John 18:39
But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
Original Language Analysis
ἀπολύσω
I should release
G630
ἀπολύσω
I should release
Strong's:
G630
Word #:
8 of 19
to free fully, i.e., (literally) relieve, release, dismiss (reflexively, depart), or (figuratively) let die, pardon or (specially) divorce
τῷ
G3588
τῷ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
10 of 19
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
πάσχα·
the passover
G3957
πάσχα·
the passover
Strong's:
G3957
Word #:
11 of 19
the passover (the meal, the day, the festival or the special sacrifices connected with it)
οὖν
therefore
G3767
οὖν
therefore
Strong's:
G3767
Word #:
13 of 19
(adverbially) certainly, or (conjunctionally) accordingly
ἀπολύσω
I should release
G630
ἀπολύσω
I should release
Strong's:
G630
Word #:
15 of 19
to free fully, i.e., (literally) relieve, release, dismiss (reflexively, depart), or (figuratively) let die, pardon or (specially) divorce
τὸν
G3588
τὸν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
16 of 19
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
βασιλέα
the King
G935
βασιλέα
the King
Strong's:
G935
Word #:
17 of 19
a sovereign (abstractly, relatively, or figuratively)
Historical Context
Passover commemorated Israel's liberation from Egypt, making it politically charged—Roman authorities stationed extra troops in Jerusalem during festivals. The crowd's choice of Barabbas (described as a robber/insurrectionist in John 18:40) over Jesus reveals revolutionary fervor: they wanted a violent Messiah who would overthrow Rome, not a suffering Servant who would conquer sin.
Questions for Reflection
- What false messiahs (political solutions, self-help ideologies, nationalistic fervor) do you choose over Christ?
- How does Barabbas's release picture your own salvation—the guilty freed through the innocent's death?
- In what ways do you prefer a conquering hero to a crucified Savior?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Ye have a custom (συνήθεια δέ ἐστιν ὑμῖν)—The Passover amnesty tradition is attested nowhere outside the Gospels, likely a local concession Pilate extended to maintain order during volatile festival seasons. The Greek synētheia (custom, habit) suggests established practice.
Will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?—Pilate's cunning stratagem: force the crowd to choose. By calling Jesus "the King of the Jews," Pilate mockingly throws their accusation back—and tests whether they truly fear him as a political threat. The tragic irony: Pilate offers freedom to the one who alone possesses it (8:36), while the crowd demands release of Barabbas, whose name means "son of the father"—a false son freed while the true Son dies. This exchange epitomizes substitutionary atonement: the guilty go free, the innocent suffers.