John 18:29
in John 18So Pilate went out to them and asked, “What accusation are you bringing against this man?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Pilate therefore went out unto them, and saith, What accusation bring ye against this man?
KJV
Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man?
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This verse in John 18
Commentary
15 notes on this versePilate then went out - This was an act of condescension; but, as the Romans had confirmed to the Jews the free use of all their rites and ceremonies, the governor could not do less than comply with them in this matter. He went out to them, that they might not be obliged to come into the hall, and thus run the risk of being defiled.
This site's exposition
What accusation are you bringing
on John 18:29-32
Pilate asks for the charge and gets none. Told to judge Him by their own law, they answer that Rome kept the power of execution. John reads their answer as the word of Jesus coming true, the kind of death He would die, crucifixion being Rome's and stoning theirs.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
A commentator
Cyril of AlexandriaCommentary on the Gospel of John, Book 12 · Written before 444.
proposed
Pilate therefore went out unto them, and saith, What accusation bring ye against this Man? They shrank from the pollution, as they deemed it, of stones and walls, but Pilate went forth and inquired of them the reason of their coming to him, and required them to tell him the charges against the Captive they had brought unto him, judging the leaders of the Jews on the other hand. For, though he was a foreigner, he held in respect the ordinances of the Jews, and treated with consideration their prevailing customs.
We must look into this passage in order to show that it contains nothing inconsistent with Luke's version, which states that certain charges were brought against Him, and also specifies their terms. For Luke's words are these: "And they began to accuse Him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a king." On the other hand, according to the paragraph which I have now cited from John, the Jews seem to have been unwilling to state any specific accusations, when Pilate asked them, "What accusation bring ye against this man?" For their reply was, "If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee;" the purport of which was, that he should accept their authority, cease to inquire what fault was alleged against Him, and believe Him guilty for the simple reason that He had been [reckoned] worthy of being delivered up by them to him. This being the case, then, we ought to suppose that both these versions report words which were actually said, both the one before us at present, and the one given by Luke. For among the multitude of sayings and replies which passed between the parties, these writers have made their own selections as far as their judgment allowed them to go, and each of them has introduced into his narrative just what he considered sufficient. It is also true that John himself mentions certain charges which were alleged against Him, and which we shall find in their proper connections.
"Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man? They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee." Let the question be put to, and the answer come from, those who had been delivered from foul spirits, from the sickly who had been healed, the lepers who had been cleansed, the deaf who were hearing, the dumb who were speaking, the blind who were seeing, the dead who were raised to life, and, above all, the foolish who were become wise, whether Jesus were a malefactor. But these things were said by those of whom He Himself had already foretold by the prophet, "They rewarded me evil for good."
(Tr. cxiv) Ask the freed from unclean spirits, the blind who saw, the dead who came to life again, and, what is greater than all, the fools who were made wise, and let them answer, whether Jesus was a malefactor. But they spoke, of whom He had Himself prophesied in the Psalms, They rewarded Me evil for good. (Ps. 39.)
"And having gone out, he said, What accusation bring ye against this man?" Seest thou that he was free from fondness for rule and from malice? For seeing Jesus bound, and led by so many persons, he did not think that they had unquestionable proof of their accusation, but questions them, thinking it a strange thing that they should take for themselves the judgment, and then commit the punishment without any judgment to him.
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church4 voices
Pilate acts somewhat more justly. He himself comes out. And although he saw the Lord bound, nevertheless, he did not consider this sufficient for the accusation of Christ, but asks why He is bound.
Pilate however proceeds in a more gentle way: Pilate then went out unto them.
"Pilate therefore went out to them and said." Here the falsity of the Jews is touched upon, because they impose a false charge upon Christ at the inquiry of Pilate: whence he says: "What accusation do you bring against this man?" As if he were …
2335 Now we see the deference Pilate showed them when he says, So Pilate went out to them, to take Christ, whom they were offering, and said, What accusation do you bring against this man? In this examination of Christ, we see first, how Christ …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The servant's name was Malchus. 11 Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? 12 Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him, The hour was now come that the captain of our salvation, who was to be made perfect by sufferings, should engage the enemy.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-run:47w-of-70
Pilate then went out unto them,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1869)
proposed
Pilate told them, "Take him yourselves and pass judgment on him according to your own law!" The Jewish religious leaders replied, "We cannot legally put anyone to death." (This happened to fulfill the word Jesus had spoken when he indicated what kind of death he was going to die.) So Pilate went back into the governor’s residence, summoned Jesus, and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus replied, "Are you saying this on your own initiative, or have others told you about me?" Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I?
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1869)
proposed
Pilate told them, "Take him yourselves and pass judgment on him according to your own law!" The Jewish religious leaders replied, "We cannot legally put anyone to death." (This happened to fulfill the word Jesus had spoken when he indicated what kind of death he was going to die.) So Pilate went back into the governor’s residence, summoned Jesus, and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus replied, "Are you saying this on your own initiative, or have others told you about me?" Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own people and your chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?" Jesus replied, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish authorities. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here." Then Pilate said, "So you are a king!" Jesus replied, "You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world—to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice." Pilate asked, "What is truth?" When he had said this he went back outside to the Jewish religious leaders and announced, "I find no basis for an accusation against him. But it is your custom that I release one prisoner for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?" Then they shouted back, "Not this man, but Barabbas!" (Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.) The verses we have now read contain four striking points, which are only found in John's narrative of Christ's passion. We need not doubt that there were good reasons why Matthew, Mark, and Luke were not inspired to record them. But they are points of such deep interest, that we should feel thankful that they have been brought forward by John.
The words behind it
16 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐξῆλθεν | exelthen | Went | G1831 → | 216 times |
| οὖν | oun | therefore | G3767 → | 497 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Πιλᾶτος | pilatos | Pilate | G4091 → | 55 times |
| ἔξω | exo | out | G1854 → | 63 times |
| πρὸς | pros | to | G4314 → | 700 times |
| αὐτοὺς | autous | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| φησίν· | phesin | said; | G5346 → | 66 times |
| τίνα | tina | What | G5101 → | 563 times |
| κατηγορίαν | kategorian | accusation | G2724 → | |
| φέρετε | pherete | bring you | G5342 → | 66 times |
| κατὰ | kata | against | G2596 → | 468 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀνθρώπου | anthropou | man | G444 → | 549 times |
| τούτου;¶ | toutou | this? | G3778 → | 1381 times |
ἐξῆλθενWent
exelthenG1831 →216 times
οὖνtherefore
ounG3767 →497 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
ΠιλᾶτοςPilate
pilatosG4091 →55 times
ἔξωout
exoG1854 →63 times
πρὸςto
prosG4314 →700 times
αὐτοὺςthem
autousG846 →5565 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
φησίν·said;
phesinG5346 →66 times
τίναWhat
tinaG5101 →563 times
κατηγορίανaccusation
kategorianG2724 →
φέρετεbring you
phereteG5342 →66 times
κατὰagainst
kataG2596 →468 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
ἀνθρώπουman
anthropouG444 →549 times
τούτου;¶this?
toutouG3778 →1381 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 27:23“Why?” asked Pilate. “What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!”
it leads to
- Acts 23:12–15
When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
- Genesis 37:18–19
Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him.
- Acts 7:57
At this they covered their ears, cried out in a loud voice, and rushed together at him.
- Acts 23:10
The dispute grew so violent that the commander was afraid they would tear Paul to pieces. He ordered the soldiers to go down and remove him by force and bring him into the barracks.
- Acts 17:5–7
The Jews, however, became jealous. So they brought in some troublemakers from the marketplace, formed a mob, and sent the city into an uproar. They raided Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas,…
- Acts 23:12–15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies18
On this chapter
About John
This page draws on 15 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Augustine of Hippo, The Harmony of the Gospels, Book 3; Augustine of Hippo, Tractates on John 114; Augustine of Hippo, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bonaventure, Commentary on John, Chapter 18; Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book 12; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of John 83; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on John; Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on John.