Church Fathers Commentary John 18:38-40

"Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find no crime in him. But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? They cried out therefore again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.)" — John 18:38-40 (ASV)

St. Augustine of Hippo: After Pilate had asked, "What is truth?" he remembered a custom of the Jews to release one prisoner at the Passover. He did not wait for Christ’s answer, for fear of losing this chance to save Him, which he very much wanted to do. And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews.

St. John Chrysostom: He knew that this question required time to answer, and it was necessary to rescue Him immediately from the fury of the Jews. So he went out.

Alcuin of York: Or, he did not wait to hear the reply because he was unworthy to hear it.

St. John Chrysostom: He did not say, "He has sinned and is worthy of death, yet release Him at the feast." Instead, by acquitting Him first, he does more than he needs to and asks it as a favor. He proposes that if they are unwilling to let Him go as innocent, they should at least allow Him the benefit of the season: But you have a custom, that I should release one to you at the Passover.

The Venerable Bede: This custom was not commanded in the law but had been handed down by tradition from the forefathers, namely, that in remembrance of their deliverance from Egypt, they should release a prisoner at the Passover. Pilate then tries to persuade them: Will you therefore that I release to you the King of the Jews?

St. Augustine of Hippo: He could not dismiss from his mind the idea that Jesus was King of the Jews, as if the Truth itself—whom he had just asked what it was—had inscribed it there as a title.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Pilate is judicious in replying that Jesus had done nothing wrong and that there was no reason to suspect Him of aiming at a kingdom. For they could be sure that if He set Himself up as a King and a rival of the Roman empire, a Roman prefect would not release Him.

So when he says, Will you therefore that I release to you the King of the Jews? he clears Jesus of all guilt and mocks the Jews, as if to say, "The one whom you accuse of making Himself a King is the same one I am telling you to release. He does no such thing."

St. Augustine of Hippo: Upon this they cried out. Then they all cried again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber. We do not blame you, O Jews, for releasing a guilty man at the Passover, but for killing an innocent one. Yet unless this were done, it would not be the true Passover.

The Venerable Bede: Because they abandoned the Savior and sought out a robber, to this day the devil practices his robberies upon them.

Alcuin of York: The name Barabbas means "son of their master"—that is, the devil, who was Barabbas's master in his wickedness and the Jews' master in their perfidy.