And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go.

And he said to them the third time: Why, what evil hath this man done? I find no cause of death in him. I will chastise him therefore, and let him go.

And he a third time said unto them, 'Why, what evil did he? no cause of death did I find in him; having chastised him, then, I will release him.'

A third time he appealed to them: "Why, what crime has the man committed? I have discovered in him nothing that deserves death. I will therefore give him a light punishment and release him."

And he said to them a third time, Why, what evil has he done? I see no reason for putting him to death: I will give him punishment and let him go.

Then he said to them a third time: "Why? What evil has he done? I find no case against him for death. Therefore, I will chastise him and release him."

"Why, what harm has this man done?" Pilate said to them for the third time. "I have found nothing in him for which he could be condemned to death. So I will have him scourged, and then release him."

I have found no cause of death in him - I find no crime worthy of death in him. There is nothing proved against him that can at all justify me in putting him to death, So here our blessed Lord was in the most formal manner justified by his judge. Now as this decision was publicly known, and perhaps registered, it is evident that Christ died as an innocent person, and not as a malefactor. On the fullest conviction of his innocence, his judge pronounced him guiltless, after having patiently heard every thing that the inventive malice of these wicked men could allege against him; and, when he wished to dismiss him, a violent mob took and murdered him.

(6) And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let [him] go.
(6) Christ is acquitted the third time before he is condemned, so that it might appear that it was for our sins that were condemned in him.

And he said unto them the third time,.... After Christ had been sent back to him from Herod; for he had declared before he had sent him to him, that he found no fault in him, John 18:38.
Why, what evil hath he done? what capital crime has he committed? is he guilty of murder? or sedition? or blasphemy? or robbery, and theft? or any other enormous a crime?
I have found no cause of death in him; why he should be put to death at all; and much less to this shameful and painful death of the cross, which was the punishment of slaves, and of the vilest of men, which they were desirous of:
I will therefore chastise him, and let him go; this he said, not as if he was determined to do it, whether they liked it, or not; but as signifying what he willed, or chose, and hoped they would be contented with, that he should be scourged, or beaten, and dismissed, as he at first proposed.

He said to them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? - As Peter, a disciple of Christ, dishonoured him by denying him thrice, so Pilate, a heathen, honoured Christ, by thrice owning him to be innocent.