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Dear Father Angelo,

the name of Barabbas has an etymology from Bar Abbas, which ultimately means: son of the father (in Aramaic).

What is the relevance of this consideration of mine, as the Son of the Father par excellence was confronted with one whose name was precisely son-of-the-father?

Excuse me for a probably pointless question, but please answer me, if you have time and will.

Thank you.

Laudetur Jesus Christus

Remember me in your prayers. Thank you.

Gian Carlo

The Priest’s answer 

Dear Giancarlo,

1. Barabbas is a Hebrew name that joins two nouns: bar, which means son; and Abba, which means father.

Therefore, Barabbas means son of the father.

St. Thomas, commenting on the Gospel of Matthew, quickly settles the question of the name and writes: “you are of your father the devil” (Gospel Commentaries, Jn 8:44, n.1240).

2. As always, it is interesting the comment by Origen, who wrote that then, like beasts running wild, the multitude wanted Barabbas to be released.

That shows those people were given to sedition, murder, and robbery, externally by some, and in their soul by all.

For, there are quarrels and fighting where Jesus is missing.

But where He is, there are all good things and peace.

Moreover, all those who are like the Jews, either in doctrine or in life, want Barabbas to be released for them: for, those who do evil have Barabbas loosed in their heart, but Christ is bound instead; but those who do good, have Christ loosed and Barabbas bound” (rf. Matthew Comment.).

3. Marie Joseph Lagrange reports that, according to the ancient reading of Matthew 27:16-17, Barabbas, son of Abba, would have had Jesus as his first name. The coincidence would give greater strength to the alternative proposed by Pilate: “Jesus Barabbas or Jesus called Messiah?”

St. Thomas says: “Pilate set before them good and evil, and they themselves took the evil, and so evil always follows them” (Gospel Commentaries, Mt 27:17, n.2332).

4. Pilate made every attempt to free Jesus, knowing that they had handed him over out of envy.

At a certain point, taking water he washed his hands and said in front of the crowd: “I am innocent of this man’s blood. Look to it yourselves” (Mt 27:24).

But, “the whole people said in reply: «His blood be upon us and upon our children»” (Mt 27:25).

Lapidary, St. Thomas comments again: “And in this way it came about that Christ’s blood is demanded of them even to this day” (Gospel Commentaries, Mt 27:25, n.2343).

We should note, however, that our contemporaneous Jews are not responsible for having asked Pilate to crucify Jesus, nor were all the Jews of that time.

5. The destruction of Jerusalem was foretold by Christ in the cause of his rejection and crucifixion, as evident in what Christ said as he approached the holy city in the days when He would fulfill His passion: “As he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, «If this day you only knew what makes for peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes.

For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you; they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides. »” (Lk 19:41-43).

6. The Jerusalem Bible comments that this oracle, completely woven with biblical reminiscences (especially notable in the Greek text), recalls the ruin of Jerusalem in 587 BC, rather than that of 70 A.D., of which it describes no peculiar feature. This text, therefore, does not assume that it had already occurred.

This same edition of the Bible refers to other words of Jesus: “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know that its desolation is at hand” (Lk 21:20) and comments again that the expressions are biblical and nothing appears as a description made after the event.

These annotations are important for the dating of the Gospel by Luke, which would be prior to the year 70. And even prior to the Acts of the Apostles, which conclude with the arrival of Paul in Rome in the year 63.

If the Acts had been written after the destruction of Jerusalem, St. Luke would certainly have mentioned it.

And, since Luke in the Acts refers to a first book of his, that is, the Gospel, the Gospel by Luke finds its dating before the writing of the Acts of the Apostles.

7. As we can read in the Gospel, the told story of Barabbas hints at the prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem, and to other involved realities, such as the dating of the Gospel by Luke.

I gladly bless you,

Father Angelo