Matthew 27 · Verse 23

Matthew 27:23

And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
Matthew 27:23, King James Version

Matthew 27:23 in other translations

BSB“Why?” asked Pilate. “What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!”
WEBBut the governor said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they cried out exceedingly, saying, “Let him be crucified!”
ASVAnd he said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out exceedingly, saying, Let him be crucified.
YLTAnd the governor said, ‘Why, what evil did he?' and they were crying out the more, saying, ‘Let be crucified.'
DARBYAnd the governor said, What evil then has he done? But they cried more than ever, saying, Let him be crucified.
BBEAnd he said, Why, what evil has he done? But they gave loud cries, saying, To the cross with him!
WebsterAnd the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.

What does Matthew 27:23 mean?

Barnes' Notes
Verse 23. And the governor said, Why? Luke informs us that Pilate put this question to them three times, so anxious was he to release him. He affirmed that he had found no cause of death in him. He said, therefore, that he would chastise him, and let him go. He expected probably, by causing him to be publicly whipped, to excite their compassion, to satisfy them, and thus to evade the demands of the priests, and to set him at liberty with the consent of the people. So weak and irresolute was this Roman governor! Satisfied of his innocence, he should at once have preferred justice to popularity, and acted as became a magistrate in acquitting the innocent.

Let him be crucified. Mt 27:39. Luke says they were instant with loud voices demanding this. They urged it. They demanded it with a popular clamour.

(w) "Let him be crucified" Mt 21:38,39

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 23 What evil hath he done? - Pilate plainly saw that there was nothing laid to his charge for which, consistently with the Roman laws, he could condemn him. But they cried out the more - What strange fury and injustice! They could not answer Pilate's question, What evil hath he done? He had done none, and they knew he had done none; but they are determined on his death.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 27:11-25

Having no malice against Jesus, Pilate urged him to clear himself, and laboured to get him discharged. The message from his wife was a warning. God has many ways of giving checks to sinners, in their sinful pursuits, and it is a great mercy to have such checks from Providence, from faithful friends, and from our own consciences. O do not this abominable thing which the Lord hates! is what we may hear said to us…

Read the full comment on Matthew 27:11-25 →

Matthew 27:23 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.

ὁho<the>G3588
δὲdeAndG1161
ἔφη·ephēwas saying:G5346
τίtiWhatG5101
γὰρgarforG1063
κακὸνkakonevilG2556
ἐποίησεν;epoiēsendid He commit?G4160
οἱhoi<the>G3588
δὲdeAndG1161
περισσῶςperissōsexcessivelyG4057
ἔκραζονekrazonthey were crying outG2896
λέγοντες·legontessaying;G3004
σταυρωθήτω.¶staurōthētōhe should be crucified.G4717

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

Cross references for Matthew 27:23

  • Genesis 37:18-19

    And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.

  • Acts 7:57

    Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

  • Acts 23:12-15

    And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy. And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would enquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him.

  • Acts 22:22-23

    And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live. And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,

  • Acts 17:5-7

    But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Cesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.

  • Acts 23:10

    And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.

  • 1 Samuel 20:31-33

    For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die. And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done? And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.

  • 1 Samuel 19:3-15

    And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee. And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good: For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause? And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the Lord liveth, he shall not be slain. …

  • Matthew 21:38-39

    But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

  • 1 Samuel 22:14-19

    Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king’s son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house? Did I then begin to enquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more. And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father’s house. And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the Lord; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the Lord. …

  • Acts 21:28-31

    Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place. (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut. And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Why.
Ge 37:18,19; 1Sa 19:3-15; 20:31-33; 22:14-19
But.
21:38,39; Ac 7:57; 17:5-7; 21:28-31; 22:22,23; 23:10,12-15

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

Context

  • Matthew 27:22

    Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.

  • Matthew 27:23

    And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.

  • Matthew 27:24

    When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

Read all of Matthew 27

Matthew 27:23 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y el presidente les dijo: Pues ¿qué mal ha hecho? Mas ellos gritaban más, diciendo: Sea crucificado.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et le gouverneur dit: Mais quel mal a-t-il fait? Et ils s’écriaient encore plus fort, disant: Qu’il soit crucifié!
German
Elberfelder 1871
Der Landpfleger aber sagte: Was hat er denn Böses getan? Sie aber schrieen übermäßig und sagten: Er werde gekreuzigt!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Dicunt omnes: Crucifigatur. Ait illis præses: Quid enim mali fecit? At illi magis clamabant dicentes: Crucifigatur.