Who was Barabbas in the bible?
Barabbas was a notable prisoner mentioned in the Gospel trial narratives, where the crowds asked Pilate to release him instead of Jesus (Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 18).
Charges Mentioned
Mark says Barabbas was “bound with his fellow insurgents, men who in the insurrection had committed murder” (Mark 15:7).
Learn More →Release Chosen
Pilate asked, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus, who is called Christ?” (Matthew 27:17). The crowd answered, “Barabbas!” (Matthew 27:21), and “Then he released to them Barabbas” (Matthew 27:26).
Learn More →Barabbas is named in the Gospels as a “notable prisoner” whom the crowd asked Pontius Pilate to release instead of Jesus (Matthew 27:16–26). In the verse data given, he is also described as being connected with an insurrection and murder (Mark 15:7) and as “a robber” (John 18:40).
Barabbas in Scripture
In Matthew’s account, Barabbas appears within the trial and sentencing of Jesus before Pilate. The chapter begins with the chief priests and elders arranging for Jesus to be brought to the governor: “they bound him, and led him away, and delivered him up to Pontius Pilate, the governor” (Matthew 27:2). Pilate questions Jesus, hears accusations, and observes Jesus’ silence: “He gave him no answer, not even one word, so that the governor marveled greatly” (Matthew 27:14).
At this point Matthew introduces the custom of releasing a prisoner chosen by the crowd and identifies Barabbas as one of the options. Matthew states, “Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release to the multitude one prisoner, whom they desired” (Matthew 27:15), and then adds:
“They had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.” (Matthew 27:16)
Pilate sets Barabbas in direct contrast with Jesus: “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus, who is called Christ?” (Matthew 27:17). Matthew also provides Pilate’s perception of the leaders’ motives: “For he knew that because of envy they had delivered him up” (Matthew 27:18). As Pilate sits “on the judgment seat,” his wife sends him a warning about Jesus: “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of him” (Matthew 27:19). Even with this warning in the background, Matthew emphasizes the influence of the religious leadership on the crowd regarding Barabbas:
“Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the multitudes to ask for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.” (Matthew 27:20)
Pilate repeats the choice, and the people choose Barabbas. Matthew records:
“But the governor answered them, ‘Which of the two do you want me to release to you?’ They said, ‘Barabbas!’” (Matthew 27:21)
The choice for Barabbas leads directly to the crowd’s demand for Jesus’ crucifixion. After the crowd answers Pilate’s next question—“What then shall I do to Jesus, who is called Christ?”—with “Let him be crucified!” (Matthew 27:22), Pilate asks, “Why? What evil has he done?” and is met with intensified shouting: “Let him be crucified!” (Matthew 27:23). Seeing unrest rising, Pilate performs a symbolic act and speaks to the crowd: “he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, ‘I am innocent of the blood of this righteous person. You see to it’” (Matthew 27:24). The people respond, “May his blood be on us, and on our children!” (Matthew 27:25).
Barabbas’ release is then stated plainly, alongside the punishment and delivery of Jesus:
“Then he released to them Barabbas, but Jesus he flogged and delivered to be crucified.” (Matthew 27:26)
After this decision, Matthew continues with the soldiers’ treatment of Jesus—mockery, striking, and leading him “away to crucify him” (Matthew 27:31)—and the chapter proceeds through the crucifixion, death, and burial narrative (Matthew 27:27–66). Barabbas does not appear again in Matthew 27 after his release.
Mark’s Gospel adds a brief description of Barabbas’ situation and associates him with others accused of violence. Mark states:
“There was one called Barabbas, bound with his fellow insurgents, men who in the insurrection had committed murder.” (Mark 15:7)
Mark also emphasizes the role of the chief priests in turning the crowd toward Barabbas: “But the chief priests stirred up the multitude, that he should release Barabbas to them instead” (Mark 15:11). Mark summarizes Pilate’s motive similarly to Matthew’s narrative flow, highlighting a desire to satisfy the crowd and pairing Barabbas’ release with Jesus’ flogging and crucifixion: “Pilate, wishing to please the multitude, released Barabbas to them, and handed over Jesus, when he had flogged him, to be crucified” (Mark 15:15).
Luke records the crowd’s unified shout demanding Barabbas’ release: “But they all cried out together, saying, ‘Away with this man! Release to us Barabbas!’—” (Luke 23:18).
John similarly preserves the crowd’s preference for Barabbas over Jesus, and John provides a further description of Barabbas. John states:
“Then they all shouted again, saying, ‘Not this man, but Barabbas!’ Now Barabbas was a robber.” (John 18:40)
Taken together, these passages present Barabbas as a prisoner publicly known enough to be set before the multitude as an option for release (Matthew 27:16–17), associated with insurgents and murder in an insurrection (Mark 15:7), and identified as “a robber” (John 18:40). His release is repeatedly linked, in the Gospel narratives cited, to Jesus being flogged and delivered to crucifixion (Matthew 27:26; Mark 15:15).
Name and Meaning
In Greek script his name is Βαραββᾶς, transliterated Barabbas and pronounced bar-ab-bas’. The lexical note supplied describes the name as being of Chaldee origin, derived from components referenced as H01347 and H05.
Brief observation
Within the cited accounts, the narrative contrast is explicit: “he released to them Barabbas, but Jesus he flogged and delivered to be crucified” (Matthew 27:26), a reversal driven by the crowd’s cry for Barabbas (Matthew 27:21; Luke 23:18; John 18:40) and the leaders’ persuasion (Matthew 27:20; Mark 15:11).
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the name Barabbas mean?
Barabbas is a name of Chaldee origin.
How many times does Barabbas appear in the Bible?
Barabbas occurs 11 times.
Who was Barabbas?
Barabbas is identified as a notable prisoner (Matthew 27:16). He is also described as a robber (John 18:40), and as being bound with fellow insurgents who committed murder in an insurrection (Mark 15:7).
What happened when Pilate asked whom to release, Barabbas or Jesus?
The crowd chose Barabbas, and Pilate released him (Matthew 27:21; Matthew 27:26).
Explore Further
If you found this page about Barabbas interesting and would like to discover more about other biblical characters, explore our comprehensive Encyclopedia of Biblical Characters. For those looking to delve deeper into the Greek origins of these names and terms, our Greek Lexicon is an invaluable resource.
Sources: Name and occurrence data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and STEPBible reference data (CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).
