John 18:33
in John 18Pilate went back into the Praetorium, summoned Jesus, and asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Pilate therefore entered again into the Prætorium, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
KJV
Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
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This verse in John 18
Commentary
16 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Pilate . . . called Jesus, and said . . . Art thou the King of the Jews?--In Lu 23:2 they charge our Lord before Pilate with "perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar, saying that He Himself is Christ a king." Perhaps this was what occasioned Pilate's question.
This site's exposition
Are You the King of the Jews
on John 18:33-35
Are You the King of the Jews is a charge of treason, the one charge a Roman governor would hear. Jesus asks whether Pilate speaks for himself or repeats what others have told him. Am I a Jew puts the dispute back on them.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Pilate, wishing to be freed from trouble, doth not dismiss Him for a long trial, but, "Having entered in, he asked Jesus, and said, Art thou the King of the Jews?" ... Pilate had heard this saying from many, and, since the accusers had nothing to say, in order that the enquiry might not be a long one, he desires to bring forward that which was continually reported. But when he said to them, "Judge him according to your law," wishing to show that His offense was not a Jewish one, they replied, "It is not lawful for us." "He hath not sinned against our law, but the indictment is general." Pilate then, having perceived this, saith, as being (himself) likely to be endangered, "Art thou the King of the Jews?"
But why was it that Pilate made the enquiry not in their presence, but apart, having gone into the judgment hall? He suspected something great respecting Him, and wished, without being troubled by the Jews, to learn all accurately.
A commentator
Cyril of AlexandriaCommentary on the Gospel of John, Book 12 · Written before 444.
proposed
Having nothing at all to accuse Him of, and none of those crimes to allege against Him, which seem to bring in their train just punishment on the doers of them, and Pilate persisting in inquiring why they had brought Him, they assert that Jesus had sinned against Caesar, in assuming on Himself the dominion which Caesar had acquired over the Jews, and in changing the glory of his kingdom to suit His personal pretensions.
The Medieval Church2 voices
2343 Above, the Evangelist told how Pilate examined Christ before those who accused him; here he describes how Pilate questioned him in private. First, the Evangelist gives Pilate's question; then, the answer of Jesus (v 34). In regard to the first he does two things: …
i. e. Apart, because he had a strong suspicion that He was innocent, and thought he could examine Him more accurately, away from the crowd: and said unto Him, Art Thou the King of the Jews?
9 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church3 voices
Pilate called Jesus aside privately. Since there was a high opinion about Him, he wanted to learn everything more precisely, away from the tumult of the Jews. So he asks Him whether He is a king. What everyone was saying, that is what he brings …
"Then Pilate entered again," etc. Having set forth the handing over of Christ, by which the Jews delivered him to Pilate, there is set forth here his examination conducted by Pilate, in which four things are indicated: first, the inquiry; then, the origin of the …
Wherein Pilate shows that the Jews had charged Him with calling Himself King of the Jews.
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
Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again,....
The Nineteenth Century4 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.
Art thou the king of the Jews? - St. Luke says, expressly, Luk 23:2, that when the Jews brought him to Pilate they began to accuse him as a rebel, who said he was king of the Jews, and forbade the people to pay tribute to Caesar. It was in consequence of this accusation that Pilate asked the question mentioned in the text.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Art thou the King of the Jews? - This was after they had accused him of perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, Luk 23:2-3.
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Εἰσῆλθεν | eiselthen | Entered | G1525 → | 194 times |
| οὖν | oun | therefore | G3767 → | 497 times |
| πάλιν | palin | again | G3825 → | 139 times |
| εἰς | eis | into | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πραιτώριον | praitorion | Praetorium | G4232 → | 8 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Πιλᾶτος | pilatos | Pilate | G4091 → | 55 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐφώνησεν | ephonesen | he called | G5455 → | 43 times |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰησοῦν | iesoun | Jesus | G2424 → | 908 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| εἶπεν | eipen | said | G2036 → | 925 times |
| αὐτῷ· | auto | to Him; | G846 → | 5565 times |
| σὺ | su | You yourself | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| εἶ | ei | are | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| βασιλεὺς | basileus | King | G935 → | 114 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰουδαίων; | ioudaion | Jews? | G2453 → | 192 times |
ΕἰσῆλθενEntered
eiselthenG1525 →194 times
οὖνtherefore
ounG3767 →497 times
πάλινagain
palinG3825 →139 times
εἰςinto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
πραιτώριονPraetorium
praitorionG4232 →8 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
ΠιλᾶτοςPilate
pilatosG4091 →55 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐφώνησενhe called
ephonesenG5455 →43 times
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἸησοῦνJesus
iesounG2424 →908 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
εἶπενsaid
eipenG2036 →925 times
αὐτῷ·to Him;
autoG846 →5565 times
σὺYou yourself
suG4771 →2973 times
εἶare
eiG1510 →2333 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
βασιλεὺςKing
basileusG935 →114 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
Ἰουδαίων;Jews?
ioudaionG2453 →192 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 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
Zechariah 9:9Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of…
it leads to
- Matthew 21:4–7
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
- Zephaniah 3:14–15
Sing for joy, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem!
- John 12:13–16
They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting: “Hosanna!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!”
- Zechariah 2:10
“Shout for joy and be glad, O Daughter of Zion, for I am coming to dwell among you,” declares the LORD.
- Jeremiah 23:5–6
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
- Matthew 21:4–7
Through
John 12:13They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting: “Hosanna!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!”
it leads to
- Psalms 118:25–26
O LORD, save us, we pray. We beseech You, O LORD, cause us to prosper!
- Revelation 15:3
and they sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb: “Great and wonderful are Your works, O Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the nations!
- Matthew 21:9–11
The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!”
- Psalms 118:25–26
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies18
On this chapter
About John
This page draws on 16 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Alcuin of York, 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 Calvin, Commentary on the Gospel according to John; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of John 83; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of John 84; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on John and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on John.