Matthew 27 25

Matthew 27:25 kjv

Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

Matthew 27:25 nkjv

And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."

Matthew 27:25 niv

All the people answered, "His blood is on us and on our children!"

Matthew 27:25 esv

And all the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!"

Matthew 27:25 nlt

And all the people yelled back, "We will take responsibility for his death ? we and our children!"

Matthew 27 verses

Matthew 27 25 Meaning

Matthew 27:25 records the solemn declaration of the Jewish crowd gathered before Pilate, who, in rejecting Jesus as their Messiah and demanding His crucifixion, proclaimed, "His blood be on us, and on our children." This statement signifies their willing acceptance of full responsibility and bloodguilt for Jesus' death, invoking the consequences upon themselves and future generations. It underscores a tragic and profound communal rejection of Jesus and the anathema associated with the shedding of innocent blood.

Matthew 27 25 Context

Matthew 27:25 occurs at the climatic moment of Jesus' trial before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Prior to this verse, the Jewish chief priests and elders, having delivered Jesus to Pilate, successfully incited the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas, a notorious criminal, instead of Jesus (Matt 27:20-23). Pilate, sensing a riot and desiring to release Jesus, sought to distance himself from the crucifixion. In an act symbolizing his detachment from the perceived injustice, Pilate publicly washed his hands and declared his innocence of Jesus' blood (Matt 27:24). This verse is the crowd's chilling response to Pilate's attempt to evade responsibility, signifying their full, eager acceptance of the guilt and its ramifications.

Historically, this event takes place during the Passover season, a time of heightened religious and political tension in Jerusalem under Roman occupation. The crowd gathered at the Praetorium, likely comprising those easily swayed by the influential religious leaders and not necessarily representing the entirety of the Jewish population. From a Jewish cultural perspective, "bloodguilt" was a serious theological concept, indicating culpability for murder and requiring expiation (Deut 19:10). The phrase "his blood be on us" was a recognized form of taking responsibility for a death sentence, carrying the implication of a self-imposed curse or accountability for the consequences. The addition of "and on our children" further compounds the gravity, reflecting the concept of generational consequence within covenant communities, as seen in Old Testament accounts where the iniquity of fathers could bring judgment upon subsequent generations.

Matthew 27 25 Word Analysis

• καὶ (kai): "And." A simple coordinating conjunction connecting this response to Pilate's action.
• ἀποκριθεὶς (apokritheis): "Answered." An aorist participle, denoting a definite and completed action of replying directly. It highlights the crowd's decisive engagement.
• πᾶς (pas): "All." Denotes completeness and totality. While it might not literally mean every single person, it emphasizes the unanimous and collective nature of the vocalized sentiment from the multitude present and influential in the proceedings.
• ὁ λαὸς (ho laos): "The people." Refers specifically to the Jewish populace gathered, contrasting them with Pilate, the Roman authority. In the biblical sense, "laos" often signifies "God's people" or the nation of Israel, lending additional weight to their collective statement against the Messiah.
• εἶπεν (eipen): "Said." A strong, declarative verb indicating their direct, unambiguous utterance.
• Τὸ αἷμα (to haima): "The blood." Refers directly to the innocent lifeblood of Jesus about to be shed. It signifies culpability for His death.
• αὐτοῦ (autou): "His." A simple genitive pronoun, unmistakably identifying Jesus as the object of their declaration concerning responsibility for His death.
• ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς (eph' hemas): "Upon us." This prepositional phrase means "on, over, or against us," expressing the literal imposition of the guilt and its associated consequences directly upon themselves. It signifies a willingness to bear the burden.
• καὶ (kai): "And." Another coordinating conjunction, connecting the immediate burden with an extended one.
• ἐπὶ τὰ τέκνα ἡμῶν (epi ta tekna hemon): "Upon our children." This extends the responsibility and consequences of their action to future generations. In Jewish understanding, communal sin could lead to communal suffering impacting descendants, making this phrase a powerful and self-invoked curse that would sadly resonate in the nation's later history.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And all the people answered and said": This phrase emphasizes the collective, decisive, and vocal nature of the crowd's response. It suggests not a few dissenting voices, but a powerful, united front demanding Jesus' death. Their "answer" is a direct retort to Pilate's public disavowal of guilt, demonstrating a zealous acceptance of responsibility where the Roman governor wished to abstain.
• "His blood be on us": This is a grave imprecation, a solemn oath invoking self-condemnation. It is a traditional expression for assuming bloodguilt, signaling their full and conscious acceptance of culpability for Jesus' unjust execution. It reflects a shocking embrace of the sin and its inevitable repercussions, demonstrating the hardened hearts against the truth presented by Jesus.
• "and on our children": This addition amplifies the horror and severity of their declaration. It binds future generations to the self-imposed consequences, echoing Old Testament principles of communal judgment (e.g., Exod 20:5) while foreshadowing the suffering that would indeed fall upon the Jewish people in later history, notably the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. It is a self-inflicted burden of immense weight.

Matthew 27 25 Bonus section

• Theological Contrast: The crowd's self-invoked curse "His blood be on us" stands in stark contrast to the redemptive purpose of Jesus' blood. Jesus' blood, as understood throughout the New Testament, is shed for the remission of sins (Matt 26:28; Heb 9:22), for purification (Heb 9:14; 1 Jn 1:7), and for covenant inauguration (Heb 12:24). The very "blood" they invoked for condemnation became, through God's redemptive plan, the means of eternal salvation.
• Not a Mandate for Antisemitism: Scholarly consensus and theological teaching overwhelmingly reject using this verse to justify antisemitism or hold all Jewish people culpable for Christ's death across history. Such interpretations contradict the clear biblical teaching that salvation is by individual faith, and that God's grace and covenant promises to Israel endure. Many Jews became followers of Christ, starting with the early apostles, and millions continue to do so. The responsibility rests ultimately on sin itself and on those specific individuals and leaders who instigated and consented to His death at that time.
• Foreshadowing of 70 AD: While avoiding perpetual guilt on all Jews, the phrase "and on our children" is often understood as a historical foreshadowing of the profound suffering experienced by the Jewish people during the First Jewish-Roman War and the destruction of the Second Temple and Jerusalem in 70 AD. Josephus' historical accounts provide a tragic fulfillment of such widespread destruction and loss, occurring approximately a generation after this declaration.
• Communal Guilt in OT: The concept of communal guilt and consequences affecting generations is found elsewhere in the Old Testament, such as God visiting "the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation" (Exod 20:5). However, later prophets also emphasized individual accountability (Ezek 18), providing a necessary balance. In the New Covenant, the emphasis shifts overwhelmingly to personal faith and responsibility before God.

Matthew 27 25 Commentary

Matthew 27:25 marks a pivotal and tragic moment in the Passion narrative, portraying the collective will of a substantial part of the Jewish people present, instigated by their religious leaders, in rejecting Jesus. Pilate’s attempt to wash his hands of responsibility for Jesus’ innocent blood was met by an audacious and self-condemnatory cry from the crowd: "His blood be on us, and on our children." This was not merely a shout, but a profound theological declaration.

By accepting Jesus’ blood upon themselves, the crowd willfully assumed the dire consequences of His crucifixion, a death they themselves vociferously demanded. The inclusion of "our children" demonstrates a profound, almost reckless, commitment to this self-curse, linking future generations to the decision. This has often been understood as prophetically anticipating the severe suffering of the Jewish nation, particularly highlighted by the Roman siege and destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, a generation later.

However, it is crucial to understand that this verse is not a divine, eternal curse upon all Jewish people for all time, nor should it ever be used to justify antisemitism. Such an interpretation misrepresents the New Testament's broader theological scope, which emphasizes God's continued love and plan for Israel (Rom 9-11) and the availability of salvation to all, Jew and Gentile, through faith in Jesus' atoning blood. The focus is on a specific communal decision by a particular generation. The "blood" of Jesus that truly brings life and reconciliation is the blood shed for the forgiveness of sins for all who believe, not the blood invoked for judgment.

The verse stands as a stark warning about the dangers of mob mentality, rejecting divine truth, and the weighty consequences of choices made, particularly when influenced by human leaders rather than God's will. It underscores humanity's responsibility in the death of Christ, yet also illuminates God's sovereign plan to accomplish salvation through the very act of crucifixion (Acts 2:23).