Matthew 27:23 kjv
And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
Matthew 27:23 nkjv
Then the governor said, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they cried out all the more, saying, "Let Him be crucified!"
Matthew 27:23 niv
"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"
Matthew 27:23 esv
And he said, "Why? What evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Let him be crucified!"
Matthew 27:23 nlt
"Why?" Pilate demanded. "What crime has he committed?" But the mob roared even louder, "Crucify him!"
Matthew 27 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mk 15:14 | But they cried out more, "Crucify Him!" | Mark's parallel account, same escalating cry. |
| Lk 23:22-23 | Pilate said... "What evil has He done? I find no cause of death... they were insistent..." | Luke's parallel, Pilate's repeated assertion of innocence. |
| Jn 19:6 | When the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, "Crucify Him!" | John's account of the persistent demand for crucifixion. |
| Acts 3:13-15 | "You delivered Him up and denied Him in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him." | Peter's sermon, directly linking the Jewish people's role in rejecting Jesus despite Pilate's intent to release. |
| Acts 7:52 | "Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain those..." | Stephen's indictment of Israel's history of rejecting God's messengers, foreshadowing their rejection of Christ. |
| Isa 53:3 | "He was despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows..." | Prophetic fulfillment of Jesus' rejection by His own people. |
| Isa 53:7 | "He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth..." | Jesus' quiet submission despite unjust accusation. |
| Lk 23:4 | Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no fault in this Man." | Pilate's initial declaration of Jesus' innocence. |
| Lk 23:14-15 | "You have brought this Man to me... I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things..." | Pilate's further repeated declaration of innocence. |
| Jn 18:38 | Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, "I find no fault in Him." | Pilate's early declaration of no guilt after questioning Jesus. |
| Jn 19:4 | Pilate went out again and said to them, "Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him." | Pilate's persistence in declaring Jesus innocent. |
| Jn 19:12 | From then on Pilate sought to release Him; but the Jews cried out, "If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar's friend." | Demonstrates Pilate's desire to release Jesus and the escalating pressure from the Jewish leaders. |
| Mt 27:18 | For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy. | Pilate's underlying understanding of the real motive behind the charges. |
| Mt 27:20 | But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. | Explains the crowd's sudden shift and the instigation behind their cries. |
| Mt 27:24-25 | When Pilate saw that he could not prevail... he took water and washed his hands... | Pilate's public disassociation from the condemnation, further highlighting the crowd's culpability. |
| Ps 22:16 | For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. | Foreshadows the hostile crowd surrounding Jesus at His trial. |
| Zec 12:10 | "Then they will look on Me whom they pierced." | Prophetic verse indicating the manner of death for the Messiah. |
| 1 Pet 2:22 | "Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth." | Affirms Jesus' perfect innocence, reinforcing Pilate's struggle. |
| 1 Pet 2:23 | "who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten..." | Describes Jesus' silent endurance during the unjust suffering and demands for His death. |
| Heb 4:15 | For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. | Reconfirms Jesus' sinless nature despite trials. |
| Phil 2:8 | And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. | Highlights Christ's willing obedience to endure crucifixion as God's plan. |
| Rom 5:8 | But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. | The theological reason for the crucifixion – atonement for sins, despite the unjust human demand. |
| Acts 2:23 | "Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified and put to death." | Peter emphasizes God's sovereign plan at work even through human evil and injustice. |
Matthew 27 verses
Matthew 27 23 Meaning
Matthew 27:23 captures Pilate's final, desperate attempt to understand the basis for the crowd's escalating demand to crucify Jesus, and their increasingly fervent, unreasoning cry for His death. It highlights Pilate's discernment of Jesus' innocence in contrast to the intense and malicious will of the people, who, spurred by the chief priests and elders, rejected their rightful Messiah and insisted upon the most brutal Roman form of execution without any provable charge of wrongdoing. This moment underscores the profound injustice Jesus endured, fulfilling divine prophecy through human depravity and political expediency.
Matthew 27 23 Context
Matthew 27:23 is set during the climax of Jesus' Roman trial before Pontius Pilate, after the Jewish religious authorities (the Sanhedrin) have condemned Jesus but lack the authority to execute Him. Pilate, the Roman governor, has questioned Jesus and repeatedly found no grounds for capital punishment, especially none for a charge of rebellion against Rome. He attempts to release Jesus by offering the crowd a choice between Jesus and Barabbas, a notorious criminal and insurrectionist, a common practice during the Passover feast. Despite Pilate's repeated attempts to appeal to their reason and recognize Jesus' innocence (implied in the preceding verses, especially Mt 27:18), the crowd, manipulated by the chief priests and elders, adamantly and vociferously demands Jesus' crucifixion. The verse captures the point of no return for Pilate, as the mob's will overpowers his sense of justice and authority.
Matthew 27 23 Word analysis
- But he said: This refers to Pontius Pilate. It highlights his persistent engagement with the crowd, attempting to de-escalate their hostility or elicit a reasonable justification. It also indicates Pilate's official role in this interaction.
- "Why, what evil has he done?" (τί γὰρ κακὸν ἐποίησεν; Ti gar kakon epoiēsen?):
- Why: (τί ti) Expresses a question demanding justification or reason. Pilate is bewildered by their fervent demand without apparent cause.
- what evil: (τὶ κακὸν ti kakon) Refers to any wrongdoing, crime, or malicious act. The word kakon implies something morally corrupt or legally punishable. Pilate, as a Roman judge, is seeking a verifiable charge, a causa causae or delictum, that warrants the death penalty. This shows his search for an official, actionable offense, which he cannot find.
- And they cried out the more: (οἱ δὲ περισσοτέρως ἔκραζον hoi de perissoterōs ekrazon):
- cried out: (ἔκραζον ekrazon) Denotes a loud, public, and often insistent shout or outcry, typical of a tumultuous crowd.
- the more: (περισσοτέρως perissoterōs) An adverb emphasizing increasing intensity, frequency, or degree. The crowd's cries are not just continuing but growing louder, more aggressive, and more desperate in their demand. This signifies the mounting mob pressure and escalating irrationality.
- saying, "Let him be crucified!" (λέγοντες, Σταυρωθήτω legontes, Staurōthētō!):
- Let him be crucified! (Σταυρωθήτω Staurōthētō!) This is a passive imperative, meaning "Let him be crucified" or "He must be crucified." It is not merely a suggestion but an absolute, unyielding demand for Pilate to perform the execution. It specifies the horrific Roman punishment reserved for enemies of the state, insurrectionists, or runaway slaves – emphasizing the fabricated charge against Jesus as a revolutionary king, and indicating the depth of their hatred and malice. It stands in stark contrast to Pilate's search for "evil," revealing the crowd's complete disregard for justice.
Words-group analysis:
- "Why, what evil has he done?" And they cried out the more, saying, "Let him be crucified!": This contrast encapsulates the core injustice. Pilate seeks evidence of guilt, implying Jesus' innocence in his own legal assessment. The crowd responds with a heightened, violent, and utterly unreasonable demand for death, showcasing a complete rejection of justice and an overwhelming mob mentality. The question poses a legal/moral void, which the answer fills with irrational rage. The exchange vividly portrays the clash between formal legal inquiry and the raw, unreasoning will of an inflamed multitude, swayed by hostile spiritual and political powers.
Matthew 27 23 Bonus section
- The crowd's intensified demand ("cried out the more") represents a shift from a rational debate with Pilate to an uncontrolled, escalating mob rule, effectively intimidating the governor into compliance for fear of riot or accusation of disloyalty to Caesar (Jn 19:12).
- The phrase "Let him be crucified!" is a declaration of bloodlust. For a Roman citizen, crucifixion was considered the most shameful and cruel form of execution, indicating a complete dehumanization of the condemned. For Jewish people, it signified one accursed by God (Deut 21:23). The crowd's demand for this specific form of death emphasizes their deep-seated rejection and contempt for Jesus.
- Pilate's actions here reflect the complex interplay of power, fear, and a semblance of justice. While he found no fault, his political survival ultimately outweighed his moral obligation. This human failure inadvertently served the divine plan for redemption, making Jesus' sacrifice on the cross a deliberate act of atonement rather than merely a tragic execution.
Matthew 27 23 Commentary
Matthew 27:23 is a pivotal moment in the trial of Jesus, illustrating the profound tension between divine innocence and human sin. Pilate, as the Roman authority, recognizes no capital offense in Jesus, persistently questioning the crowd for justification for their malicious demand. His question, "What evil has he done?" highlights Jesus' demonstrable lack of criminal behavior, a testimony to His perfect life and blamelessness. Yet, this question is met not with reasoned argument, but with intensified, irrational hatred expressed through the amplified cry, "Let him be crucified!" This outcry reveals the dangerous power of the mob, easily swayed by corrupt leadership (as noted in Mt 27:20) and willing to condemn an innocent man to a gruesome death. It underscores the profound moral corruption within elements of the Jewish leadership and the fickle nature of the crowds. The verse portrays humanity's capacity for extreme cruelty and injustice when blinded by prejudice and envy, serving as a powerful demonstration of the world's rejection of Christ. It is precisely through this unjust condemnation and crucifixion, demanded by human sin, that God's eternal purpose for salvation would be fulfilled.