Luke 23:17

17 for it was necessary for him to release to them one at every feast,

Luke 23:17 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 23:17

For of necessity he must release one
And therefore proposed to release Jesus

unto them at the feast;
of passover, which now was; not that there was any law that obliged to it, but it having been customary with the Roman governor to do so, the people expected it; custom had made it necessary: and so the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions render it, "it was a custom to release" not at each feast, or every feast, as the last of these versions read, only at the passover, as is expressed, ( John 18:39 ) .

Luke 23:17 In-Context

15 no, nor yet Herod, for I sent you back unto him, and lo, nothing worthy of death is having been done by him;

16 having chastised, therefore, I will release him,'

17 for it was necessary for him to release to them one at every feast,

18 and they cried out -- the whole multitude -- saying, `Away with this one, and release to us Barabbas,'

19 who had been, because of a certain sedition made in the city, and murder, cast into prison