Albert Barnes Commentary Luke 13:1

"Now there were some present at that very season who told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices." — Luke 13:1 (ASV)

There were present. This means some people who were present and had heard His discourse recorded in the previous chapter. There was probably a pause in His discourse when they mentioned what Pilate had done to the Galileans.

At that season. This refers to that time—the time mentioned in the last chapter. It is not easy to determine at what period of our Lord's ministry this occurred.

Some that told Him. This was doubtless an event of recent occurrence. Jesus, it is probable, had not heard of it before. Why they told Him about it can only be a matter of conjecture. It might have been from a desire to get Him to express an opinion regarding the conduct of Pilate, and thus to involve Him in difficulty with the reigning powers of Judea. It might also have been as a mere matter of news.

However, from the answer of Jesus, it would appear that they supposed the Galileans deserved it, and that they meant to pass judgment on the character of those men—something they were exceedingly fond of doing. The answer of Jesus is a reproof of their habit of hastily judging the character of others.

Galileans. These were people who lived in Galilee. (See Barnes on Matthew 2:22).

They were not under the jurisdiction of Pilate, but of Herod. The Galileans, in the time of Christ, were very wicked.

Whose blood Pilate had mingled. This means that while they were sacrificing at Jerusalem, Pilate came suddenly upon them and killed them, and their blood was mingled with the blood of the animals they were slaughtering for sacrifice. It does not mean that Pilate offered their blood in sacrifice, but only that he killed them as they were sacrificing. This event is not mentioned by Josephus, and nothing more is known about it than what is recorded here.

We learn, however, from Josephus that the Galileans were very wicked and that they were very prone to quarrels and seditions. It also appears that Pilate and Herod had a quarrel with each other (Luke 23:12), and it is not improbable that Pilate might have felt a particular enmity toward the subjects of Herod. It is likely that the Galileans incited a tumult in the temple, and Pilate took the opportunity to come suddenly upon them and show his opposition to them and Herod by killing them.

Pilate. The Roman governor of Judea. (See Barnes on Matthew 27:2).