Nehemiah 6:6

6:6 Written in it were the following words:

“Among the nations it is rumored ¹  (and Geshem ²  has substantiated ³  this) that you and the Jews have intentions of revolting, and for this reason you are building the wall. Furthermore, according to these rumors ⁴  you are going to become their king.

Ezra 4:15-16

4:15 so that he may initiate a search of the records ⁵  of his predecessors ⁶  and discover in those records ⁷  that this city is rebellious ⁸  and injurious to both kings and provinces, producing internal revolts ⁹  from long ago. ¹⁰  It is for this very reason that this city was destroyed. 4:16 We therefore are informing the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, you will not retain control ¹¹  of this portion of Trans-Euphrates.”

Luke 23:2

23:2 They ¹²  began to accuse ¹³  him, saying, “We found this man subverting ¹⁴  our nation, forbidding ¹⁵  us to pay the tribute tax ¹⁶  to Caesar ¹⁷  and claiming that he himself is Christ, ¹⁸  a king.”

John 19:12

19:12 From this point on, Pilate tried ¹⁹  to release him. But the Jewish leaders ²⁰  shouted out, ²¹  “If you release this man, ²²  you are no friend of Caesar! ²³  Everyone who claims to be a king ²⁴  opposes Caesar!”

Acts 24:5

24:5 For we have found ²⁵  this man to be a troublemaker, ²⁶  one who stirs up riots ²⁷  among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader ²⁸  of the sect of the Nazarenes. ²⁹ 

¹ tn Heb “heard.”

² tn Heb “Gashmu”; in Neh 2:19 this name appears as Geshem. Since it is important for the modern reader to recognize that this is the same individual, the form of the name used here in the translation is the same as that in v. 19.

³ tn Heb “is saying.”

⁴ tn Heb “words.” So also in v. 7.

⁵ tn Aram “the book of the minutes.”

⁶ tn Aram “of your fathers.”

⁷ tn Aram “discover…and learn.” For stylistic reasons this has been translated as a single concept.

⁸ tn Aram “is a rebellious city.”

⁹ tn Aram “revolts they are making in its midst.”

¹⁰ tn Aram “from olden days.” So also in v. 19.

¹¹ tn Aram “will not be to you.”

¹² tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

¹³ sn They began to accuse him. There were three charges: (1) disturbing Jewish peace; (2) fomenting rebellion through advocating not paying taxes (a lie – 20:20-26); and (3) claiming to be a political threat to Rome, by claiming to be a king, an allusion to Jesus’ messianic claims. The second and third charges were a direct challenge to Roman authority. Pilate would be forced to do something about them.

¹⁴ tn On the use of the term διαστρέφω (diastrefw) here, see L&N 31.71 and 88.264.

¹⁵ tn Grk “and forbidding.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated to suggest to the English reader that this and the following charge are specifics, while the previous charge was a summary one. See the note on the word “misleading” earlier in this verse.

¹⁶ tn This was a “poll tax.” L&N 57.182 states this was “a payment made by the people of one nation to another, with the implication that this is a symbol of submission and dependence – ‘tribute tax.’”

¹⁷ tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

¹⁸ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

¹⁹ tn Grk “sought.”

²⁰ 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.

²¹ tn Grk “shouted out, saying.”

²² tn Grk “this one.”

²³ 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 (a.d. 69-79). But there appears to be significant evidence for much earlier usage. Some of this is given in BDAG 498-99 s.v. Καῖσαρ. E. Bammel (“φίλος τοῦ καίσαρος (John 19:12),” TLZ 77 [1952]: 205-10) listed significant and convincing arguments that the official title was indeed in use at the time. Granting that the title was in use during this period, what is the likelihood that it had been bestowed on Pilate? Pilate was of the equestrian order, that is, of lower nobility as opposed to senatorial rank. As such he would have been eligible to receive such an honor. It also appears that the powerful Sejanus was his patron in Rome, and Sejanus held considerable influence with Tiberius. Tacitus (Annals 6.8) quotes Marcus Terentius in his defense before the Senate as saying that close friendship with Sejanus “was in every case a powerful recommendation to the Emperor’s friendship.” Thus it is possible that Pilate held this honor. Therefore it appears that the Jewish authorities were putting a good deal of psychological pressure on Pilate to convict Jesus. They had, in effect, finally specified the charge against Jesus as treason: “Everyone who makes himself to be king opposes Caesar.” If Pilate now failed to convict Jesus the Jewish authorities could complain to Rome that Pilate had released a traitor. This possibility carried more weight with Pilate than might at first be evident: (1) Pilate’s record as governor was not entirely above reproach; (2) Tiberius, who lived away from Rome as a virtual recluse on the island of Capri, was known for his suspicious nature, especially toward rivals or those who posed a political threat; and (3) worst of all, Pilate’s patron in Rome, Sejanus, had recently come under suspicion of plotting to seize the imperial succession for himself. Sejanus was deposed in October of a.d. 31. It may have been to Sejanus that Pilate owed his appointment in Judea. Pilate was now in a very delicate position. The Jewish authorities may have known something of this and deliberately used it as leverage against him. Whether or not they knew just how potent their veiled threat was, it had the desired effect. Pilate went directly to the judgment seat to pronounce his judgment.

²⁴ tn Grk “who makes himself out to be a king.”

²⁵ tn Grk “For having found.” The participle εὑρόντες (Jeurontes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

²⁶ tn L&N 22.6 has “(a figurative extension of meaning of λοιμός ‘plague,’ 23.158) one who causes all sorts of trouble – ‘troublemaker, pest.’ … ‘for we have found this man to be a troublemaker” Ac 24:5.”

²⁷ tn Or “dissensions.” While BDAG 940 s.v. στάσις 3 translates this phrase “κινεῖν στάσεις (v.l. στάσιν) τισί create dissension among certain people Ac 24:5,” it is better on the basis of the actual results of Paul’s ministry to categorize this usage under section 2, “uprising, riot, revolt, rebellion” (cf. the use in Acts 19:40).

²⁸ tn This term is yet another NT hapax legomenon (BDAG 894 s.v. πρωτοστάτης).

²⁹ sn The sect of the Nazarenes is a designation for followers of Jesus the Nazarene, that is, Christians.