Ask for Barabbas (Mt 27:20-27:20)

“Now the chief priests

And the elders

Persuaded the crowds

To ask for Barabbas.

They wanted

To have Jesus killed.”

 

Οἱ δὲ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ἔπεισαν τοὺς ὄχλους ἵνα αἰτήσωνται τὸν Βαραββᾶν, τὸν δὲ Ἰησοῦν ἀπολέσωσιν

 

There is something similar in Mark, chapter 15:11, but nothing like this in Luke.  Matthew said that the chief priests (Οἱ δὲ ἀρχιερεῖς) and the elders or presbyters (καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι) persuaded the crowd (ἔπεισαν τοὺς ὄχλους) to ask for Barabbas (ἵνα αἰτήσωνται τὸν Βαραββᾶν).  They wanted to have Jesus destroyed or killed (τὸν δὲ Ἰησοῦν ἀπολέσωσιν).  Matthew continued this emphasis on assigning blame to the Jewish religious leaders, the chief priests and elders of Jerusalem.