John 19

John 19
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John 19:1-7 on theversoside ofPapyrus 90,written AD 150-175.
Book	Gospel of John
Category	Gospel
Christian Bible part	New Testament
Order in the Christian part	4

John 19is the nineteenthchapterof theGospel of Johnin theNew Testamentof theChristianBible.The book containing this chapter isanonymous,but early Christian tradition uniformly affirmed thatJohncomposed thisGospel.This chapter records the events on the day of thecrucifixionofJesus,untilhis burial.

Text

John 19:17-18,25-26 onPapyrus 121(3rd century)

The original text was written inKoine Greek.This chapter is divided into42 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some earlymanuscriptscontaining the text of this chapter are:

• Papyrus 90(AD 150–175; extant verses 1–7)
• Papyrus 66(c. 200; complete)
• Papyrus 121(3rd century; extant verses 17–18,25-26)
• Codex Vaticanus(325-350)
• Codex Sinaiticus(330-360)
• Codex Bezae(c. 400)
• Codex Alexandrinus(400-440)
• Papyrus 60(c. 700; extant verses 1-26)

Old Testament references

• John 19:24:Psalm22:18
• John 19:28–29:Psalm69:21–22
• John 19:36:Exodus 12:46;Numbers 9:12;Psalm34:20;
• John 19:37:Zechariah 12:10

New Testament references

• John 18:28–19:16:Matthew 27:1–2,11–26;Mark 15:1–15;Luke 23:1–5,13–25
• John 19:2–3:Matthew 27:27–31;Mark 15:16–20
• John 19:17–24:Matthew 27:32–44;Mark 15:20–32;Luke 23:26,33–43
• John 19:28–30:Matthew 27:45–56;Mark 15:33–41;Luke 23:44–49
• John 19:38–42:Matthew 27:57–61;Mark 15:42–47;Luke 23:50–56

Places

The events recorded in this chapter took place inJerusalem.

Structure

Swedish-based commentatorRené Kiefferdivides this chapter into two sections:

• Verses 1-16a deal with Jesus' trial before Pilate, and are continuous with the events reported in the latter part ofchapter 18
• Verses 16b-42 deal with his crucifixion, death and burial.

He further divides the first section into four parts: verses 1-3 (humiliation before Pilate), verses 4-7 (Pilate coming out of his headquarters with the mocked royal Jesus), verses 8-11 (Jesus' dialogue with Pilate) and verses 12-16a (the "decisive scene" determining Jesus' fate). Kieffer goes on to divide the second section into three parts: a narrative in verses 16b-30 leading to the death of Jesus, a theological commentary in verses 31-37, and a narrative concerning Jesus' burial in verses 38-42.

Verses 1-3: Jesus' humiliation before Pilate

Verse 1

So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged [Him].

Heinrich Meyernotes thatPilate"caused thescourgingto be carried out ", but this would have been done by his soldiers.The action was "inflicted withoutsentence[or] legality ".According toScottish Free ChurchministerWilliam Nicoll,the scourging was meant as a compromise by Pilate, undertaken "in the ill-judged hope that this minor punishment might satisfy the Jews".Pilate stated three times (in John 18:39, 19:4 and 19:6) that he foundno faultin Jesus.

Verse 2

And the soldiers twisted acrown of thornsand put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe.

Again, Meyer notes that thiscontumeliousaction of the soldiers was undertaken under Pilate's watch.

Verse 3

Then they said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they struck Him with their hands.

In theNew Century Version,"they came to him many times and said...".This additional wording reflects the insertion ἤρχοντο πρὸς αὐτὸν (ērchonto pros auton) in many early texts, but which was missing in theTextus Receptus.Karl Lachmann,Constantin von Tischendorf,Meyer andWestcott and Hortall adopt the additional wording.

Cross references:Matthew 27:29,Matthew 27:30;Mark 15:18;John 18:22.

Verse 5

Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, "Behold the Man!"

"Behold the Man":Ecce homoinVulgateLatin;in the originalGreek:Ἴδε ὁ ἄνθρωπος,(Ide ho anthrōpos). Meyer reflects that the words are "short [but] significant".

Verse 6

Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him".

• "Crucify Him, crucify Him!": The words of the chief priests and officers in theReceived TextareGreek:σταύρωσον, σταύρωσον,staurōson, staurōson,meaning "crucify! crucify!", with the word "him" being implied or added in English texts. The Jews did not possess the right of execution, nor was crucifixion a Jewish form ofcapital punishment.
• "No fault": or nocrime(Revised Standard Version).

Verse 7

The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God."

Critical texts refer to "the law", κατὰ τὸν νόμον (kata ton nomon), but theTextus Receptusreads "according toourlaw ".Alfred Plummer, in theCambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges,argues that "our" is not original.

Leviticus 24:16( "the law" ) states:

And whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him, the stranger as well as him who is born in the land. When he blasphemes the name of the Lord, he shall be put to death.

Pilate was bound by Romanprecedentto pay respect to the law of subject nationalities.

Verse 9

[Pilate] went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, "Where are You from?" But Jesus gave him no answer.

A second private examination by Pilate.

Verse 19

The acronymINRI ( "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" in Latin)written in three languages (as inJohn 19:20) on the cross,Ellwangen Abbey,Germany.

Main article:Jesus, King of the Jews

Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was:

JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Verse 19 in Greek

Textus Receptus/Majority Text:

ἔγραψεν δὲ καὶ τίτλον ὁ Πιλάτος, καὶ ἔθηκεν ἐπὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ· ἦν δὲ γεγραμμένον,

Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων.

Transliteration:

egrapsen de kai titlon ho Pilatos, kai ethēken epi tou staurou; ēn de gegrammenon,

IĒSOUS O NAZŌRAIOS O BASILEUS TŌN IOUDAIŌN.

Verse 19 in Latin

Biblia Sacra Vulgata:

scripsit autem et titulum Pilatus et posuit super crucem erat autem scriptum

Iesus Nazarenus rex Iudaeorum

Verse 20

Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.

Verse 21

Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but, 'He said," I am the King of the Jews. "'"

Verse 22

Main article:Quod scripsi, scripsi

Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."

Verse 22 in Greek

Textus Receptus/Majority Text:

ἀπεκρίθη ὁ Πιλάτος, Ὃ γέγραφα, γέγραφα

Transliteration:

apekrithē o Pilatos o gegrapha gegrapha

Verse 22 in Latin

Biblia Sacra Vulgata:

respondit Pilatus quod scripsi scripsi

Verse 23

Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic.

Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece.

Verse 24

They said therefore among themselves, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,"

that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says:

"They divided My garments among them,

And for My clothing they cast lots. "

Therefore the soldiers did these things.

The Greek λαγχάνειν (lagchanein) is properly translated not as "to cast lots", but "to obtain by lot". In this action, John sees a fulfilment ofPsalm 22:18, theSeptuagintversion of which is quoted here.

Verse 25

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus

His mother,

and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and

Mary Magdalene.

Verse 26

When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by,

He said to His mother,

"Woman, behold your son!"

Verse 27

Then He said to the disciple,

"Behold your mother!"

And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

"That hour" may indicate that "they did not wait at the cross to see the end and the disciple took her to his own home"; εἰς τὰ ἴδια, seeJohn 1:11,John 16:32.Mary would live with John and his natural mother, Salome, who is also Mary's sister.

Verse 28

See also:Sayings of Jesus on the cross § 5. I thirst

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said,

“I thirst!”

Referring to:Psalm 69:21

Verse 29

Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine,

put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth.

• Referring to:Psalm 69:21
• Cross reference:Matthew 27:34;Mark 15:23;Luke 23:36

Verse 30

Main article:Sayings of Jesus on the cross § John 19:30

So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said,

"It is finished!"

And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Verse 30 in Greek

Textus Receptus/Majority Text:

ὅτε οὖν ἔλαβε τὸ ὄξος ὁ Ἰησοῦς, εἶπε,

Τετέλεσται·

καὶ κλίνας τὴν κεφαλήν, παρέδωκε τὸ πνεῦμα.

Transliteration:

ote oun elaben to oxos o Iēsous eipen

tetelestai

kai klinas tēn kephalēn paredōken to pneuma

Verse 30 in Latin

Biblia Sacra Vulgata:

cum ergo accepisset Iesus acetum dixit

consummatum est

et inclinato capite tradidit spiritum

Verse 31

Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

Preparation Day was the day before the Passover.Verse 42 refers to this day as "the Jews' Preparation Day". Plummer suggests that "the addition of 'the Jews' may point to the time when there was already a Christian ‘preparation-day'".

Verse 37

And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced".

This is the last of a series of texts, commencing fromJohn 13:18:"that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 'He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me',in which the evangelist confirms that the events of the passion fulfill theOld Testamentscriptures.The quoted passage isZechariah 12:10b, "then they will look on Me whom they pierced", with the word "me" changed to "him".LutherancommentatorJohann Bengelargues that John quotes this passage "for the sake of itsallusionto the piercing [not for that to the looking] ".

Verse 39

And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.

Bengel notes thatNicodemus,who had shown hisfaithin dialogue with Jesus inchapter 3,here "manifested [it] by an altogether distinguished work of love".

Verse 40

Main article:Descent from the Cross

Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.

See also

• Burial of Jesus
• Crucifixion of Jesus
• Jerusalem
• Jesus Christ
• "Jesus, King of the Jews"
• Joseph of Arimathea
• Longinus
• Nazareth
• Nicodemus
• Pontius Pilate
• Sabbath
• Stephaton
• RelatedBibleparts: Exodus 12, Numbers 9,Psalm 22,Psalm 34,Psalm 69,Zechariah 12,Matthew 2,Matthew 27,Mark 15,Luke 23,John 3,John 18

Bibliography

• Kirkpatrick, A. F.(1901).The Book of Psalms: with Introduction and Notes.The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. Vol. Book IV and V: Psalms XC-CL. Cambridge: At the University Press.RetrievedFebruary 28,2019.

External links

• John 19King James Bible - Wikisource
• English Translation with Parallel Latin VulgateArchived2020-09-26 at theWayback Machine
• Online Bibleat GospelHall.org(ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
• Multiple bible versions atBible Gateway(NKJV, NIV, NRSV etc.)

Preceded by John 18

Chapters of the Bible Gospel of John

Succeeded by John 20