(For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.)

Now he must needs release unto them at the feast one prisoner.

Now of necessity he was to release unto them one upon the feast day.

( Now he was obliged to release one for them at the feast.)

for it was necessary for him to release to them one at every feast,

Now he was required to release one person for them on the feast day.

[ Some later manuscripts add: He had to release someone to them at the feast. ]

See the notes at Matthew 27:15.

For of necessity he must release one - That is, he was under the necessity of releasing one at this feast. The custom, however it originated, had now been so completely established that Pilate was obliged to attend to it. See on Matthew 27:15 (note).

For of necessity he must release one,.... And therefore proposed to release Jesus
unto them at the feast; of passover, which now was; not that there was any law that obliged to it, but it having been customary with the Roman governor to do so, the people expected it; custom had made it necessary: and so the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions render it, "it was a custom to release", &c. not at each feast, or every feast, as the last of these versions read, only at the passover, as is expressed, John 18:39.