Understanding Βαραββᾶς (Barabbas) Strong’s G912: The Notorious Prisoner Released Instead of Jesus Revealing Divine Sovereignty

Pronunciation Guide: bah-rab-BAS (emphasis on final syllable)

Basic Definition

Strong’s G912: Barabbas was a notorious prisoner in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ trial who was released instead of Jesus during the Passover custom of prisoner release. His name carries significant theological meaning as it derives from Aramaic elements meaning “son of the father.” This ironic name highlights the profound substitution that occurred when the crowd chose to release this criminal rather than Jesus, the true Son of the Father.

Etymology and Morphology

• Part of Speech: Proper Noun (masculine)
• Language Origin: Aramaic
• Root Components: בַּר (bar) “son of” + אַבָּא (abba) “father”
• Primary Usage: Found exclusively in narrative sections of the Gospels
• Frequency: Appears 11 times across all four Gospels
• Context: Always in relation to Jesus’ trial and crucifixion events

Βαραββᾶς Morphology:

• Βαραββᾶς (nominative singular) – Barabbas (as subject)
• Βαραββᾶν (accusative singular) – Barabbas (as object)
• τὸν Βαραββᾶν (accusative with definite article) – the Barabbas (emphasis as a specific known figure)

Origin & History

The name Βαραββᾶς represents a transliteration from Aramaic into Greek. In Aramaic, בַּר אַבָּא (Bar Abba) literally means “son of the father” or “son of the teacher,” as “abba” could refer either to a literal father or to a religious teacher. This common type of patronymic naming convention was widespread in first-century Jewish culture, where many individuals would be identified in relation to their fathers.

Interestingly, Βαραββᾶς does not appear in classical Greek literature prior to the New Testament, making it exclusively a biblical name. Some early church fathers, including Origen in his “Commentary on Matthew,” noted the irony that this man named “son of the father” was chosen for release instead of Jesus, the true Son of God the Father. The textual variant found in some manuscripts of Matthew 27:16-17 even suggests that Barabbas’ first name might have been “Jesus” (Ἰησοῦς Βαραββᾶς), which would have heightened the dramatic parallel even further, though most scholars consider this a later addition rather than original.

Expanded Definitions & Translation Options

• Criminal Figure – A notorious prisoner held for insurrection and murder
• Substitutionary Symbol – The person released instead of Jesus in the Passover amnesty
• Theological Contrast – “Son of the father” in name only, contrasted with Jesus, the true Son of the Father
• Historical Catalyst – The beneficiary of Pilate’s custom of releasing a prisoner during Passover

Βαραββᾶς Translation Options:

• Barabbas – Direct transliteration, maintaining the connection to the original text while preserving the historical identity of this figure (most common in English translations)
• Son of the Father – Translated meaning, highlighting the theological irony but losing the historical specificity
• Bar-Abbas – Hyphenated form emphasizing the Aramaic components, making the meaning more transparent for readers
• The Insurrectionist – Descriptive translation based on his crimes, though this loses the significant name meaning

Biblical Usage

Βαραββᾶς appears in all four Gospel accounts of Jesus’ trial before Pilate, highlighting his significance to the Passion narrative. The Gospels collectively reveal that he was imprisoned for participation in an insurrection against Roman authority in which murder had been committed. Mark and Luke specifically mention the murder charge, while John simply calls him a “robber” (λῃστής), a term that often carried political overtones of resistance fighters against Rome. Matthew describes him as a “notorious prisoner” (δέσμιον ἐπίσημον), indicating his crimes were well-known to the Jerusalem populace.

The narrative function of Barabbas is crucial to understanding the theological message of the Gospels. His release instead of Jesus creates a powerful picture of substitution – the guilty man goes free while the innocent man is condemned. This serves as a tangible illustration of the substitutionary atonement that Jesus would accomplish on the cross, where He would take the punishment deserved by guilty humanity.

• “But they had then a notorious prisoner called Βαραββᾶν [Barabbas].” Matthew 27:16
• “And there was one named Βαραββᾶς [Barabbas], who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.” Mark 15:7
• “And they all cried out together, ‘Away with this man, and release to us Βαραββᾶν [Barabbas]!'” Luke 23:18
• “So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Βαραββᾶν [Barabbas], and having scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.” Mark 15:15
• “Now Βαραββᾶς [Barabbas] was a robber.” John 18:40
• “So they cried out again, ‘Not this man, but Βαραββᾶν [Barabbas]!'” John 18:40
• “And they had then a notorious prisoner called Βαραββᾶν [Barabbas]. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, ‘Whom do you want me to release for you: Βαραββᾶν [Barabbas], or Jesus who is called the Messiah?'” Matthew 27:16-17

Cultural Insights

The Passover release custom described in the Gospels provides crucial context for understanding Barabbas’s role in the narrative. While no extra-biblical sources explicitly confirm this Roman practice in Judea, similar customs of amnesty during festivals were known in the ancient world. The Roman celebration of Lectisternium, for example, sometimes included prisoner releases. In the specific context of Judea, such a practice would have served as a political gesture to maintain peace during the volatile Passover season when Jerusalem swelled with pilgrims and nationalistic sentiments ran high.

The character of Barabbas himself represents the political expectations many Jews held for the Messiah. As an insurrectionist who took violent action against Rome, Barabbas embodied the popular hope for a military Messiah who would overthrow Roman rule. The crowd’s choice of Barabbas over Jesus thus reflects not just a rejection of Jesus, but a fundamental misunderstanding of the Messiah’s true mission. Where they wanted a violent revolutionary, יהוה sent a suffering servant. The Jewish leaders leveraged these expectations masterfully, presenting the crowd with a choice between a man who had actually fought against Rome (however unsuccessfully) and Jesus, whose kingdom was “not of this world” (John 18:36). This dynamic reveals the clash between human political expectations and divine redemptive purposes that characterized much of Jesus’ ministry.

Theological Significance

The Barabbas episode reveals profound theological truths about substitutionary atonement. In the most literal sense, Jesus died in Barabbas’s place – the criminal went free while the innocent Messiah took his place in punishment. This physical substitution visibly illustrates the spiritual reality of Jesus taking the punishment deserved by sinful humanity. As Isaiah prophesied, “He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5). In Barabbas, we see a tangible picture of every believer – the guilty one set free because another took their place.

The name “Barabbas” itself carries theological weight when contrasted with Jesus. While Barabbas was “son of the father” in name only, Jesus was the true Son of the Father, sent from heaven with divine authority. This contrast highlights what theologians call the “great exchange” – Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us, that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Moreover, the crowd’s choice of Barabbas over Jesus recapitulates humanity’s tendency to choose human solutions and expectations over God’s perfect way. Like the Israelites who rejected יהוה as king and demanded a human king “like all the nations” (1 Samuel 8:5), the crowd rejected the heavenly King for a failed earthly revolutionary. Yet even in this rejection, God’s sovereign plan of redemption moved forward, demonstrating how divine purposes prevail even through human rebellion.

Personal Application

The story of Barabbas offers believers a powerful opportunity for personal identification with the gospel narrative. Each of us stands in Barabbas’s place – guilty, condemned, deserving punishment – yet set free because Jesus took our place. This should evoke both profound gratitude and deep humility. When we understand that we are Barabbas in the story, our response can only be wonder at the grace that sets the guilty free at such tremendous cost to the innocent Son of God.

This identification also challenges us to consider our own expectations of the Messiah. Like the crowd who chose Barabbas, we often want God to fulfill our agenda rather than submitting to His. We prefer a Messiah who conquers our enemies and solves our temporal problems over one who calls us to take up our cross and follow Him. The Barabbas narrative invites us to examine whether we are truly following the Messiah as He is, rather than as we wish Him to be. When we embrace Jesus’ true mission – not military victory but spiritual redemption, not worldly success but reconciliation with God – we experience the true freedom that even Barabbas’s physical release could never provide.

Related Words

• Λῃστής (lēstēs) [pronounced: lays-TACE] – “robber” or “bandit,” the term John uses to describe Barabbas, though in the first-century context often carried political connotations of revolutionary fighters against Rome. Differs from Barabbas as it’s a general term rather than a proper name. See G3027
• Στασιαστής (stasiastēs) [pronounced: stah-see-as-TACE] – “rebel” or “revolutionary,” used in Mark to describe the companions of Barabbas who participated in the insurrection. Highlights the political dimension of Barabbas’s crimes. See G4955
• Δέσμιος (desmios) [pronounced: DES-mee-os] – “prisoner,” the term used to describe Barabbas in Matthew’s account, emphasizing his captive state under Roman authority. See G1198
• Φονεύς (phoneus) [pronounced: fo-NYOOS] – “murderer,” describing the crime for which Barabbas was imprisoned according to the Synoptic Gospels. See G5406
• Ἐπίσημος (episēmos) [pronounced: ep-EE-say-mos] – “notable” or “notorious,” the adjective Matthew uses to describe Barabbas, indicating his crimes were well-known to the public. See G1978

Did You Know?

• Some early manuscripts of Matthew’s Gospel refer to the prisoner as “Jesus Barabbas,” which would create an even more dramatic choice for the crowd: “Which Jesus do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” While most scholars believe this reading was a later addition rather than the original text, it highlights the theological contrast between the false “son of the father” and the true one.
• The choice of Barabbas over Jesus reflects a pattern found throughout Scripture where people choose a counterfeit over God’s true provision. Just as the Israelites chose the golden calf over waiting for Moses to return with יהוה’s Law, and just as they chose Saul as king rather than waiting for God’s timing, the crowd chose an earthly revolutionary over the heavenly King. This pattern illustrates humanity’s consistent tendency to choose immediate gratification over God’s perfect plan.
• The “choice” Pilate offered the crowd was likely never intended to result in Jesus’ release. Pilate probably expected that, by offering a choice between Jesus and a dangerous criminal like Barabbas, the crowd would surely choose Jesus. His political miscalculation stemmed from underestimating the influence of the religious leaders and the depth of nationalistic fervor among the populace. What he intended as a way to avoid responsibility became instead another instrument in God’s sovereign plan of redemption.

Remember This

Barabbas stands as the powerful embodiment of each of us – the guilty criminal set free because the sinless Son took our place, demonstrating that at the heart of the gospel is a divine exchange where mercy triumphs over judgment through substitution.