Luke 23:22

22 A third time he said to them, "Why, ¹what evil has he done? ²I have found in him no guilt deserving death. ³I will therefore punish and release him."

Luke 23:22 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 23:22

And he said unto them the third time
After Christ had been sent back to him from Herod; for he had declared before he had sent him to him, that he found no fault in him, ( John 18:38 ) .

Why, what evil hath he done?
what capital crime has he committed? is he guilty of murder? or sedition? or blasphemy? or robbery, and theft? or any other enormous a crime?

I have found no cause of death in him;
why he should be put to death at all; and much less to this shameful and painful death of the cross, which was the punishment of slaves, and of the vilest of men, which they were desirous of:

I will therefore chastise him, and let him go;
this he said, not as if he was determined to do it, whether they liked it, or not; but as signifying what he willed, or chose, and hoped they would be contented with, that he should be scourged, or beaten, and dismissed, as he at first proposed.

Luke 23:22 In-Context

20 Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus,

21 but they kept shouting, "Crucify, crucify him!

22 A third time he said to them, "Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him."

23 But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed.

24 So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted.

Cross References

• 1. [ver. 41; John 8:46]
• 2. ver. 14, 15
• 3. ver. 16