Matthew 27:23

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

He asked,“Why? What wrong has he done?” But they shouted more insistently,“Crucify him!”

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ὁ δὲ ἡγεμὼν ἔφη, Τί γὰρ, κακὸν ἐποίησεν; Οἱ δὲ περισσῶς ἔκραζον, λέγοντες, Σταυρωθήτω.

Transliteration

The de hēgemōn ephē, What gar, kakon has he epoiēsen? They de perissōs ekrazon, legontes, Staurōthētō.

Grammar Details

• *de*: postpositive conjunction - but/and
• *hēgemōn*: nominative, masculine, singular - governor
• *ephē*: imperfect, 3rd singular, active - was saying/said
• *ti*: accusative, neuter, singular - what
• *gar*: postpositive conjunction - for
• *kakon*: accusative, neuter, singular - evil
• *epoiēsen*: aorist, 3rd singular, active - he did
• *perissōs*: adverb - exceedingly/abundantly
• *ekrazon*: imperfect, 3rd plural, active - were crying out
• *legontes*: present participle, nominative, masculine, plural, active - saying
• *Staurōthētō*: aorist imperative, 3rd singular, passive - let him be crucified

Word Meanings

• *Ti gar kakon epoiēsen*: Why, what evil has he done?
• *perissōs*: all the more/exceedingly
• *ekrazon*: were crying out/shouting
• *Staurōthētō*: Let him be crucified!/Crucify him!

Referenced Verses

• Gen 37:18-19 : 18 Now Joseph’s brothers saw him from a distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. 19 They said to one another,“Here comes this master of dreams!
• 1 Sam 19:3-9 : 3 I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are. I will speak about you to my father. When I find out what the problem is, I will let you know.” 4 So Jonathan spoke on David’s behalf to his father Saul. He said to him,“The king should not sin against his servant David, for he has not sinned against you. On the contrary, his actions have been very beneficial for you. 5 He risked his life when he struck down the Philistine and the LORD gave all Israel a great victory. When you saw it, you were happy. So why would you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death for no reason?” 6 Saul accepted Jonathan’s advice and took an oath,“As surely as the LORD lives, he will not be put to death.” 7 Then Jonathan called David and told him all these things. Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he served him as he had done formerly. 8 Now once again there was war. So David went out to fight the Philistines. He defeated them thoroughly and they ran away from him. 9 Then an evil spirit from the LORD came upon Saul. He was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, while David was playing the lyre. 10 Saul tried to nail David to the wall with the spear, but he escaped from Saul’s presence and the spear drove into the wall. David escaped quickly that night. 11 Saul sent messengers to David’s house to guard it and to kill him in the morning. Then David’s wife Michal told him,“If you do not save yourself tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!” 12 So Michal lowered David through the window, and he ran away and escaped. 13 Then Michal took a household idol and put it on the bed. She put a quilt made of goat’s hair over its head and then covered the idol with a garment. 14 When Saul sent messengers to arrest David, she said,“He’s sick.” 15 Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying,“Bring him up to me on his bed so I can kill him.”
• 1 Sam 20:31-33 : 31 For as long as this son of Jesse is alive on the earth, you and your kingdom will not be established. Now, send some men and bring him to me. For he is as good as dead!” 32 Jonathan responded to his father Saul,“Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” 33 Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan in order to strike him down. So Jonathan was convinced that his father had decided to kill David.
• 1 Sam 22:14-19 : 14 Ahimelech replied to the king,“Who among all your servants is faithful like David? He is the king’s son-in-law, the leader of your bodyguard, and honored in your house! 15 Was it just today that I began to inquire of God on his behalf? Far be it from me! The king should not accuse his servant or any of my father’s house. For your servant is not aware of all this– not in whole or in part!” 16 But the king said,“You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house!” 17 Then the king said to the messengers who were stationed beside him,“Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, for they too have sided with David! They knew he was fleeing, but they did not inform me.” But the king’s servants refused to harm the priests of the LORD. 18 Then the king said to Doeg,“You turn and strike down the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests. He killed on that day eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. 19 As for Nob, the city of the priests, he struck down with the sword men and women, children and infants, oxen, donkeys, and sheep– all with the sword.
• Matt 21:38-39 : 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves,‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and get his inheritance!’ 39 So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
• Acts 7:57 : 57 But they covered their ears, shouting out with a loud voice, and rushed at him with one intent.
• Acts 17:5-7 : 5 But the Jews became jealous, and gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace, they formed a mob and set the city in an uproar. They attacked Jason’s house, trying to find Paul and Silas to bring them out to the assembly. 6 When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, screaming,“These people who have stirred up trouble throughout the world have come here too, 7 and Jason has welcomed them as guests! They are all acting against Caesar’s decrees, saying there is another king named Jesus!”
• Acts 21:28-31 : 28 shouting,“Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this sanctuary! Furthermore he has brought Greeks into the inner courts of the temple and made this holy place ritually unclean!” 29 (For they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him previously, and they assumed Paul had brought him into the inner temple courts.) 30 The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple courts, and immediately the doors were shut. 31 While they were trying to kill him, a report was sent up to the commanding officer of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.
• Acts 22:22-23 : 22 The Roman Commander Questions Paul The crowd was listening to him until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted,“Away with this man from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live!” 23 While they were screaming and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust in the air,
• Acts 23:10 : 10 When the argument became so great the commanding officer feared that they would tear Paul to pieces, he ordered the detachment to go down, take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks.
• Acts 23:12-15 : 12 The Plot to Kill Paul When morning came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink anything until they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty of them who formed this conspiracy. 14 They went to the chief priests and the elders and said,“We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath not to partake of anything until we have killed Paul. 15 So now you and the council request the commanding officer to bring him down to you, as if you were going to determine his case by conducting a more thorough inquiry. We are ready to kill him before he comes near this place.”