Devine Scripture

Matthew 27:23

What does Matthew 27:23 mean?

A plain-English look at Matthew 27:23 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Matthew 27:23 means

Pilate asks what evil Jesus has done, protesting his innocence, but the crowd shouts even more loudly for crucifixion. His question is an attempt to elicit a legal basis for the death sentence, yet the crowd’s furious cry drowns out reason. Pilate’s rhetorical question shows his reluctance and inability to secure evidence of a capital crime. The crowd’s response exposes the trial’s injustice: passion and pressure, not law, drive the verdict, highlighting human wickedness in condemning the righteous.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

And he said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out exceedingly, saying, Let him be crucified.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

And he said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out exceedingly, saying, Let him be crucified.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

And he said, Why, what evil has he done? But they gave loud cries, saying, To the cross with him!

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

And the governor said, `Why, what evil did he?' and they were crying out the more, saying, `Let be crucified.'

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

The governor said to them: Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying: Let him be crucified.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

And the governor said, What evil then has he done? But they cried more than ever, saying, Let him be crucified.

Context

This verse comes right after the crowd demands crucifixion (v. 22) and shows Pilate’s final attempt to find legal cause. His protest reveals his internal conflict, but the people’s fury overwhelms him. This sets the stage for Pilate’s symbolic act of washing his hands and the final handover of Jesus to crucifixion.

v.22Pilate saith unto them, What then shall I do unto Jesus who is called Christ? They all say, Let him be crucified.

v.23This passage

v.24So when Pilate saw that he prevailed nothing, but rather that a tumult was arising, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man; see ye to it.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • 1 Samuel 22:14

    Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who among all thy servants is so faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, and is taken into thy council, and is honorable in thy house?

  • Acts 22:22

    And they gave him audience unto this word; and they lifted up their voice, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.

  • Acts 7:57

    But they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed upon him with one accord;

  • Acts 23:12

    And when it was day, the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

  • Matthew 21:38

    But the husbandmen, when they saw the son, said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and take his inheritance.

  • 1 Samuel 19:3

    and I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and if I see aught, I will tell thee.

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