John 19

John 19 is the nineteenth chapter of the Gospel of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The gospel identifies an unnamed "disciple whom Jesus loved" as its source and possible author.^[1][2] Early Christian tradition uniformly affirmed that John composed this Gospel.^[3] This chapter records the events on the day of the crucifixion of Jesus, until his burial.^[4]

Text

The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 42 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:

• Papyrus 90 (AD 150–175; extant verses 1–7)
• Papyrus 66 (c. 200; complete)
• Papyrus 121 (3rd century; extant verses 17–18,25-26)
• Codex Vaticanus (325–350)
• Codex Sinaiticus (330–360)
• Codex Bezae (c. 400)
• Codex Alexandrinus (400–440)
• Papyrus 60 (c. 700; extant verses 1–26)

Old Testament references

• John 19:24: Psalm 22:18^[5][6]
• John 19:28–29: Psalm 69:21–22^[7][6]
• John 19:36: Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12; Psalm 34:20;^[5]
• John 19:37: Zechariah 12:10^[6]

New Testament references

• John 18:28–19:16: Matthew 27:1–2,11–26; Mark 15:1–15; Luke 23:1–5,13–25
• John 19:2–3: Matthew 27:27–31; Mark 15:16–20
• John 19:17–24: Matthew 27:32–44; Mark 15:20–32; Luke 23:26,33–43
• John 19:28–30: Matthew 27:45–56; Mark 15:33–41; Luke 23:44–49
• John 19:38–42: Matthew 27:57–61; Mark 15:42–47; Luke 23:50–56

Places

The events recorded in this chapter took place in Jerusalem.

Structure

Swedish-based commentator René Kieffer divides this chapter into two sections:

• Verses 1-16a deal with Jesus' trial before Pilate, and are continuous with the events reported in the latter part of chapter 18
• Verses 16b-42 deal with his crucifixion, death and burial.

He further divides the first section into four parts: verses 1-3 (humiliation before Pilate), verses 4-7 (Pilate coming out of his headquarters with the mocked royal Jesus), verses 8-11 (Jesus' dialogue with Pilate) and verses 12-16a (the "decisive scene" determining Jesus' fate). Kieffer goes on to divide the second section into three parts: a narrative in verses 16b-30 leading to the death of Jesus, a theological commentary in verses 31-37, and a narrative concerning Jesus' burial in verses 38-42.^[8]

Verses 1-3: Jesus' humiliation before Pilate

Verse 1

Heinrich Meyer notes that Pilate "caused the scourging to be carried out", but this would have been done by his soldiers.^[9] The action was "inflicted without sentence [or] legality".^[9] According to Scottish Free Church minister William Nicoll, the scourging was meant as a compromise by Pilate, undertaken "in the ill-judged hope that this minor punishment might satisfy the Jews".^[10] Pilate stated three times (in John 18:39, 19:4 and 19:6) that he found no fault in Jesus.^[8]

Verse 2

Henry Alford describes the soldiers' action as "mock-reverential", rendered "as to a crowned king: coming probably with obeisances and pretended homage".^[11] Meyer also notes that this "contumelious" action of the soldiers was undertaken under Pilate's watch.^[9]

Verse 3

In the New Century Version, "they came to him many times and said ...".^[12] This additional wording reflects the insertion ἤρχοντο πρὸς αὐτὸν (ērchonto pros auton) in many early texts, but which was missing in the Textus Receptus. Karl Lachmann, Constantin von Tischendorf, Meyer and Westcott and Hort all adopt the additional wording.^[9][13]

Cross references: Matthew 27:29, Matthew 27:30; Mark 15:18; John 18:22.

Verses 4-8: Jesus' delivery to the Jewish religious leaders

Verse 5

Meyer reflects that the words "Behold the Man" (Ecce homo in Vulgate Latin; in the original Greek: Ἴδε ὁ ἄνθρωπος, or Ide ho anthrōpos) are "short [but] significant".^[9] To Alford, these words reflect the "accurate and graphic delineation of an eye-witness".^[11]

Verse 6

• "Crucify Him, crucify Him!": The words of the chief priests and officers in the Received Text are Greek: σταύρωσον, σταύρωσον, staurōson, staurōson,^[14] meaning "crucify! crucify!", with the word "him" being implied or added in English texts. The Jews did not possess the right of execution, nor was crucifixion a Jewish form of capital punishment.^[9]
• "No fault": or no crime (Revised Standard Version).^[15]

Verse 7

The reference to "the Jews" probably means "the Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence".^[16]

Critical texts refer to "the law", κατὰ τὸν νόμον (kata ton nomon), but the Textus Receptus reads "according to our law".^[17] Alfred Plummer, in the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, argues that "our" is not original.^[18]

Leviticus 24:16 ("the law") states:

Pilate was bound by Roman precedent to pay respect to the law of subject nationalities.^[18]

Verse 9

A second private examination by Pilate.^[10][18]

Verse 11

Jesus answered, "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin."^[19]

In this verse, Jesus tells Pilate that the priest who handed him over bears the greater sin. Historian Paula Fredriksen views it as part of a progressive shift, attested in the Passion narratives and Acts, that transfers responsibility for Jesus's crucifixion from Pilate to Jewish figures and, ultimately, to the entire population of Jerusalem.^[20]

Verse 19

Verse 19 in Greek

Textus Receptus/Majority Text:

Transliteration:

Verse 19 in Latin

Biblia Sacra Vulgata:

Verse 20

Verse 21

Verse 22

Verse 22 in Greek

Textus Receptus/Majority Text:

Transliteration:

Verse 22 in Latin

Biblia Sacra Vulgata:

Verse 23

Verse 24

The Greek λαγχάνειν (lagchanein) is properly translated not as "to cast lots", but "to obtain by lot". In this action, John sees a fulfilment of Psalm 22:18, the Septuagint version of which is quoted here.^[10]

Verse 25

Verse 26

Verse 27

"That hour" may indicate that "they did not wait at the cross to see the end and the disciple took her to his own home"; εἰς τὰ ἴδια, see John 1:11, John 16:32. Mary would live with John and his natural mother, Salome, who is also Mary's sister.^[21]

Verse 28

Referring to Psalm 69:21: They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.^[22]

Verse 29

• Referring to: Psalm 69:21
• Cross reference: Matthew 27:34; Mark 15:23; Luke 23:36

Verse 30

Verse 30 in Greek

Textus Receptus/Majority Text:

Transliteration:

Verse 30 in Latin

Biblia Sacra Vulgata:

Verse 31

Preparation Day was the day before the Passover.^[23] Verse 42 refers to this day as "the Jews' Preparation Day". Plummer suggests that "the addition of 'the Jews' may point to the time when there was already a Christian ‘preparation-day'".^[18]

Verse 34

For discussion of the physiological aspects of how water and blood might apparently flow out together from Jesus' body, see Crucifixion of Jesus#Medical aspects. Pope Francis draws together several themes which he says the early Christians would have recognised in this single observation: "one who is pierced" (see Verse 37), an open or flowing fountain, "the outpouring of a spirit of compassion and supplication", and "the water of the Spirit" pouring forth.^[24]

Verse 37

This is the last of a series of texts, commencing from John 13:18: "that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 'He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me',^[25] in which the evangelist confirms that the events of the passion fulfill the Old Testament scriptures. The quoted passage is Zechariah 12:10b, "then they will look on Me whom they pierced", with the word "me" changed to "him". Lutheran commentator Johann Bengel argues that John quotes this passage "for the sake of its allusion to the piercing [not for that to the looking]".^[26]

Verse 39

Bengel notes that Nicodemus, who had shown his faith in dialogue with Jesus in chapter 3, here "manifested [it] by an altogether distinguished work of love".^[26]

Verse 40