Luke 23:16
What does Luke 23:16 mean?
A plain-English look at Luke 23:16 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Luke 23:16 means
Pilate proposes to chastise Jesus and then release Him. This is a compromise—punishing the innocent to appease the angry. He hopes a flogging will be enough to quell the uproar without executing Jesus. Such half-measures reveal the danger of trying to balance justice and popularity. Though declaring Jesus faultless, Pilate still plans to inflict pain. The One who healed bodies is now to be wounded by misplaced diplomacy. Yet even this cruelty becomes part of the path to the cross, where the Righteous One will bear far more than a governor’s lash for the salvation of sinners.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000I will therefore chastise him, and release him.
KJV
King James Version · 1611I will therefore chastise him, and release him.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901I will therefore chastise him, and release him.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And so I will give him punishment and let him go.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862having chastised, therefore, I will release him,'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752I will chastise him therefore and release him.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Having chastised him therefore, I will release him.
Context
After asserting Jesus’ innocence, Pilate seeks a way to placate the crowd. His proposal signals a shift from judicial fairness to political calculation. In many manuscripts, a customary release at the feast is noted at this point; in this text, the next verse is absent, and the narrative moves straight to the people’s outcry. That omission does not change the flow: the crowd will immediately reject Pilate’s plan and demand Barabbas’s release and Jesus’ crucifixion, pushing the governor toward a final, unjust sentence.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Acts 5:40
And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles unto them, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
- Acts 16:37
But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men that are Romans, and have cast us into prison; and do they now cast us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and bring us out.
- Luke 23:22
And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath this man done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him and release him.
- Matthew 27:26
Then released he unto them Barabbas; but Jesus he scourged and delivered to be crucified.
- Isaiah 53:5
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
- John 19:1
Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.
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