The Meaning of Matthew 27:21 Explained

Matthew 27:21

KJV: The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.

YLT: and the governor answering said to them, 'Which of the two will ye that I shall release to you?' And they said, 'Barabbas.'

Darby: And the governor answering said to them, Which of the two will ye that I release unto you? And they said, Barabbas.

ASV: But the governor answered and said unto them, Which of the two will ye that I release unto you? And they said, Barabbas.

Discover Matthew 27:21

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Matthew 27:21?

MEANING: What does Matthew 27:21 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Matthew 27:21 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Matthew 27:21?

What is the context of Matthew 27:21?

The Crowd Chooses Barabbas (Matthew 27:15-23)
Jesus or Barabbas (Matthew 27:15-26)
Jesus is Sentenced to Death (Matthew 27:15-26)
Pilate Releases Barabbas (Matthew 27:15-26)
Taking the Place of Barabbas (Matthew 27:15-26)
Jesus Before Pilate .( L .) (Matthew 27:11-26)
Jesus before Pilate (Matthew 27:11-26)
Jesus’ Trial before Pilate (Matthew 27:11-26)

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.

What does Matthew 27:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Matthew 27:11-21 - Barabbas Or Christ?

The vacillation of Pilate made him a criminal. Weakness becomes sin. At first he evidently meant to release Jesus, but instead of saying so outright, he strove to bring about His release by indirect means and without committing himself.

First, he sent Him to Herod, Luke 23:17, thinking that a Jew would view favorably the position of a fellow-Jew. Then he sought to touch the springs of pity by the anguish of scourging. Finally, he gave the people the choice between Barabbas and Christ, feeling sure that they must choose the liberation of a lover of men rather than that of an outlaw.

None of these expedients succeeded, and he drifted into the very act which his conscience had condemned from the first. He is a specimen of those weak men who want the right thing to be done, but will not adventure their own interests to get it done. There is no chance of such men coming out right. The one hope for us all is to declare ourselves for the right and true, at once and from the start. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 27

¹ Jesus is delivered bound to Pilate
³ Judas hangs himself
¹⁹ Pilate, admonished of his wife,
²⁰ and being urged by the multitude, washes his hands, and releases Barabbas
²⁷ Jesus is mocked and crowned with thorns;
³³ crucified;
³⁹ reviled;
⁵⁰ dies, and is buried;
⁶² his tomb is sealed and watched

What do the individual words in Matthew 27:21 mean?

Answering now the governor said to them Which do you desire of the two I release to you - And they said - Barabbas

Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ ἡγεμὼν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Τίνα θέλετε ἀπὸ τῶν δύο ἀπολύσω ὑμῖν Οἱ δὲ εἶπαν Τὸν Βαραββᾶν

Ἀποκριθεὶς	Answering
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Passive, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: ἀποκρίνομαι Sense: to give an answer to a question proposed, to answer.
δὲ	now
Parse: Conjunction Root: δέ Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
ἡγεμὼν	governor
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: ἡγεμών Sense: a leader of any kind, a guide, ruler, prefect, president, chief, general, commander, sovereign.
εἶπεν	said
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: λέγω Sense: to speak, say.
αὐτοῖς	to them
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural Root: αὐτός Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
θέλετε	do you desire
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Plural Root: θέλω Sense: to will, have in mind, intend.
δύο	two
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural Root: δύο Sense: the two, the twain.
ἀπολύσω	I release
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 1st Person Singular Root: ἀπολύω Sense: to set free.
ὑμῖν	to you
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 2nd Person Plural Root: σύ Sense: you.
Οἱ	-
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Plural Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc.
εἶπαν	they said
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural Root: λέγω Sense: to speak, say.
Τὸν	-
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Βαραββᾶν	Barabbas
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular Root: Βαραββᾶς Sense: the captive robber whom the Jews begged Pilate to release instead of Christ.

What are the major concepts related to Matthew 27:21?

Loading Information...