Matthew 27:25

Matthew 27:25, in plain English

The crowd shouts back: let His blood be on us and on our children!

Why it's here

These words have been terribly misused throughout history to persecute Jewish people. In context, this is one crowd on one day, stirred up by corrupt leaders — not a curse on an entire people forever.

Who's speaking

The manipulated crowd speaks in the heat of the moment, accepting responsibility for Jesus' death.

Where it sits in the story

A crowd stirred to frenzy by their leaders says something they do not fully understand. These words were never meant to justify hatred — and Jesus Himself would be the first to say so.

The scholarly reading

The crowd accepts moral responsibility with the chilling declaration 'His blood be on us and on our children' (to haima autou eph hemas kai epi ta tekna hemon).

Language and setting

This verse has been tragically misused throughout history to justify antisemitism. In Matthew's context, it reflects the specific crowd's acceptance of responsibility, not a blanket condemnation of Jewish people for all time.

Voice

The assembled crowd speaks collectively, accepting the consequences of their demand.

Significance

The crowd's self-imprecation is a moment of communal responsibility accepted in the heat of mob frenzy — its later misuse as justification for persecution represents one of history's gravest misreadings of Scripture.

23“Why?” asked Pilate. “What evil has He done?”

24When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but that instead a riot was breaking out, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “You bear the responsibility.”

25All the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”

26So Pilate released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.

27Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company around Him.

Read all of Matthew 27 — The climax of the story. Every thread — sacrifice, covenant, prophecy, promise — converges at a cross outside Jerusalem.