John 18:28

Jesus Brought Before Pilate

18:28 Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the Roman governor’s residence. ¹  (Now it was very early morning.) ²  They ³  did not go into the governor’s residence ⁴  so they would not be ceremonially defiled, but could eat the Passover meal.

John 18:30

18:30 They replied, ⁵  “If this man ⁶  were not a criminal, ⁷  we would not have handed him over to you.” ⁸ 

John 18:35

18:35 Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? ⁹  Your own people ¹⁰  and your chief priests handed you over ¹¹  to me. What have you done?”

[18:28]  ¹ tn Grk “to the praetorium.”

[18:28]  ² sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[18:28]  ³ tn Grk “And they.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[18:28]  ⁴ tn Grk “into the praetorium.”

[18:30]  ⁵ tn Grk “They answered and said to him.”

[18:30]  ⁶ tn Grk “this one.”

[18:30]  ⁷ tn Or “an evildoer”; Grk “one doing evil.”

[18:30]  ⁸ tn Or “would not have delivered him over.”

[18:35]  ⁹ sn Many have seen in Pilate’s reply “I am not a Jew, am I?” the Roman contempt for the Jewish people. Some of that may indeed be present, but strictly speaking, all Pilate affirms is that he, as a Roman, has no firsthand knowledge of Jewish custom or belief. What he knows of Jesus must have come from the Jewish authorities. They are the ones (your own people and your chief priests) who have handed Jesus over to Pilate.

[18:35]  ¹⁰ tn Or “your own nation.”

[18:35]  ¹¹ tn Or “delivered you over.”