Skip to content
mannafest.faith
Read

John 19:3

in John 19

And they went up to Him again and again, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and slapping Him in the face.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

and they came unto him, and said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they struck him with their hands.

KJV

And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.

⋯

This verse in John 19

Commentary

14 notes on this verse

A commentator

Cyril of Jerusalem

SERMON ON THE PARALYTIC 12 · Written before 386.

They dressed him in a purple robe in mockery, of course. But they also fulfilled the prophecy, doing so under inspiration. For he was a King. However much they did it in a spirit of derision, still they did it. His royal dignity was emblematically heralded. So, likewise, though it was with thorns they crowned him, it was still a crown. And it was soldiers who crowned him. Kings are proclaimed by soldiers.

This site's exposition

twisted together a crown of thorns

on John 19:2-3

The soldiers stage a coronation: a crown of thorns, a purple robe, and the salute given to Caesar. Thorns came with the curse of the ground at Genesis 3:18. They are pressed onto the head of the man who carries that curse away.

This site's exposition

Hail, King of the Jews

The soldiers act out the title King of the Jews. Cyril of Jerusalem reads the mockery as a proclamation in spite of itself. The robe was a king's robe, and the crown of thorns was still a crown.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers3 voices

A commentator

Augustine of Hippo

Catena Aurea by Aquinas · Written before 430.

proposed

(Tr. cxvi) When the Jews had cried out that they did not wish Jesus to be released on account of the passover, but Barabbas, Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged Him. Pilate seems to have done this for no reason but to satisfy the malice of the Jews with some punishment short of death. On which account he allowed his band to do what follows, or perhaps even commanded them. The Evangelist only says however that the soldiers did so, not that Pilate commanded them: And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe, and said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote Him with their hands. (Tr. cxvi) Thus were fulfilled what Christ had prophesied of Himself; thus were martyrs taught to suffer all that the malice of persecutors could inflict; thus that kingdom which was not of this world conquered the proud world, not by fierce fighting, but by patient suffering.

A commentator

Augustine of Hippo

Tractates on John 116 · Written before 430.

proposed

On the Jews crying out that they did not wish Jesus to be released unto them at the passover, but Barabbas the robber; not the Saviour, but the murderer; not the Giver of life, but the destroyer, - "then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him." We must believe that Pilate acted thus for no other reason than that the Jews, glutted with the injuries done to Him, might consider themselves satisfied, and desist from madly pursuing Him even unto death. With a similar intention was it that, as governor, he also permitted his cohort to do what follows, or even perhaps ordered them, although the evangelist is silent on the subject. For he tells us what the soldiers did thereafter, but not that Pilate ordered it. "And the soldiers," he says, "platted a crown of thorns, and put it on His head, and they clothed Him with a purple robe. And they came to Him and said, Hail, King of the Jews! And they smote Him with their hands." Thus were fulfilled the very things which Christ had foretold of Himself; thus were the martyrs moulded for the endurance of all that their persecutors should be pleased to inflict; thus, by concealing for a time the terror of His power, He commended to us the prior imitation of His patience; thus the kingdom which was not of this world overcame that proud world, not by the ferocity of fighting, but by the humility of suffering; and thus the grain of corn that was yet to be multiplied was sown amid the horrors of shame, that it might come to fruition amid the wonders of glory.

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Catena Aurea by Aquinas · Written before 407.

proposed

(Hom. xxxiv) It was not at the command of the governor that they did this, but in order to gratify the Jews. For neither were they commanded by him to go to the garden in the night, but the Jews gave them money to go. He bore however all these insults silently. Yet do thou, when thou hearest of them, keep stedfastly in thy mind the King of the whole earth, and Lord of Angels bearing all these contumelies in silence, and imitate His example.

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on John · Written before 1107.

proposed

But the soldiers do everything to please the Jews. They had heard Pilate say, "I will release the King of the Jews"; therefore they mock Him as a king. For it was not by Pilate's order that they did this, nor did those who went …

A commentator

Bonaventure

Commentary on John, Chapter 19 · Written in the 13th century.

proposed

Then the mockery in the salutation: whence he says: And they came to him and said: Hail, King of the Jews, and this indeed as a reproach: Lamentations three: "He shall be filled with reproaches." — Not only in word, but in reverence, because in …
6 more voices on this verse

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Thomas Aquinas

Commentary on John · Written before 1274.

proposed

2377 Thirdly, they mock him the way they address him: they came up to him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! It was the custom then, as it is now, for subjects to salute their king when they came into his presence: "And when Hushai …

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

And said, hail, King of the Jews!....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

But thus hath Christ's holy religion been basely misrepresented, dressed up by bad men at their pleasure, and so exposed to contempt and ridicule, as Christ was here. [1.] They clothe him with a mock-robe, as if it were a sham and a jest, and nothing but the product of a heated fancy and a crazed imagination.

The Nineteenth Century3 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

And said, Hail, King of the Jews!--doing Him derisive homage, in the form used on approaching the emperors. "And they spit upon Him, and took the reed and smote Him on the head" (Mt 27:30). The best comment on these affecting details is to cover the face.
Pilate said to the Jewish religious leaders, "Look, here is your king!" Then they shouted out, "Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!" Pilate asked, "Shall I crucify your king?" The high priests replied, "We have no king except Caesar!" Then Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. These verses exhibit to our eyes a wonderful picture, a picture which ought to be deeply interesting to all who profess and call themselves Christians. Like every great historical picture, it contains special points on which we should fix our special attention.
Pilate said to the Jewish religious leaders, "Look, here is your king!" Then they shouted out, "Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!" Pilate asked, "Shall I crucify your king?" The high priests replied, "We have no king except Caesar!" Then Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. These verses exhibit to our eyes a wonderful picture, a picture which ought to be deeply interesting to all who profess and call themselves Christians. Like every great historical picture, it contains special points on which we should fix our special attention. Above all, it contains three life-like portraits, which we shall find it useful to examine in order. The first portrait in the picture is that of our Lord JESUS CHRIST himself. We see the Savior of mankind scourged, crowned with thorns, mocked, smitten, rejected by His own people, unjustly condemned by a judge who saw no fault in Him, and finally delivered up to a most painful death. Yet this was He who was the eternal Son of God, whom the Father's countless angels delighted to honor. This was He who came into the world to save sinners, and after living a blameless life for thirty years, spent the last three years of His time on earth in going about doing good, and preaching the Gospel. Surely the sun never shone on a more wondrous sight since the day of its creation! Let us admire that love of Christ which Paul declares, "passes knowledge," and let us see an endless depth of meaning in the expression. There is no earthly love with which it can be compared, and no standard by which to measure it. It is a love that stands alone. Never let us forget when we ponder this tale of suffering, that Jesus suffered for our sins, the Just for the unjust, that He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities, and that with His stripes we are healed.

The words behind it

15 Greek words

Every 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.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

12 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Matthew 27:29And they twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand and knelt down before Him to mock Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”5 worksMark 14:65Then some of them began to spit on Him. They blindfolded Him, struck Him with their fists, and said to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers received Him with slaps in His face.5 worksJohn 18:33Pilate went back into the Praetorium, summoned Jesus, and asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”4 worksJohn 18:22When Jesus had said this, one of the officers standing nearby slapped Him in the face and said, “Is this how You answer the high priest?”4 worksMicah 5:1Now, O daughter of troops, mobilize your troops; for a siege is laid against us! With a rod they will strike the cheek of the judge of Israel.4 worksLuke 1:28The angel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”3 works
The other 6 cross-references, with their words ▾
Matthew 26:49Going directly to Jesus, he said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.3 worksLuke 23:3So Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied.3 worksMatthew 26:67Then they spit in His face and struck Him. Others slapped Him3 worksJohn 19:19–22Pilate also had a notice posted on the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.2 worksLuke 23:38Above Him was posted an inscription: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.2 worksJohn 19:14It was the day of Preparation for the Passover, about the sixth hour. And Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is your King!”2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Luke 1:28

    The angel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

    it leads to

    • Judges 6:12

      And the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon and said, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.”

    • Daniel 10:19

      “Do not be afraid, you who are highly precious,” he said. “Peace be with you! Be strong now; be very strong!” As he spoke with me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord,…

    • Luke 1:30

      So the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

    • Ephesians 1:6

      to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.

    • Daniel 9:21–23

      while I was still praying, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.

  • Through

    Matthew 27:29

    And they twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand and knelt down before Him to mock Him, saying, “Hail, King of…

    it leads to

    • Mark 15:18

      And they began to salute Him: “Hail, King of the Jews!”

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Isaiah 53:3

      He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.

    • Matthew 20:19

      and will deliver Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. And on the third day He will be raised to life.”

Where this verse is studied

About John

Christ Presented to the People — Gustave Doré (engraving), public domain
Christ Presented to the People — Gustave Doré (engraving), public domain
John: the study guide →Read John 19 →
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Augustine of Hippo, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Augustine of Hippo, Tractates on John 116; Bonaventure, Commentary on John, Chapter 19; Cyril of Jerusalem, SERMON ON THE PARALYTIC 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, Homilies on St. John; John Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on John and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on John.

Read on in John 19 →