John 18 · Verse 39

John 18:39

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?
John 18:39, King James Version

John 18:39 in other translations

BSBBut it is your custom that I release to you one prisoner at the Passover. So then, do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
WEBBut you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Therefore, do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
ASVBut 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?
YLTand ye have a custom that I shall release to you one in the passover; will ye, therefore, that I shall release to you the king of the Jews?'
DARBYBut ye have a custom that I release some one to you at the passover; will ye therefore that I release unto you the king of the Jews?
BBEBut every year you make a request to me to let a prisoner go free at the Passover. Is it your desire that I let the King of the Jews go free?
WebsterBut ye have a custom that I should release to you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release to you the King of the Jews?

What does John 18:39 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
39. But ye have a custom that I should release one unto you at the passover, &c.--See on Mr 15:7-11. "On the typical import of the choice of Christ to suffer, by which Barabbas was set free, see the sixteenth chapter of Leviticus, particularly Le 16:5-10, where the subject is the sin offering on the great day of atonement" [Krafft in Luthardt].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verses 39-40. Mt 27:15; also Mt 27:16-21.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 39 But ye have a custom - Nothing relative to the origin or reason of this custom is known. Commentators have swam in an ocean of conjecture on this point. They have lost their labor, and made nothing out: see the notes on Mat 27:15; Luk 23:17.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 18:33-40

Art thou the King of the Jews? that King of the Jews who has been so long expected? Messiah the Prince; art thou he? Dost thou call thyself so, and wouldest thou be thought so? Christ answered this question with another; not for evasion, but that Pilate might consider what he did. He never took upon him any earthly power, never were any traitorous principles or practices laid to him. Christ gave an account of the…

Read the full comment on John 18:33-40 →

John 18:39 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἔστινestinIt isG1510
δὲdehoweverG1161
συνήθειαsunētheiaa customG4914
ὑμῖνhuminwith youG4771
ἵναinathatG2443
ἕναhenaoneG1520
ἀπολύσωapolusōI may releaseG630
ὑμῖνhuminto youG4771
ἐνenatG1722
τῷtōtheG3588
πάσχα·paschaPassover;G3957
βούλεσθεboulesthewish youG1014
οὖνounthereforeG3767
ἀπολύσωapolusōI may releaseG630
ὑμῖνhuminto youG4771
τὸνtontheG3588
βασιλέαbasileaKingG935
τῶνtōnof theG3588
Ἰουδαίων;IoudaiōnJews?G2453

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for John 18:39

  • Matthew 27:15-18

    Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.

  • Mark 15:6-14

    Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired. And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection. And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them. But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? …

  • Luke 23:16-23

    I will therefore chastise him, and release him. (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) …

  • Matthew 27:20-23

    But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
ye have.
Mt 27:15-18; Mr 15:6,8; Lu 23:17,20
I release.
33

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • John 18:38

    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 in him no fault at all.

  • John 18:39

    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?

  • John 18:40

    Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.

Read all of John 18

John 18:39 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Empero vosotros tenéis costumbre, que os suelte uno en la Pascua: ¿queréis, pues, que os suelte al Rey de los Judíos?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		mais vous avez une coutume, que je vous relâche quelqu’un à la Pâque; voulez-vous donc que je vous relâche le roi des Juifs?
German
Elberfelder 1871		ihr habt aber eine Gewohnheit, daß ich euch an dem Passah einen losgebe. Wollt ihr nun, daß ich euch den König der Juden losgebe?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Est autem consuetudo vobis ut unum dimittam vobis in Pascha: vultis ergo dimittam vobis regem Judæorum?