Luke 23:16

16 Therefore I will punish him [and] release [him]."

Luke 23:16 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 23:16

I will therefore chastise him
Give him some correction, as by scourging, or beating with rods: this he proposed, not because he thought him deserving of it, but in complaisance to the Jews; since it would look as if their charges were not altogether weak and groundless; and that Jesus was not entirely innocent: this would carry a show of guilt and punishment, and he hoped this might be thought sufficient, and so he should please them, and save Jesus from dying, which he much desired: and release him; from his bonds, and let him go.

Luke 23:16 In-Context

14 [and] said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people, and behold, [when I] examined [him] before you, I found nothing in this man as basis for the accusation which {you are making} against him

15 But neither [did] Herod, because he sent him back to us. And behold, nothing deserving death {has been done} by him.

16 Therefore I will punish him [and] release [him]."

18 But they all cried out in unison, saying, "Take this man away, and release for us Barabbas!"

Footnotes

• [a]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("punish") has been translated as a finite verb
• [b]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [c]. Many of the most important Greek manuscripts lack v. 17, "Now he was obligated to release for them at the feast one person."