23 17

Luke 23:17 kjv

(For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.)

Luke 23:17 nkjv

(for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).

Luke 23 verses

Luke 23 17 Meaning

Luke 23:17 states Pilate's obligation or custom to release one prisoner to the people during the Passover feast. This verse establishes the procedural context for the fateful choice Pilate presents to the crowd, asking them to choose between Jesus and Barabbas. It highlights Pilate's attempts to navigate the volatile religious and political atmosphere in Jerusalem and foreshadows the dramatic rejection of Jesus by the very people He came to save, leading directly to His crucifixion.

Luke 23 17 Context

Luke chapter 23 recounts the climax of Jesus' earthly ministry, focusing on His trial before Pilate and subsequent crucifixion. After Jesus is brought before Pilate by the Jewish religious leaders on charges of subverting the nation, forbidding tribute to Caesar, and claiming to be king (Lk 23:2), Pilate investigates. Pilate declares Jesus innocent three times (Lk 23:4, 14, 22), finding no capital crime. Recognizing the political tensions exacerbated by the Passover feast and seeking to appease the agitated crowds and avoid an uprising, Pilate, informed of Jesus' Galilean origin, sends Him to Herod Antipas (Lk 23:6-12), who also finds no fault. Upon Jesus' return, Pilate suggests a compromise: a mild chastisement followed by release (Lk 23:16). Luke 23:17 immediately follows this proposal, explaining that it was against this backdrop Pilate turned to the customary release of a prisoner, providing the people with a direct choice and, from Pilate's perspective, a way to safely release Jesus. This particular moment serves as the precipice before the crowds' final, unified demand for Jesus' crucifixion. The atmosphere was one of high religious expectation, deep nationalistic fervor, and underlying political unrest under Roman occupation.

Luke 23 17 Word analysis

• "For" (γὰρ - gar): A particle denoting causation or explanation, linking this verse as a reason or explanation for Pilate's actions described just prior (Lk 23:16), setting up his subsequent dilemma and the crowd's choice.

• "it was necessary" (ἀνάγκη ἦν - anankē ēn):

  • ἀνάγκη (anankē): Greek for "necessity," "compulsion," or "obligation." While Matthew and Mark use εἰώθει (eiōthei - "custom" or "was accustomed"), Luke's use of anankē conveys a stronger sense of imperative. This could imply a practical political necessity for Pilate to avert a riot, a compelling obligation rooted in established protocol (even if not universally documented), or even a theological "divine necessity" by which God's redemptive plan was fulfilled through seemingly human customs.
  • It is notable that some important early manuscripts (Papyrus 75, Codex Vaticanus, Codex Sinaiticus) omit this entire verse (Luke 23:17). Its presence in many other manuscripts supports its inclusion in most Bibles, yet the variant highlights an early textual fluidity. If original, it emphasizes Pilate's internal reasoning or divine orchestration.

• "for him to release" (ἀπολύειν αὐτῷ - apolyein autō):

  • ἀπολύειν (apolyein): To set free, unbind, dismiss, release. It refers to the act of granting amnesty.
  • αὐτῷ (autō): "Him" or "to him," referring to Pilate, indicating that this obligation or custom fell upon the governor.

• "one" (ἕνα - hena): Greek for "one." It signifies the singular nature of the choice Pilate would present to the people, creating a clear and decisive contrast.

• "unto them" (αὐτοῖς - autois): Greek for "to them," referring to the gathered crowd, the Jewish populace. This underscores that the choice and the resulting consequence would ultimately rest with the people themselves, not just Pilate.

• "at the feast" (κατὰ ἑορτήν - kata heortēn):

  • κατὰ (kata): According to, at. It specifies the context and occasion.
  • ἑορτήν (heortēn): Feast, festival, specifically the Passover. This annual feast commemorating Israel's liberation from Egypt provides an ironic backdrop, as the crowd would choose the release of a rebel from Roman rule over the spiritual Deliverer who offered freedom from sin. This highlights the blindness to spiritual truth inherent in humanity's fallen condition.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "For it was necessary for him to release one unto them": This phrase explains Pilate's underlying reason or established practice in this critical moment. It portrays Pilate as being compelled, whether by Roman custom, the specific circumstances of the Passover, or as part of God's overarching redemptive plan, to present this choice, directly paving the way for the condemnation of Jesus.
  • "at the feast": This phrase is crucial in rooting the custom within the significant religious context of the Passover. The festive atmosphere, paradoxically, sets the stage for a tragic choice, as the celebration of physical liberation culminates in the judicial murder of the true Liberator, emphasizing the profound spiritual darkness of those who rejected Him.

Luke 23 17 Bonus section

• The Weight of Barabbas' Name: Barabbas means "son of the father" or "son of Abbas." In a striking twist, the people choose to free a "son of the father" who was a murderer and insurrectionist (Jn 18:40, Acts 3:14), while simultaneously condemning Jesus, the true Son of the Heavenly Father, who came in perfect righteousness and offered salvation from sin rather than political liberation. This emphasizes the profound blindness of their choice.
• Textual Nuance and Theological Impact: While many scholarly texts and Bible translations include Luke 23:17, its absence from some very early and highly respected manuscripts like Papyrus 75 and Codices Vaticanus and Sinaiticus suggests it might have been an explanatory insertion by later scribes to harmonize Luke's narrative more closely with Matthew and Mark. However, its presence, particularly with Luke's unique use of anankē (necessity), lends a distinct Lukan theological emphasis to the passage, framing the event not just as custom, but as a fated, divinely ordained aspect of the trial, regardless of its precise textual origin. The overall meaning of the event—Pilate's offer leading to Barabbas' release—remains constant across all synoptic accounts.
• Divine Sovereignty over Human Agencies: The seemingly commonplace, perhaps even appeasement-driven, act of a Roman governor to release a prisoner at a feast is, in the larger biblical narrative, woven seamlessly into God's immutable plan for the redemption of humanity (Acts 4:27-28). Even Pilate's desperate efforts to release Jesus unwittingly become a part of the divine program leading to the cross, where the world's sin was atoned for.

Luke 23 17 Commentary

Luke 23:17 succinctly provides the rationale for Pilate's subsequent action, offering a prisoner for release. This custom, explicitly mentioned in all four Gospels (Jn 18:39 notes it as "your custom"), highlights an established practice, regardless of its precise historical documentation outside the Bible. Luke's distinct word "necessary" (anankē) sets this particular release as more than just an incidental custom. It could reflect Pilate's calculated political necessity to prevent unrest during a high-tension religious festival, demonstrating his obligation to Roman authority by maintaining order. Theologically, however, this "necessity" points to God's sovereign orchestration, ensuring that all human actions, even those of worldly rulers and rebellious crowds, contribute to His predetermined plan for Christ's atoning sacrifice.

This verse reveals the tragic irony and profound spiritual significance of the moment. On the day commemorating liberation, the Son of God, the ultimate bringer of freedom, is put up for exchange against a rebel. The crowd's eventual choice of Barabbas, a man who represented worldly rebellion and violence, over Jesus, the Prince of Peace, tragically epitomizes humanity's preference for temporal solutions over spiritual salvation, for an earthly deliverer over the divine one. This pivotal choice, set in motion by the "necessity" of the custom, underscores both human culpability in Jesus' death and the perfect fulfillment of God's ancient prophecies regarding the innocent Suffering Servant. The release of a guilty man in place of the innocent one also foreshadows the glorious truth of substitutionary atonement—Christ, the innocent, taking the place of guilty humanity.