And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.
And they had then a notable prisoner,.... The Vulgate Latin reads, "he had"; that is, Pilate, who had committed him to prison, and under whose power he was: for the Jews had lost all authority of this kind, at least in capital cases.
Verse 16. A notable prisoner. The word notable means one that is distinguished in any way, either for great virtues, or great crimes. In this place, it evidently means the latter. He was perhaps a leader of a band who had been guilty of sedition, and had committed murder in an insurrection, .
[Barabbas.] Bar Abba, a very usual name in the Talmudists: "R. Samuel Barabba, and R. Nathan Barabba." Abba Bar Abba, In the Jerusalem dialect it is very often uttered Bar Ba: "Simeon Bar Ba." "R. Chaijah Bar Ba." This brings to my mind what Josephus relates to have been done in the besieging of the city, When huge stones were thrown against the city by...