19:8 When Pilate heard what they said, 11 he was more afraid than ever, 12 19:9 and he went back into the governor’s residence 13 and said to Jesus, “Where do you come from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 19:10 So Pilate said, 14 “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know I have the authority 15 to release you, and to crucify you?” 16 19:11 Jesus replied, “You would have no authority 17 over me at all, unless it was given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you 18 is guilty of greater sin.” 19
19:12 From this point on, Pilate tried 20 to release him. But the Jewish leaders 21 shouted out, 22 “If you release this man, 23 you are no friend of Caesar! 24 Everyone who claims to be a king 25 opposes Caesar!” 19:13 When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus outside and sat down on the judgment seat 26 in the place called “The Stone Pavement” 27 (Gabbatha in 28 Aramaic). 29 19:14 (Now it was the day of preparation 30 for the Passover, about noon. 31 ) 32 Pilate 33 said to the Jewish leaders, 34 “Look, here is your king!”
19:15 Then they 35 shouted out, “Away with him! Away with him! 36 Crucify 37 him!” Pilate asked, 38 “Shall I crucify your king?” The high priests replied, “We have no king except Caesar!” 19:16 Then Pilate 39 handed him over 40 to them to be crucified.
So they took Jesus, 19:17 and carrying his own cross 41 he went out to the place called “The Place of the Skull” 42 (called in Aramaic 43 Golgotha). 44 19:18 There they 45 crucified 46 him along with two others, 47 one on each side, with Jesus in the middle. 19:19 Pilate also had a notice 48 written and fastened to the cross, 49 which read: 50 “Jesus the Nazarene, the king of the Jews.” 19:20 Thus many of the Jewish residents of Jerusalem 51 read this notice, 52 because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the notice was written in Aramaic, 53 Latin, and Greek. 19:21 Then the chief priests of the Jews 54 said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The king of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am king of the Jews.’” 19:22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
19:23 Now when the soldiers crucified 55 Jesus, they took his clothes and made four shares, one for each soldier, 56 and the tunic 57 remained. (Now the tunic 58 was seamless, woven from top to bottom as a single piece.) 59 19:24 So the soldiers said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but throw dice 60 to see who will get it.” 61 This took place 62 to fulfill the scripture that says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they threw dice.” 63 So the soldiers did these things.
19:25 Now standing beside Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 64 19:26 So when Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, 65 look, here is your son!” 19:27 He then said to his disciple, “Look, here is your mother!” From that very time 66 the disciple took her into his own home.
19:28 After this Jesus, realizing that by this time 67 everything was completed, 68 said (in order to fulfill the scripture), 69 “I am thirsty!” 70 19:29 A jar full of sour wine 71 was there, so they put a sponge soaked in sour wine on a branch of hyssop 72 and lifted it 73 to his mouth. 19:30 When 74 he had received the sour wine, Jesus said, “It is completed!” 75 Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 76
19:31 Then, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies should not stay on the crosses on the Sabbath 77 (for that Sabbath was an especially important one), 78 the Jewish leaders 79 asked Pilate to have the victims’ legs 80 broken 81 and the bodies taken down. 82 19:32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men who had been crucified 83 with Jesus, 84 first the one and then the other. 85 19:33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced 86 his side with a spear, and blood and water 87 flowed out immediately. 19:35 And the person who saw it 88 has testified (and his testimony is true, and he 89 knows that he is telling the truth), 90 so that you also may believe. 19:36 For these things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled, “Not a bone of his will be broken.” 91 19:37 And again another scripture says, “They will look on the one whom they have pierced.” 92
19:38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus (but secretly, because he feared the Jewish leaders 93 ), 94 asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. Pilate 95 gave him permission, so he went and took the body away. 96 19:39 Nicodemus, the man who had previously come to Jesus 97 at night, 98 accompanied Joseph, 99 carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes 100 weighing about seventy-five pounds. 101 19:40 Then they took Jesus’ body and wrapped it, with the aromatic spices, 102 in strips of linen cloth 103 according to Jewish burial customs. 104 19:41 Now at the place where Jesus 105 was crucified 106 there was a garden, 107 and in the garden 108 was a new tomb where no one had yet been buried. 109 19:42 And so, because it was the Jewish day of preparation 110 and the tomb was nearby, 111 they placed Jesus’ body there.
1 sn Crucifixion was the cruelest form of punishment practiced by the Romans. Roman citizens could not normally undergo it. It was reserved for the worst crimes, like treason and evasion of due process in a capital case. The Roman statesman and orator Cicero (106-43
2 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from context.
3 tn Grk “said to them.” The words “to them” are not translated because they are unnecessary in contemporary English style.
4 sn How are Pilate’s words “You take him and crucify him” to be understood? Was he offering a serious alternative to the priests who wanted Jesus crucified? Was he offering them an exception to the statement in 18:31 that the Jewish authorities did not have the power to carry out a death penalty? Although a few scholars have suggested that the situation was at this point so far out of Pilate’s control that he really was telling the high priests they could go ahead and crucify a man he had found to be innocent, this seems unlikely. It is far more likely that Pilate’s statement should be understood as one of frustration and perhaps sarcasm. This seems to be supported by the context, for the Jewish authorities make no attempt at this point to seize Jesus and crucify him. Rather they continue to pester Pilate to order the crucifixion.
5 tn On this use of γάρ (gar) used in exclamations and strong affirmations, see BDAG 190 s.v. γάρ 3.
6 tn Or “find no basis for an accusation”; Grk “find no cause.”
7 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin, and their servants (mentioned specifically as “the chief priests and their servants” in John 19:6).
8 tn Grk “answered him.”
9 sn This law is not the entire Pentateuch, but Lev 24:16.
10 tn Grk “because he made himself out to be the Son of God.”
13 tn Grk “heard this word.”
14 tn Grk “became more afraid.”
19 tn Grk “into the praetorium.”
25 tn Grk “said to him.” The words “to him” are not translated because they are unnecessary in contemporary English style.
26 tn Or “the power.”
27 tn Grk “know that I have the authority to release you and the authority to crucify you.” Repetition of “the authority” is unnecessarily redundant English style.
31 tn Or “power.”
32 tn Or “who delivered me over to you.”
33 tn Grk “has the greater sin” (an idiom).
37 tn Grk “sought.”
38 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin, and their servants (mentioned specifically as “the chief priests and their servants” in John 19:6). See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 7.
39 tn Grk “shouted out, saying.”
40 tn Grk “this one.”
41 sn Is the author using the phrase Friend of Caesar in a technical sense, as a title bestowed on people for loyal service to the Emperor, or in a more general sense merely describing a person as loyal to the Emperor? L. Morris (John [NICNT], 798) thinks it is “unlikely” that the title is used in the technical sense, and J. H. Bernard (St. John [ICC], 2:621) argues that the technical sense of the phrase as an official title was not used before the time of Vespasian (
42 tn Grk “who makes himself out to be a king.”
43 tn Or “the judge’s seat.”
44 sn The precise location of the place called ‘The Stone Pavement’ is still uncertain, although a paved court on the lower level of the Fortress Antonia has been suggested. It is not certain whether it was laid prior to
45 tn Grk “in Hebrew.”
46 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
49 sn The term day of preparation (παρασκευή, paraskeuh) appears in all the gospels as a description of the day on which Jesus died. It could refer to any Friday as the day of preparation for the Sabbath (Saturday), and this is the way the synoptic gospels use the term (Matt 27:62, Mark 15:42, and Luke 23:54). John, however, specifies in addition that this was not only the day of preparation of the Sabbath, but also the day of preparation of the Passover, so that the Sabbath on the following day was the Passover (cf. 19:31).
50 tn Grk “about the sixth hour.”
51 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
52 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Pilate) has been specified in the translation for clarity, and the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
53 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin, and their servants (mentioned specifically as “the chief priests and their servants” in John 19:6). See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 7.
55 tn Grk “Then these.”
56 tn The words “with him” (twice) are not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
57 sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.
58 tn Grk “Pilate said to them.” The words “to them” are not translated because it is clear in English who Pilate is addressing.
61 tn Grk “Then he”; the referent (Pilate) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
62 tn Or “delivered him over.”
67 tn Or “carrying the cross by himself.”
68 sn Jesus was led out to the place called “The Place of the Skull” where he was to be crucified. It is clear from v. 20 that this was outside the city. The Latin word for the Greek κρανίον (kranion) is calvaria. Thus the English word “Calvary” is a transliteration of the Latin rather than a NT place name (cf. Luke 23:33 in the KJV).
69 tn Grk “in Hebrew.”
70 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
73 tn Grk “where they.” This is a continuation of the previous verse in Greek, but contemporary English style tends toward shorter sentences. A literal translation would result in a lengthy and awkward English sentence.
74 sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.
75 tn Grk “and with him two others.”
79 tn Or “an inscription.”
80 tn Grk “Pilate also wrote a notice and placed it on the cross.” The two verbs should be read as causatives, since it is highly unlikely that the Roman governor would perform either of these actions himself. He ordered them to be done.
81 tn Grk “Now it was written.”
85 tn Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem in general. See also the note on the phrase Jewish religious leaders” in v. 7.
86 tn Or “this inscription.”
87 tn Grk “in Hebrew.”
91 tn Or “the Jewish chief priests.” Nowhere else in the Fourth Gospel are the two expressions οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων (Joi arcierei" twn Ioudaiwn) combined. Earlier in 19:15 the chief priests were simply referred to as οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς. It seems likely that this is another example of Johannine irony, to be seen in contrast to the inscription on the cross which read ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων (Jo basileu" twn Ioudaiwn). For this reason the phrase has been translated “the chief priests of the Jews” (which preserves in the translation the connection with “King of the Jews”) rather than “the Jewish chief priests.”
97 sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.
98 sn Four shares, one for each soldier. The Gospel of John is the only one to specify the number of soldiers involved in the crucifixion. This was a quaternion, a squad of four soldiers. It was accepted Roman practice for the soldiers who performed a crucifixion to divide the possessions of the person executed among themselves.
99 tn Or “shirt” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (χιτών, citwn) presents some difficulty in translation. Most modern readers would not understand what a ‘tunic’ was any more than they would be familiar with a ‘chiton.’ On the other hand, attempts to find a modern equivalent are also a problem: “Shirt” conveys the idea of a much shorter garment that covers only the upper body, and “undergarment” (given the styles of modern underwear) is more misleading still. “Tunic” was therefore employed, but with a note to explain its nature.
100 tn Or “shirt” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). See the note on the same word earlier in this verse.
101 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
103 tn Grk “but choose by lot” (probably by using marked pebbles or broken pieces of pottery). A modern equivalent, “throw dice,” was chosen here because of its association with gambling.
104 tn Grk “to see whose it will be.”
105 tn The words “This took place” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
106 tn Grk “cast lots.” See the note on “throw dice” earlier in the verse.
109 sn Several women are mentioned, but it is not easy to determine how many. It is not clear whether his mother’s sister and Mary the wife of Clopas are to be understood as the same individual (in which case only three women are mentioned: Jesus’ mother, her sister Mary, and Mary Magdalene) or as two different individuals (in which case four women are mentioned: Jesus’ mother, her sister, Mary Clopas’ wife, and Mary Magdalene). It is impossible to be certain, but when John’s account is compared to the synoptics it is easier to reconcile the accounts if four women were present than if there were only three. It also seems that if there were four women present, this would have been seen by the author to be in juxtaposition to the four soldiers present who performed the crucifixion, and this may explain the transition from the one incident in 23-24 to the other in 25-27. Finally, if only three were present, this would mean that both Jesus’ mother and her sister were named Mary, and this is highly improbable in a Jewish family of that time. If there were four women present, the name of the second, the sister of Jesus’ mother, is not mentioned. It is entirely possible that the sister of Jesus’ mother mentioned here is to be identified with the woman named Salome mentioned in Mark 15:40 and also with the woman identified as “the mother of the sons of Zebedee” mentioned in Matt 27:56. If so, and if John the Apostle is to be identified as the beloved disciple, then the reason for the omission of the second woman’s name becomes clear; she would have been John’s own mother, and he consistently omitted direct reference to himself or his brother James or any other members of his family in the Fourth Gospel.
115 sn The term Woman is Jesus’ normal, polite way of addressing women (Matt 15:28, Luke 13:12; John 4:21; 8:10; 19:26; 20:15; see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1). But it is unusual for a son to address his mother with this term. The custom in both Hebrew (or Aramaic) and Greek would be for a son to use a qualifying adjective or title. Is there significance in Jesus’ use here? Jesus probably used the term here to help establish Mary and the beloved disciple in a new “mother-son” relationship. Someone would soon need to provide for Mary since Jesus, her oldest son, would no longer be alive. By using this term Jesus distanced himself from Mary so the beloved disciple could take his place as her earthly son (cf. John 2:4). See D. A. Carson, John, 617-18, for discussion about symbolic interpretations of this relationship between Mary and the beloved disciple.
121 tn Grk “from that very hour.”
127 tn Or “that already.”
128 tn Or “finished,” “accomplished”; Grk “fulfilled.”
129 sn A reference to Ps 69:21 or Ps 22:15.
130 sn In order to fulfill (τελειωθῇ [teleiwqh], a wordplay on the previous statement that everything was completed [τετέλεσται, tetelestai]) the scripture, he said, “I am thirsty.” The scripture referred to is probably Ps 69:21, “They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” Also suggested, however, is Ps 22:15, “My tongue cleaves to the roof of my mouth, and you [God] lay me in the dust of death.” Ps 22:1 reads “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?,” a statement Jesus makes from the cross in both Matt 27:46 and Mark 15:34. In light of the connection in the Fourth Gospel between thirst and the living water which Jesus offers, it is highly ironic that here Jesus himself, the source of that living water, expresses his thirst. And since 7:39 associates the living water with the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ statement here in 19:28 amounts to an admission that at this point he has been forsaken by God (cf. Ps 22:1, Matt 27:46, and Mark 15:34).
133 sn The cheap sour wine was called in Latin posca, and referred to a cheap vinegar wine diluted heavily with water. It was the drink of slaves and soldiers, and was probably there for the soldiers who had performed the crucifixion.
134 sn Hyssop was a small aromatic bush; exact identification of the plant is uncertain. The hyssop used to lift the wet sponge may have been a form of reed (κάλαμος, kalamo", “reed,” is used in Matt 27:48 and Mark 15:36); the biblical name can refer to several different species of plant (at least eighteen different plants have been suggested).
135 tn Or “and brought it.”
139 tn Grk “Then when.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
140 tn Or “It is accomplished,” “It is finished,” or “It is ended.” See tn on John 13:1.
141 tn Or “he bowed his head and died”; Grk “he bowed his head and gave over the spirit.”
145 sn The Jewish authorities, because this was the day of preparation for the Sabbath and the Passover (cf. 19:14), requested Pilate to order the legs of the three who had been crucified to be broken. This would hasten their deaths, so that the bodies could be removed before the beginning of the Sabbath at 6 p.m. This was based on the law of Deut 21:22-23 and Josh 8:29 that specified the bodies of executed criminals who had been hanged on a tree should not remain there overnight. According to Josephus this law was interpreted in the 1st century to cover the bodies of those who had been crucified (J. W. 4.5.2 [4.317]). Philo of Alexandria also mentions that on occasion, especially at festivals, the bodies were taken down and given to relatives to bury (Flaccus 10 [83]). The normal Roman practice would have been to leave the bodies on the crosses, to serve as a warning to other would-be offenders.
146 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
147 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. See also the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 7.
148 tn Grk “asked Pilate that the legs of them might be broken.” The referent of “them” (the three individuals who were crucified, collectively referred to as “the victims”) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
149 sn To have the legs…broken. Breaking the legs of a crucified person was a way of speeding up his death, since the victim could no longer use his legs to push upward in order to be able to draw a breath. This breaking of the legs was called in Latin crurifragium, and was done with a heavy mallet.
150 tn Grk “asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and they might be taken down.” Here because of the numerous ambiguous third person references it is necessary to clarify that it was the crucified men whose legs were to be broken and whose corpses were to be removed from the crosses.
151 sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.
152 tn Grk “with him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
153 tn Grk “broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him.”
157 sn If it was obvious to the soldiers that the victim was already dead it is difficult to see why one of them would try to inflict a wound. The Greek verb pierced (νύσσω, nussw) can indicate anything from a slight prod to a mortal wound. Probably one of the soldiers gave an exploratory stab to see if the body would jerk. If not, he was really dead. This thrust was hard enough to penetrate the side, since the author states that blood and water flowed out immediately.
158 sn How is the reference to the blood and water that flowed out from Jesus’ side to be understood? This is probably to be connected with the statements in 1 John 5:6-8. In both passages water, blood, and testimony are mentioned. The Spirit is also mentioned in 1 John 5:7 as the source of the testimony, while here the testimony comes from one of the disciples (19:35). The connection between the Spirit and the living water with Jesus’ statement of thirst just before he died in the preceding context has already been noted (see 19:28). For the author, the water which flowed out of Jesus’ side was a symbolic reference to the Holy Spirit who could now be given because Jesus was now glorified (cf. 7:39); Jesus had now departed and returned to that glory which he had with the Father before the creation of the world (cf. 17:5). The mention of blood recalls the motif of the Passover lamb as a sacrificial victim. Later references to sacrificial procedures in the Mishnah appear to support this: m. Pesahim 5:3 and 5:5 state that the blood of the sacrificial animal should not be allowed to congeal but should flow forth freely at the instant of death so that it could be used for sprinkling; m. Tamid 4:2 actually specifies that the priest is to pierce the heart of the sacrificial victim and cause the blood to come forth.
163 tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
164 tn Grk “and that one.”
165 sn A parenthetical note by the author.
169 sn A quotation from Exod 12:46, Num 9:12, and Ps 34:20. A number of different OT passages lie behind this quotation: Exod 12:10 LXX, Exod 12:46, Num 9:12, or Ps 34:20. Of these, the first is the closest in form to the quotation here. The first three are all more likely candidates than the last, since the first three all deal with descriptions of the Passover lamb.
175 sn A quotation from Zech 12:10. Here a single phrase is quoted from Zech 12, but the entire context is associated with the events surrounding the crucifixion. The “Spirit of grace and of supplication” is poured out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the first part of v. 10. A few verses later in 13:1 Yahweh (typically rendered as “Lord” in the OT) says “In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity.” The blood which flowed from Jesus’ pierced side may well be what the author saw as the connection here, since as the shedding of the blood of the sacrificial victim it represents cleansing from sin. Although the Jewish authorities and Roman soldiers certainly “looked on the one whom they have pierced” as he hung on the cross, the author may also have in mind the parousia (second coming) here. The context in Zech 12-14 is certainly the second coming, so that these who crucified Jesus will look upon him in another sense when he returns in judgment.
181 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially the Pharisees (see John 12:42). See also the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 7.
182 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
183 tn Grk “And Pilate.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
184 tn Grk “took away his body.”
187 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
188 sn See John 3:1-21.
189 tn Grk “came”; the words “accompanied Joseph” are not in the Greek text but are supplied for clarity.
190 sn Aloes refers to an aromatic resin from a plant similar to a lily, used for embalming a corpse.
191 sn The Roman pound (λίτρα, litra) weighed twelve ounces or 325 grams. Thus 100 Roman pounds would be about 32.5 kilograms or 75 pounds.
193 tn On this term see BDAG 140-41 s.v. ἄρωμα. The Jews did not practice embalming, so these materials were used to cover the stench of decay and slow decomposition.
194 tn The Fourth Gospel uses ὀθονίοις (oqonioi") to describe the wrappings, and this has caused a good deal of debate, since it appears to contradict the synoptic accounts which mention a σινδών (sindwn), a large single piece of linen cloth. If one understands ὀθονίοις to refer to smaller strips of cloth, like bandages, there would be a difference, but diminutive forms have often lost their diminutive force in Koine Greek (BDF §111.3), so there may not be any difference.
195 tn Grk “cloth as is the custom of the Jews to prepare for burial.”
199 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
200 sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.
201 tn Or “an orchard.”
202 tn Or “orchard.”
203 tn Grk “been placed.”
205 sn The day of preparation was the day before the Sabbath when everything had to be prepared for it, as no work could be done on the Sabbath.
206 sn The tomb was nearby. The Passover and the Sabbath would begin at 6 p.m., so those who had come to prepare and bury the body could not afford to waste time.