Luke 23:4
in Luke 23Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Pilate said unto the chief priests and the multitudes, I find no fault in this man.
KJV
Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.
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This verse in Luke 23
Commentary
13 notes on this verseOur Lord is accused and is silent, for He needs no defence. Let them cast about for defence who fear to be conquered. He does not then confirm, the accusation by His silence, but He despises it by not refuting it. Why then should He fear who does not court safety? The Safety of all men forfeits His own, that He may gain that of all.
This site's exposition
the King of the Jews
on Luke 23:3-4
Asked if He was the King of the Jews, Jesus replied, You have said so, owning the title while leaving aside Pilate's political sense. Pilate's verdict, I find no basis for a charge against this man, is Luke's first of three acquittals, written for Gentile readers under Rome.
This site's exposition
I find no basis for a charge against this man
This is the first of Pilate's three acquittals. Adam Clarke, following John 18, places it after Jesus had told Pilate that his kingdom belonged to another world. The royal claim therefore posed no threat to Rome.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
A commentator
Cyril of AlexandriaCommentary on the Gospel of Luke, Sermon 151 · Written before 444.
proposed
At language thus unbridled in its violence God in His anger has somewhere said, by one of the holy prophets, "But draw you near, you wicked children, you seed of adulterers and the harlot: at Whom made you merry? and against Whom opened you your mouth? and against Whom sent you forth your tongue? Are you not sons of perdition; and an iniquitous seed?" And the prophet David also somewhere describes them in the Psalms, thus addressing God the Father in heaven, "Scatter them in Your might, and restrain them, O Lord, my helper.
A commentator
Ambrose of MilanEXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 10.97-98 · Written before 397.
proposed
There follows an admirable place, where the patience to bear moral harm is poured into the human breast. The Lord is accused, and he is silent: and he is right to be silent, who does not need to defend himself. Let those who fear to be conquered, roam around seeking to be defended. Therefore, he does not confirm the accusation by fearing it, but he despises it by not refuting it. For what would he fear, who does not seek salvation? He betrayed his own salvation for the salvation of all, that it may be acquired by all. And here Pilate absolves: but he absolves by judgment, he crucifies by mystery. But this is specific to Christ: the human aspect, that with unjust judges it seemed more a matter of unwillingness than inability to be defended. But why did the Lord remain silent? He himself gave the answer, saying: If I tell you, you will not believe me; if I ask you, you will not answer me. However, the most remarkable thing is that he preferred to prove himself as a king rather than to speak; so that those who accuse him could not have a reason to condemn him, as they confess what they object to.
The Medieval Church3 voices
Therefore Pilate too, having understood the slander, openly says: "I find no fault in this man." In my opinion, even the very question which he puts to Christ is a mockery of the slander. For by saying: "Are You the King of the Jews?" he …
But Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds: I find no cause in this man. This is what he himself said to the disciples the day before he suffered among other things: For the prince of this world is coming, and he has …
Third, as to the just excuse, he adds: But Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds: I find no cause in this man. For concerning the first two charges he found no cause, because he was not seeking one nor had he judged …
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Then said Pilate to the Chief priests, and to the people,.... Both to the sanhedrim, and to the mob that were gathered together about the governor's palace on this occasion; and who were standing without the judgment hall, into which they would not enter, lest they should be defiled, and be unfit to eat the passover: wherefore Pilate came out to them; and this was the second time of his coming out to them, when he said the following words, Joh 18:
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
I find no fault in this man - According to Joh 18:36, Joh 18:38, Pilate did not say this till after our Lord had declared to him that his kingdom was not of this world; and probably not till after he had found, on examining witnesses, (Luk 23:14), that all their evidence amounted to no proof, of his having set up himself for a temporal king. See Bishop Pearce.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
Let us observe, for one thing, in this passage — what false accusations were laid to our Lord Jesus Christ's charge. We are told that the Jews accused Him of "subverting the nation, forbidding to give taxes to Caesar, and stirring up the people." In all this indictment, we know, there was not a word of truth. It was nothing but a devious attempt to enlist the Roman governor against our Lord. Lying and slander are two favorite weapons of the devil. He was a liar from the beginning, and is still the father of lies. (John 8:44.)
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
Let us observe, for one thing, in this passage — what false accusations were laid to our Lord Jesus Christ's charge. We are told that the Jews accused Him of "subverting the nation, forbidding to give taxes to Caesar, and stirring up the people." In all this indictment, we know, there was not a word of truth. It was nothing but a devious attempt to enlist the Roman governor against our Lord. Lying and slander are two favorite weapons of the devil. He was a liar from the beginning, and is still the father of lies. (John 8:44.) When he finds that he cannot stop God's work — his next device is to blacken the character of God's servants, and to destroy the value of their testimony. With this weapon, he assaulted David , "False witnesses," he says, "testify against me. They accuse me of crimes I know nothing about." With this weapon, he assaulted the prophets. Elijah was accused of being a "troubler of Israel!" Jeremiah was accused of undermining the nation, and being a traitor! With this weapon Satan assaulted the apostles . They were "pestilent fellows," and men who "turned the world upside down." With this weapon he assaulted our Lord all through His ministry. He stirred up his agents to call Him a glutton and a drunkard, a Samaritan and a devil! (Luke 7:34; John 8:48.) And here, in the verses before us, we find Satan plying his old weapon to the very last. Jesus is arraigned before Pilate upon charges which are utterly untrue. The servant of Christ must never be surprised if he has to drink of the same cup with his Lord. When He who was holy, harmless, and undefiled, was foully slandered — then who can expect to escape? "If they called the master of the house Beelzebub — then how much more will they call those of his household?" (Matthew 10:25.) Nothing is too evil to slander a saint with.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
I find no fault - I see no evidence that he is guilty of what you charge him with. This was after Pilate had taken Jesus into the judgment-hall by himself and examined him “privately,” and had been satisfied in regard to the nature of his kingdom. See Joh 18:33-38. He was “then” satisfied that though he claimed to be “a king,” yet his kingdom was not of this world, and that “his” claims did not interfere with those of Caesar.
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | And | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| Πιλᾶτος | pilatos | Pilate | G4091 → | 55 times |
| εἶπεν | eipen | said | G2036 → | 925 times |
| πρὸς | pros | to | G4314 → | 700 times |
| τοὺς | tous | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀρχιερεῖς | archiereis | chief priests | G749 → | 122 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τοὺς | tous | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὄχλους· | ochlous | crowds; | G3793 → | 175 times |
| οὐδὲν | ouden | No [thing] | G3762 → | 232 times |
| εὑρίσκω | heurisko | find I | G2147 → | 175 times |
| αἴτιον | aition | guilty | G159 → | 5 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀνθρώπῳ | anthropo | man | G444 → | 549 times |
| τούτῳ. | touto | this. | G3778 → | 1381 times |
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
δὲAnd
deG1161 →2765 times
ΠιλᾶτοςPilate
pilatosG4091 →55 times
εἶπενsaid
eipenG2036 →925 times
πρὸςto
prosG4314 →700 times
τοὺςthe
tousG3588 →19766 times
ἀρχιερεῖςchief priests
archiereisG749 →122 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τοὺςthe
tousG3588 →19766 times
ὄχλους·crowds;
ochlousG3793 →175 times
οὐδὲνNo [thing]
oudenG3762 →232 times
εὑρίσκωfind I
heuriskoG2147 →175 times
αἴτιονguilty
aitionG159 →5 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
ἀνθρώπῳman
anthropoG444 →549 times
τούτῳ.this.
toutoG3778 →1381 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
1 Peter 1:19but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.
it leads to
- 1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
- 1 Peter 2:22–24
“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.”
- John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
- Hebrews 9:12–14
He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.
- Revelation 5:9
And they sang a new song: “Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and…
- 1 John 1:7
Through
1 Peter 2:22“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.”
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 5:21
God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 53:9
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.
- Hebrews 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin.
- 2 Corinthians 5:21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Luke

This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Ambrose of Milan, EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 10.97-98; Bede, On the Gospel of Luke; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 23; Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, Sermon 151; J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, Luke; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748) and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Luke.
