Luke 23:17 — Community Reflections

LUKE 23:17 — KING JAMES VERSION 0

“(For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.)”

Now he was obliged to release one man to them at the Feast — the Passover prisoner release custom is mentioned here in some manuscripts: the Roman governor's customary gesture of releasing a prisoner at Passover as goodwill toward the subject population. Some manuscripts omit this verse as an explanatory gloss.

Church Fathers on Luke 23:17

Luke returns to those things which were going on before the governor, from which he had digressed in order to relate what took place with Herod; saying as follows, And Pilate, when he had called, yet from which we infer, that he has omitted the part wherein Pilate questioned our Lord what He had to answer to His accusers.
Augustine · 4th century

Here Pilate, who as a judge acquits Christ, is made the minister of His crucifixion. He is sent to Herod, sent back to Pilate, as it follows, Nor yet Herod, for I sent you to him, and behold nothing worthy of death is done to him. They both refuse to pronounce Him guilty, yet for fear’s sake, Pilate gratifies the cruel desires of the Jews.
Ambrose · 4th century

Wherefore by the testimony of two men, Jesus is declared innocent, but the Jews s His accusers brought forward no witness whom they could believe. See then how truth triumphs. Jesus is silent, and His enemies witness for Him the Jews make loud cries, and not one of them corroborates their clamor.
Theophylact · 11th century

Read all 15 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain

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