John 18:5

18:5 They replied, ¹  “Jesus the Nazarene.” He told them, “I am he.” (Now Judas, the one who betrayed him, was standing there with them.) ² 

John 19:19

19:19 Pilate also had a notice ³  written and fastened to the cross, ⁴  which read: ⁵  “Jesus the Nazarene, the king of the Jews.”

[18:5]  ¹ tn Grk “They answered.”

[18:5]  ² sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. Before he states the response to Jesus’ identification of himself, the author inserts a parenthetical note that Judas, again identified as the one who betrayed him (cf. 18:2), was standing with the group of soldiers and officers of the chief priests. Many commentators have considered this to be an awkward insertion, but in fact it heightens considerably the dramatic effect of the response to Jesus’ self-identification in the following verse, and has the added effect of informing the reader that along with the others the betrayer himself ironically falls down at Jesus’ feet (18:6).

[19:19]  ³ tn Or “an inscription.”

[19:19]  ⁴ 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.

[19:19]  ⁵ tn Grk “Now it was written.”