Bible Strands
Luke 23:18
But they all cried out in unison: “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The crowd addresses Pilate during Jesus’ trial, issuing a unified demand for a prisoner’s release. This occurs at the Passover custom moment when Pilate offers to free one detainee for the people.
The words — The Greek ἀνέκραγον (anekragon) and παμπληθεὶ (pamplēthei) record the crowd crying out together. Their command αἶρε (aire) literally translates to “do remove” or “take away.”
The thread — This collective choice is recalled in Acts 3:14, which notes the crowd asked that a murderer be released instead of the Holy and Righteous One. The same pattern of crowd shouting “Away with him!” appears in Acts 21:36 and Acts 22:22.
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to note how the crowd explicitly rejects a condemned innocent to secure the freedom of a convicted insurrectionist and murderer. It demands recognition of the crowd’s active, vocal role in choosing Barabbas over Jesus.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas:
Cross-references
- Acts 3:14 You rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.
- Acts 21:36 For the crowd that followed him kept shouting, “Away with him!”
- Acts 22:22 The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement. Then they lifted up their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!”
- Mark 15:6 Now it was Pilate’s custom at the feast to release to the people a prisoner of their choosing.
- John 18:39 But it is your custom that I release to you one prisoner at the Passover. So then, do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
- John 19:15 At this, they shouted, “Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him!” “Shall I crucify your King?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” replied the chief priests.
- Matthew 27:15 Now it was the governor’s custom at the feast to release to the crowd a prisoner of their choosing.