Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Cried out (ekraugasan). First aorist active of kraugazw, old and rare verb from kraugh, outcry (Matthew 25:6), as in Matthew 12:19.
Not this man (mh touton). Contemptuous use of outov. The priests put the crowd up to this choice (Mark 15:11) and Pilate offered the alternative (Matthew 27:17, one MS. actually gives Jesus as the name of Barabbas also). The name Barabbav in Aramaic simply means son of a father.
A robber (lhsthv). Old word from lhzomai, to plunder, and so a brigand and possibly the leader of the band to which the two robbers belonged who were crucified with Jesus. Luke terms him an insurgent and murderer (Luke 23:19, Luke 23:25). They chose Barabbas in preference to Jesus and apparently Jesus died on the very cross planned for Barabbas.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing John 18:40:
John 10:1
John 11:43
John 19:18
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