What Does John 18:40 Mean in the King James?
Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The word translated “robber” names a violent plunderer, making the crowd’s choice a public preference for force over the man it rejects.
THE MEANING
The verse sets a choice before you now: the crowd rejects this man and calls for Barabbas, whom it names as a robber. The Greek word points to a bandit who takes by force, so the crowd asks that the plunderer be released. Its unanimity does not make that choice just.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The lie that a choice becomes just because everyone voices it together is undone here: the crowd is unanimous, yet calls for the robber.
THE ROOT
λῃστής
lēstēs
GROWS FROM
λῃστ-
The Greek stem for a robber or bandit who takes by force.
English “robber” can sound like any thief, but λῃστής (lēstēs, robber) names a bandit who takes by force. Its related forms λῃστεύω (lēsteuō, to rob) and λῃστεία (lēsteia, robbery) keep the actor, action, and act of plunder in one word family; the crowd asks for the plunderer himself to be released.
ALSO GROWS
lēsteuō: to rob, act as a bandit
λῃστεύω
The verb shares the λῃστ- stem and makes the robber’s taking an action, not just a label.
lēsteia: robbery, banditry
λῃστεία
This noun shares the stem and names the act associated with the person the crowd chooses.
THE PATTERN
Public agreement can invert judgment, condemning the just while preferring the violent.
They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;THE THREAD
All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.John 10:8 uses the Greek plural λῃσταί (lēstaí, robbers), from the same word family as Barabbas’s λῃστής (lēstēs, robber). That shared root links the released robber to Jesus’ image of voices that take, sharpening the contrast in the crowd’s choice.
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