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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

John 18:39

But it is one of your customs for me to free one prisoner to you at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to free this ‘king of the Jews'?"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Demagogism;   Jesus, the Christ;   Opinion, Public;   Passover;   Pilate, Pontius;   Politics;   Prisoners;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Roman Empire, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Persecution;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Passover;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Barabbas;   Pilate;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Barabbas ;   Eternal Life (2);   Passover (I.);   Procurator;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - 11 To Desire, Will, Purpose;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Custom (2);   Pilate, Pontius;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
You have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at the Passover. So, do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
King James Version (1611)
But yee haue a custome that I should release vnto you one at the Passeouer: will ye therefore that I release vnto you the king of the Iewes?
King James Version
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?
English Standard Version
But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"
New American Standard Bible
"However, you have a custom that I release one prisoner for you at the Passover; therefore do you wish that I release for you the King of the Jews?"
New Century Version
But it is your custom that I free one prisoner to you at Passover time. Do you want me to free the ‘king of the Jews'?"
Amplified Bible
"But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. So shall I release for you the King of the Jews?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?"
Legacy Standard Bible
But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?"
Berean Standard Bible
But 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?"
Contemporary English Version
And since I usually set a prisoner free for you at Passover, would you like for me to set free the king of the Jews?"
Complete Jewish Bible
However, you have a custom that at Passover I set one prisoner free. Do you want me to set free for you the ‘king of the Jews'?"
Darby Translation
But 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?
Geneva Bible (1587)
But you haue a custome, that I shoulde deliuer you one loose at the Passeouer: will yee then that I loose vnto you the King of ye Iewes?
George Lamsa Translation
You have a custom that I should release to you one at the passover; do you wish, therefore, that I release to you this king of the Jews?
Good News Translation
But according to the custom you have, I always set free a prisoner for you during the Passover. Do you want me to set free for you the king of the Jews?"
Lexham English Bible
But it is your custom that I release for you one prisoner at the Passover. So do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?"
Literal Translation
But there is a common custom to you that I should release one prisoner to you at the Passover. Then you decide: should I release the King of the Jews to you?
American Standard Version
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?
Bible in Basic English
But 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?
Hebrew Names Version
But you have a custom, that I should release to you one at the Pesach. Therefore do you desire that I release to you the King of the Yehudim?"
International Standard Version
But you have a custom that I release one person for you at Passover. Do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?"Matthew 27:15; Mark 15:6; Luke 23:17;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
But you have a custom that one I should release to you at the petscha. Will you, therefore, that I release to you this King of the Jihudoyee ?
Murdock Translation
And ye have a custom that I should release one to you at the passover; will ye, therefore, that I release to you this king of the Jews?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Ye haue a custome, that I shoulde deliuer you one loose at ye Passouer: Wyll ye that I loose vnto you the kyng of the Iewes?
English Revised Version
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?
World English Bible
But you have a custom, that I should release to you one at the Passover. Therefore do you desire that I release to you the King of the Jews?"
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But 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?
Weymouth's New Testament
But you have a custom that I should release one prisoner to you at the Passover. So shall I release to you the King of the Jews?"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But it is a custom to you, that Y delyuere oon to you in pask; therfor wole ye that Y delyuere to you the kyng of Jewis?
Update Bible Version
But you have a custom, that I should release to you one at the passover: do you want therefore that I release to you the King of the Jews?
Webster's Bible Translation
But 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?
New English Translation
But it is your custom that I release one prisoner for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?"
New King James Version
Matthew 27:15-23; Mark 15:6-14; Luke 23:13-23">[xr] "But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"
New Living Translation
But you have a custom of asking me to release one prisoner each year at Passover. Would you like me to release this ‘King of the Jews'?"
New Life Bible
But every year a man who is in prison is allowed to go free at the special religious gathering to remember how the Jews left Egypt. Do you want the King of the Jews to go free?"
New Revised Standard
But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Howbeit ye have, a custom, that, some one, I should release unto you, during the passover: - Are ye minded, then, that I release unto you the king of the Jews?
Douay-Rheims Bible
But you have a custom that I should release one unto you at the Pasch. Will you, therefore, that I release unto you the king of the Jews?
Revised Standard Version
But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover; will you have me release for you the King of the Jews?"
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Ye have a custome that I shuld delyver you one lowsse at ester. Will ye that I lowse vnto you the kynge of ye Iewes.
Young's Literal Translation
and 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?'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But ye haue a custome, that I shulde geue one vnto you lowse at Easter. Wyl ye now yt I lowse vnto you the kynge of ye Iewes?
Mace New Testament (1729)
but as it is customary with you to get me to discharge some prisoner at the time of the passover, would you have me release the king of the Jews?
Simplified Cowboy Version
Then Pilate said, "Jesus is in my custody, and I always release one prisoner to you at Passover. Do you want me to release this 'king of the Jews'?"

Contextual Overview

28 Then the guards took Jesus from Caiaphas' house to the Roman governor's palace. It was early in the morning. The Jews there would not go inside the palace. They did not want to make themselves unclean, because they wanted to eat the Passover meal. 29 So Pilate went outside to them and asked, "What do you say this man has done wrong?" 30 They answered, "He is a bad man. That is why we brought him to you." 31 Pilate said to them, "You take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." The Jewish leaders answered, "But your law does not allow us to punish anyone by killing them." 32 (This was to show the truth of what Jesus said about how he would die.) 33 Then Pilate went back inside the palace. He called for Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" 34 Jesus said, "Is that your own question, or did other people tell you about me?" 35 Pilate said, "I'm not a Jew! It was your own people and their leading priests who brought you before me. What have you done wrong?" 36 Jesus said, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If it did, my servants would fight so that I would not be handed over to the Jewish leaders. No, my kingdom is not an earthly one." 37 Pilate said, "So you are a king." Jesus answered, "You are right to say that I am a king. I was born for this: to tell people about the truth. That is why I came into the world. And everyone who belongs to the truth listens to me."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

ye have: Matthew 27:15-18, Mark 15:6, Mark 15:8, Luke 23:17, Luke 23:20

I release: John 18:33

Reciprocal: Mark 15:9 - Will John 18:28 - eat John 19:10 - knowest

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But ye have a custom,.... Not a law, either of God or man's, but a custom; and which was not originally observed at the feast of the passover, and perhaps was not of any long standing; but what the Roman governors, by the order of Caesar, or of their own pleasure, had introduced to ingratiate themselves into the affections of the people; and being repeated once and again, was now looked for:

that I should release unto you one at the passover; which was at this time; and more than one it seems it was not customary, to release:

will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? who they had said called himself so, and was so accounted by others, and which Pilate says, in a sneering, sarcastic way; though he was heartily willing to release him, and was in hopes they would have agreed to it, since nothing could be proved against him; however, he proposes it to them, and leaves it to their option.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the notes at Matthew 27:15-21.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 18:39. 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 labour, and made nothing out: see the notes on Matthew 27:15; Luke 23:17.


 
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