Meaning of the Name Barabbas
Barabbas comes from the Aramaic Bar-Abba and means 'son of the father': bar means 'son' and abba means 'father'. This explanation is generally accepted; a minority view reads it as Bar-Rabban, 'son of the teacher'. In some ancient manuscripts of Matthew's Gospel the man's full name is given as Jesus Barabbas, a detail that makes the choice between two men of the same name even more striking.
Origin
The name Barabbas is of Aramaic origin.
Who is Barabbas in the Bible?
Barabbas is a prisoner held by the Roman governor Pilate at the time of Jesus' trial; the Gospels present him as a notorious prisoner or bandit charged with insurrection and murder. Following the custom of releasing one prisoner at the Passover feast, Pilate has the people choose between Jesus and Barabbas. The crowd asks for Barabbas; he is released, and Jesus is handed over to be crucified.
The story of Barabbas in the Bible
The name Barabbas appears in a single scene told by all four Gospels, but that scene is among the most pondered moments in Scripture. Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, has a custom of releasing at the Passover feast a prisoner chosen by the people. At the time there is a notorious prisoner named Barabbas; Mark and Luke say he took part in an uprising in the city and committed murder, while John calls him a bandit. Pilate states plainly that he finds in Jesus no crime deserving death and asks the crowd whom they want released. The chief priests and elders stir up the people, and the crowd demands that Barabbas be released and Jesus crucified. In the end Pilate yields to the pressure: Barabbas goes free, while Jesus is flogged and handed over to be crucified. The Gospels do not say what Barabbas did afterward. But Christian readers have seen deep meaning in this scene for centuries: the guilty one goes free, and the innocent one dies in his place. That a man whose name means son of the father was released instead of the Son of God is one of the ironies that nourish this reflection.
Is Barabbas mentioned in the Quran?
The name Barabbas does not appear in the Quran. In the Bible, Barabbas is the prisoner released instead of Jesus in all four Gospels.
Verses where Barabbas appears
- Matthew 27:16 —
They had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.
- Mark 15:7 —
There was one called Barabbas, bound with those who had made insurrection, men who in the insurrection had committed murder.
- Luke 23:18 —
But they all cried out together, saying, “Away with this man! Release to us Barabbas!”—