John 18:31

18:31 Pilate told them, ¹  “Take him yourselves and pass judgment on him ²  according to your own law!” ³  The Jewish leaders ⁴  replied, ⁵  “We cannot legally put anyone to death.” ⁶ 

John 19:7-8

19:7 The Jewish leaders ⁷  replied, ⁸  “We have a law, ⁹  and according to our law he ought to die, because he claimed to be the Son of God!” ¹⁰ 

19:8 When Pilate heard what they said, ¹¹  he was more afraid than ever, ¹² 

[18:31]  ¹ tn Grk “Then Pilate said to them.”

[18:31]  ² tn Or “judge him.” For the translation “pass judgment on him” see R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:848).

[18:31]  ³ sn Pilate, as the sole representative of Rome in a troubled area, was probably in Jerusalem for the Passover because of the danger of an uprising (the normal residence for the Roman governor was in Caesarea as mentioned in Acts 23:35). At this time on the eve of the feast he would have been a busy and perhaps even a worried man. It is not surprising that he offered to hand Jesus back over to the Jewish authorities to pass judgment on him. It may well be that Pilate realized when no specific charge was mentioned that he was dealing with an internal dispute over some religious matter. Pilate wanted nothing to do with such matters, as the statement “Pass judgment on him according to your own law!” indicates. As far as the author is concerned, this points out who was really responsible for Jesus’ death: The Roman governor Pilate would have had nothing to do with it if he had not been pressured by the Jewish religious authorities, upon whom the real responsibility rested.

[18:31]  ⁴ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin. See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 12.

[18:31]  ⁵ tn Grk “said to him.”

[18:31]  ⁶ tn Grk “It is not permitted to us to kill anyone.”

[19:7]  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).

[19:7]  ⁸ tn Grk “answered him.”

[19:7]  ⁹ sn This law is not the entire Pentateuch, but Lev 24:16.

[19:7]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “because he made himself out to be the Son of God.”

[19:8]  ¹¹ tn Grk “heard this word.”

[19:8]  ¹² tn Grk “became more afraid.”