βασιλέα

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 βασιλέα

   ba-si-LE-a

   king
2. clause🔊 βούλεσθε οὖν ⸄ἀπολύσω ὑμῖν⸅ τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων;

   BOO-les-the OON a-po-LY-so hy-MEEN TON ba-si-LE-a TÔN i-ou-DAI-on

   then do you want I release to you the king of the Jews
3. sentence🔊 ἔστιν δὲ συνήθεια ὑμῖν ἵνα ἕνα ⸂ἀπολύσω ὑμῖν⸃ ἐν τῷ πάσχα· βούλεσθε οὖν ⸄ἀπολύσω ὑμῖν⸅ τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων;

   ES-tin DE sy-NÊ-thei-a hy-MEEN HI-na HE-na a-po-LY-so hy-MEEN en TÔ PAS-kha BOO-les-the OON a-po-LY-so hy-MEEN TON ba-si-LE-a TÔN i-ou-DAI-on

   but for you There is custom that I release one to you at the Passover then do you want I release to you the king of the Jews

Exegesis

The repetition of apolysō hymin {ἀπολύσω ὑμῖν | a-po-lý-sō hy-mîn} maintains the legal-release motif, now taking as its direct object the fuller title ton basilea tōn Ioudaiōn {τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων | tón basile-a tōn I-ou-daí-ōn}, “the King of the Jews.” The genitive plural ‘tōn Ioudaiōn’ specifies the people over whom this kingly title is claimed, serving both as a political title and an implied charge. Greek word order places the question’s key phrase “the King of the Jews” at the end for emphasis. In translation, the two clauses are rendered as sequential sentences to reflect the movement from stating an accepted custom to pressing the crowd with a pointed, legally framed question.