Barabbas Βαραββᾶς
A notorious prisoner released instead of Jesus.
Biography
Barabbas was a notorious prisoner mentioned in all four Gospels (Mat.27.16-26; Mrk.15.7-15; Luk.23.18-25; Jhn.18.40). He was in custody during the trial of Jesus before Pontius Pilate. According to the Gospel accounts, it was customary during the Passover feast for the Roman governor to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. Pilate offered the people a choice between releasing Jesus or Barabbas. The chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude to ask for Barabbas and demand Jesus' crucifixion. Pilate, although convinced of Jesus' innocence, yielded to the crowd's pressure and released Barabbas while condemning Jesus to death. Some manuscripts of Mat.27.16-17 refer to Barabbas as "Jesus Barabbas," suggesting that he may have also been called Jesus. Barabbas is described as a notorious criminal, with Mark and Luke mentioning that he had committed murder during an insurrection. His release in place of Jesus highlights the irony and injustice of the situation.
In Scripture
4 biblical books ; 4 with study contentMatthew 5 verses
- Matthew 27:16
"They had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas."
Study Matthew → - Matthew 27:17
"When therefore they were gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus, who is called Christ?”"
Study Matthew → - Matthew 27:20
"Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the multitudes to ask for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus."
Study Matthew → - Matthew 27:21
"But the governor answered them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” They said, “Barabbas!”"
Study Matthew → - Matthew 27:26
"Then he released to them Barabbas, but Jesus he flogged and delivered to be crucified."
Study Matthew →
Mark 3 verses
- Mark 15:7
"There was one called Barabbas, bound with his fellow insurgents, men who in the insurrection had committed murder."
Study Mark → - Mark 15:11
"But the chief priests stirred up the multitude, that he should release Barabbas to them instead."
Study Mark → - Mark 15:15
"Pilate, wishing to please the multitude, released Barabbas to them, and handed over Jesus, when he had flogged him, to be crucified."
Study Mark →
Luke 1 verse
- Luke 23:18
"But they all cried out together, saying, “Away with this man! Release to us Barabbas!”—"
Study Luke →
John 1 verse
- John 18:40
"Then they all shouted again, saying, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber."
Study John →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Greek | Βαραββᾶς | G0912 |
| Named | Greek | Ἰησοῦς | G2424H |
Barabbas
became later a proper name. The variant Barrabban found in the 19- Harclean Syriac would mean "son of the rabbi or teacher." Origen knew and does not absolutely condemn a reading of Mt 27:16,17, which gave the name "Jesus Barabbas," but although it is also found in a few cursives and in the Aramaic and the Jerusalem Syriac versions in this place only, it is probably due to a scribe's error in transcription (Westcott-Hort, App., 20). If the name was simply Barabbas or Barrabban, it may still have meant that the man was a rabbi's son, or it may have been a purely conventional proper name, signifying nothing. He was the criminal chosen by the Jerusalem mob, at the instigation of the priests, in preference to Jesus Christ, for Pilate to release on the feast of Passover (Mr 15:15; Mt 27:20,21; Lu 23:18; Joh 18:40). Matthew calls him "a notable (i.e. notorious) prisoner" (Mt 27:16). Mr says that he was "bound with them that had made insurrection, men who in the insurrection had committed murder" (Mt 15:7). Luke states that he was cast into prison "for a certain insurrection made in the city, and for murder" (Lu 23:19; compare Ac 3:14). John calls him a "robber" or "brigand" (Joh 18:40). Nothing further is known of him, nor of the insurrection in which he took part. Luke's statement that he was a murderer is probably a deduction from Mark's more circumstantial statement, that he was only one of a gang, who in a rising had committed murder. Whether robbery was the motive of his crime, as Joh suggests, or whether he was "a man who had raised a revolt against the Roman power" (Gould) cannot be decided. But it seems equally improbable that the priests (the pro-Roman party) would urge the release of a political prisoner and that Pilate would grant it, especially when the former were urging, and the latter could not resist, the execution of Jesus on a political charge (Lu 23:2). The insurrection may have been a notorious case of brigandage. To say that the Jews would not be interested in the release of such a prisoner, is to forget the history of mobs. The custom referred to of releasing a prisoner on the Passover is otherwise unknown. "What Matthew (and John) represents as brought about by Pilate, Mark makes to appear as if it were suggested by the people themselves. An unessential variation" (Meyer). For a view of the incident as semi-legendary growth, see Schmiedel in Encyclopedia Biblica. See also Allen, Matthew, and Gould, Mark, at the place, and article "Barabbas" by Plummer in Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible (five volumes).
T. Rees
bar'-a-kel (barakh'el, "God blesses"): Barachel, the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was the father of Elihu, who was the last one to reason with Job (Job 32:2,<ref osisRef="Bible:Jo