Luke 23:13-16 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

And Pilate Having received an account of what had passed before Herod; called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people Namely, such of them as had appeared against Jesus as his accusers; and said, Ye have brought this man unto me as one that perverteth the people As having taught doctrines injurious to your religion, and also to the civil peace and the Roman government; and behold I have examined him before you And heard all that could be alleged against him; and have found no fault in this man Ουδεν αιτιον, no crime, or cause for accusation; touching the things whereof you accuse him None of which you have proved against him. No, nor yet Herod He has discovered no fault in him, though much better acquainted than I am with your customs and religion. Lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him Εστι πεπραγμενον αυτω, hath been done by him: for, instead of sending him back, like one who deserves a capital sentence, he has treated him like an idiot rather than a traitor, so as plainly to show that he thinks him to be merely an object of ridicule. I will therefore chastise him Namely, by scourging; and release him And am persuaded he will give us no further trouble: nor would he have interest enough to do it, if he were so inclined. Thus Pilate solemnly protests that he believes Christ has done nothing worthy of death or of bonds; and therefore, surely he ought immediately to have discharged him, and not only so, but to have protected him from the fury of the priests and rabble, and to have bound his persecutors to their good behaviour, for their insolent conduct. But, being himself a wicked man, he had of course no respect for Christ. Having made himself otherwise obnoxious, he was afraid of displeasing either the emperor or the people, and therefore, for want of integrity, he yields to a set of miscreants, whom he ought to have dispersed as a riotous and seditious assembly, and have forbid to come near him; for he plainly saw what spirit influenced them. He declares Christ to be innocent, and therefore has a mind to release him; yet, to please the people, 1st, He will release him under the character of a malefactor, because of necessity he must release one, Luke 23:17; so that, whereas he ought to have released him as an act of justice, he will release him by an act of grace, and be beholden to the people for it. 2d, He will chastise him, and release him: But if no fault be chargeable upon him, why should he be chastised? There is as much injustice in scourging as in crucifying an innocent man; nor could it be justified by pretending that this would satisfy the clamours of the people, and make him the object of their pity; for we must not do evil that good may come.