The Meaning of Luke 23:25 Explained

Luke 23:25

KJV: And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.

YLT: and he released him who because of sedition and murder hath been cast into the prison, whom they were asking, and Jesus he gave up to their will.

Darby: And he released him who, for tumult and murder, had been cast into prison, whom they begged for, and Jesus he delivered up to their will.

ASV: And he released him that for insurrection and murder had been cast into prison, whom they asked for; but Jesus he delivered up to their will.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  he released  unto them  him that for  sedition  and  murder  was cast  into  prison,  whom  they had desired;  but  he delivered  Jesus  to their  will. 

What does Luke 23:25 Mean?

Context Summary

Luke 23:13-25 - Barabbas Or Christ?
Herod's moral nature had become almost extinguished by a long course of immorality and cruelty. While the Baptist lived, he had "done many things" and heard John gladly; but when the beheading of this faithful witness on his own orders had taken place, the royal sinner went headlong to ruin. He treated this incident with flippant levity. The gorgeous raiment, being an imitation of the royal apparel of the Jewish kings, may have suggested the inscription affixed to the cross.
By giving the people the alternative of Christ or Barabbas, Pilate expected that they would certainly choose the former. To his dismay, this second effort to salve his conscience without endangering his reputation failed. So he drifted and sold his soul for power. Each of us has to choose between Christ and Barabbas, between the self-surrender of the Cross and brutal selfishness. Barabbas must have stolen to the Cross in the afternoon and said, as he stood there: "He hangs where I should have been. I am saved by His death." [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 23

1  Jesus is accused before Pilate, and sent to Herod
8  Herod mocks him
12  Herod and Pilate become friends
13  Barabbas is desired of the people,
24  and is released by Pilate, and Jesus is given to be crucified
26  He tells the women, that lament him, the destruction of Jerusalem;
34  prays for his enemies
39  Two criminals are crucified with him
46  His death
50  His burial

Greek Commentary for Luke 23:25

Whom they asked for [ον ηιτουντο]
Imperfect middle, for whom they had been asking for themselves. Luke repeats that Barabbas was in prison “for insurrection and murder.” [source]
To their will [τωι τεληματι αυτων]
This is mob law by the judge who surrenders his own power and justice to the clamour of the crowd. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 23:25

John 19:16 Delivered []
Luke says, delivered to their will (Luke 23:25). Pilate pronounced no sentence, but disclaimed all responsibility for the act, and delivered Christ up to them ( αὐτοῖς ), they having invoked the responsibility upon themselves. See Matthew 27:24, Matthew 27:25. [source]
John 18:40 Cried out [εκραυγασαν]
First aorist active of κραυγαζω — kraugazō old and rare verb from κραυγη — kraugē outcry (Matthew 25:6), as in Matthew 12:19. Not this man Contemptuous use of ουτος — houtos The priests put the crowd up to this choice (Mark 15:11) and Pilate offered the alternative (Matthew 27:17, one MS. actually gives Jesus as the name of Barabbas also). The name αραββας — Barabbas in Aramaic simply means son of a father. A robber Old word from ληιζομαι — lēizomai to plunder, and so a brigand and possibly the leader of the band to which the two robbers belonged who were crucified with Jesus. Luke terms him an insurgent and murderer (Luke 23:19, Luke 23:25). They chose Barabbas in preference to Jesus and apparently Jesus died on the very cross planned for Barabbas. [source]
John 19:16 He delivered [παρεδωκεν]
Kappa aorist active of παραδιδωμι — paradidōmi the very verb used of the Sanhedrin when they handed Jesus over to Pilate (John 18:30, John 18:35). Now Pilate hands Jesus back to the Sanhedrin with full consent for his death (Luke 23:25). To be crucified Purpose clause with ινα — hina and the first aorist passive subjunctive of σταυροω — stauroō John does not give the dramatic episode in Matthew 27:24. when Pilate washed his hands and the Jews took Christ‘s blood on themselves and their children. But it is on Pilate also. [source]
Acts 15:2 When Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and questioning with them [Γενομενης στασεως και ζητησεως ουκ ολιγης τωι Παυλωι και αρναβαι προς αυτους]
Genitive absolute of second aorist middle participle of γινομαι — ginomai genitive singular agreeing with first substantive στασεως — staseōs Literally, “No little (litotes for much) strife and questioning coming to Paul and Barnabas (dative case) with them “ Paul and Barnabas were not willing to see this Gentile church brow-beaten and treated as heretics by these self-appointed regulators of Christian orthodoxy from Jerusalem. The work had developed under the leadership of Paul and Barnabas and they accepted full responsibility for it and stoutly resisted these Judaizers to the point of sedition (riot, outbreak in Luke 23:25; Acts 19:40) as in Acts 23:7. There is no evidence that the Judaizers had any supporters in the Antioch church so that they failed utterly to make any impression. Probably these Judaizers compelled Paul to think through afresh his whole gospel of grace and so they did Paul and the world a real service. If the Jews like Paul had to believe, it was plain that there was no virtue in circumcision (Galatians 2:15-21). It is not true that the early Christians had no disagreements. They had selfish avarice with Ananias and Sapphira, murmuring over the gifts to the widows, simony in the case of Simon Magus, violent objection to work in Caesarea, and now open strife over a great doctrine (grace vs. legalism). [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 23:25 mean?

He released then the [one] on account of insurrection and murder having been cast into prison whom they had asked for - and Jesus he delivered to the will of them
ἀπέλυσεν δὲ τὸν διὰ στάσιν καὶ φόνον βεβλημένον εἰς φυλακὴν ὃν ᾐτοῦντο τὸν δὲ Ἰησοῦν παρέδωκεν τῷ θελήματι αὐτῶν

ἀπέλυσεν  He  released 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀπολύω  
Sense: to set free.
τὸν  the  [one] 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
διὰ  on  account  of 
Parse: Preposition
Root: διά  
Sense: through.
στάσιν  insurrection 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: στάσις  
Sense: a standing, station, state.
φόνον  murder 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: φόνος  
Sense: murder, slaughter.
βεβλημένον  having  been  cast 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Participle Middle or Passive, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: βάλλω 
Sense: to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
φυλακὴν  prison 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: φυλακή  
Sense: guard, watch.
ὃν  whom 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
ᾐτοῦντο  they  had  asked  for 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Plural
Root: αἰτέω  
Sense: to ask, beg, call for, crave, desire, require.
τὸν  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰησοῦν  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
παρέδωκεν  he  delivered 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: παραδίδωμι  
Sense: to give into the hands (of another).
τῷ  to  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
αὐτῶν  of  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.