Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 18:32
That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die.
32. the saying ] Or word, Joh 12:32; Mat 20:19.
what death ] Rather, by what manner of death, as in Joh 12:33 and Joh 21:19. So in Joh 10:32 the Greek means ‘for what kind of a work,’ not merely ‘for which work.’ Comp. Mat 21:23; Mat 22:36; Luk 6:32; Luk 24:19. Had the Sanhedrin executed Him as a blasphemer or a false prophet, He would have been stoned. The Jews had other forms of capital punishment, but crucifixion was not among them.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
That the saying of Jesus … – To wit, that he would be delivered into the hands of the Gentiles and be crucified, Mat 20:19. Neither of these things would have happened if he had been put to death in the way that the Jews first contemplated, Mat 26:4. Though it should be admitted that they had the power, in religious cases, to do this, yet in such a case it would not have been done, as Jesus predicted, by the Gentiles; and even if it should be admitted that they had the right to take life, yet they had not the right to do it by crucifixion. This was particularly a Roman punishment. And thus it was ordered, in the providence of God, that the prediction of Jesus in both these respects was fulfilled.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 32. That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled] Or, thus the word was fulfilled. God permitted the Jews to lose the power of life and death, in the sense before stated, that according to the Roman laws, which punished sedition, c., with the cross, Christ might be crucified, according to his own prediction: Joh 12:32; Joh 3:14.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Christ had before this time told his disciples that he should die, and that by the death of the cross, as we read, Mat 20:19. God by his providence ordereth things accordingly, to let us know that the Scripture might be fulfilled to every tittle. Crucifying was no Jewish but a Roman death; had the Jews put him to death, they would have stoned him; but he must remove the curse from us, by being made a curse for us, being hanged on a tree, which was looked upon as an accursed death, Gal 3:13. The Jews therefore knowing nothing of this counsel of God, yet execute it by refusing themselves to put him to death, and putting it off to Pilate, though possibly their design was but to avoid the odium of it. Thus God maketh the wrath of men to praise him.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
32. That the saying . . . might befulfilled which he spake, signifying what death he should diethatis, by crucifixion (Joh 12:32;Joh 12:33; Mat 20:19);which being a Roman mode of execution, could only be carried intoeffect by order of the governor. (The Jewish mode in such cases asthis was by stoning).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled,…. That he should be delivered by the Jews to the Gentiles, to crucify him; and that he should be lifted up from the earth, and as the serpent upon the pole:
which he spake, signifying what death he should die;
Mt 20:19 and which was brought about this way, by the providence of God conducting this whole affair; and was cheerfully submitted to by Christ, in great love to his people, to redeem them from the curse of the law, being hereby made a curse for them.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
By what manner of death ( ). Instrumental case of the qualitative interrogative in an indirect question, the very idiom used in Joh 12:32 concerning the Cross and here treated as prophecy (Scripture) with like the saying of Jesus in verse 9 which see.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
By what death [ ] . More correctly, by what manner of death. So Rev. Compare Joh 12:32; Mt 20:19. Crucifixion was not a Jewish punishment.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled,” (hina ho logos tou lesou plerothe) “In order that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled,” come to pass, Joh 3:14-15.
2) “Which he spake signifying,” (hon eipen esmainon) “Which he spoke signifying,” or prophetically indicating beforehand, that He should be “lifted up from the earth,” Joh 12:32; Luk 18:31-33, for crucifixion, the death of the cross, considered by the Jews to be the proper death for an heathen, which they branded Him to be, Mat 20:19; Joh 12:33.
3) “What death he should die.” (poio thanato emellen apotheskein) “By what death he was about to die,” what kind of death, for what form of capital crime, heathen death, He should die; Had He been guilty of blasphemy He should have been stoned by them, but nay, that was too honorable a death, only crucifixion would do, Deu 21:23; Joh 19:7; Gal 3:13.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
32. That the word of Jesus might be fulfilled. Finally, the Evangelist adds, that it was necessary that this should be done, in order that the prediction which Christ had uttered
might be fulfilled, The Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of the Gentiles, (Mat 20:19.)
And, indeed, if we wish to read with advantage the history of Christ’s death, the chief point is, to consider the eternal purpose of God. The Son of God is placed before the tribunal of a mortal man. If we suppose that this is done by the caprice of men, and do not raise our eyes to God, our faith must necessarily be confounded and put to shame. But when we perceive that by the condemnation of Christ, our condemnation before God is blotted out, because it pleased the Heavenly Father to take this method of reconciling mankind to himself, raised on high by this single consideration, we boldly, and without shame, glory even in Christ’s ignominy. Let us therefore learn, in each part of this narrative, to turn our eyes to God as the Author of our redemption.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(32) That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled.Comp. Note on Joh. 18:9.
Signifying what death he should die.Better, signifying by what manner of death He should die. (Comp. Note on Joh. 10:32.) For the prediction of the manner of death, comp. Joh. 3:14; Joh. 12:32; and Note on Mat. 20:19. If the Jews had possessed the power to put Him to death, they would have condemned Him on the technical charge of blasphemy, for which the punishment was stoning. (Comp. Joh. 8:59; Joh. 10:31; and Act. 7:51 et seq.) Crucifixion was not a Jewish punishment, and it was in the fact that He was executed, not by Jewish authority and on the charge of blasphemy, but by Roman authority and on a charge of Majestas (high treason), that His own prophecy of the manner of His death was fulfilled.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
32. Take ye him Pilate does not see in Jesus a proper candidate for an ignominious death. Availing himself, therefore, of their soft word malefactor, he turns Jesus back upon their own hands for trial and punishment. This compelled, on their part, the humiliating confession of their subjection to the Roman power. Their nation had been deprived of judicial authority over life and death.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
32. That might be fulfilled This singular fact of the loss by the Jewish nation of the right of inflicting death, brings about the great result foreseen and accepted in the divine plan, that Jesus should accept death from Gentile hands. Had the Jews inflicted death upon him on their charge of blasphemy, the method would have been by stoning; a death they came near inflicting upon him in a burst of passion, (Joh 8:58,) and did inflict upon Stephen.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Joh 18:32. Signifying what death he should die. According to the Jewish law, Lev 24:16 he would have been stoned, as his servant Stephen afterwards was, having been impiously adjudged by them to have deserved death as a blasphemer. Crucifixion was a Roman punishment.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Joh 18:32 . The aim ordained in the divine purpose, why the Jews, in consequence of having lost the right of life and death, were obliged to answer “ , . . .” Otherwise, Jesus, as a false prophet and blasphemer of God, would have been stoned (like Stephen, and comp. Joh 8:59 , Joh 10:31 ), but would not have been visited with the Roman punishment of crucifixion , namely, as one guilty of high treason, as He, with His pretensions as Messiah, could not but appear to be before the Roman courts; and the word of Jesus, Joh 12:32 , would have remained unfulfilled.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
32 That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die.
Ver. 32. Signifying what death he should die ] This shows that the Jews had power to put to death, but by a providence he was brought to Pilate, that according to the manner of the Romans he might be crucified; that kind of death being not, otherwise, in use among the Jews. Hence our Lord is said to have been crucified at Rome, Rev 11:8 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
32. ] See Mat 20:19 alli [247] .: ch. Joh 12:32-33 . Had the Jews taken Him and judged Him, He would have been stoned , not crucified. And this whole section, Joh 18:28-32 , serves to shew how the divine purpose was accomplished.
[247] alli = some cursive mss.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Joh 18:32 . This, however, they decline to do, because it is the death penalty they desire, and this they have no right to inflict: . In the Roman provinces the power of life and death, the jus gladii , was reserved to the governor. See Arnold’s Roman Prov. Administration , pp. 55, 57; and Josephus, Bell. Jud. , ii. 8, 1, who states that when the territory of Archelaus passed to the provincial governor, Coponius, the power of inflicting capital punishment was given to him, . See also Stapfer’s Palestine , p. 100. By being thus handed over to the Roman magistrate it came about that Jesus was crucified , a form of capital punishment which the Jews never inflicted even when they had power; and thus the word of Jesus was fulfilled which He spake intimating that He would die by crucifixion, Joh 12:32-33 .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
signifying, &c. See Joh 12:33.
should die = is about to die.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
32.] See Mat 20:19 alli[247].: ch. Joh 12:32-33. Had the Jews taken Him and judged Him, He would have been stoned, not crucified. And this whole section, Joh 18:28-32, serves to shew how the divine purpose was accomplished.
[247] alli = some cursive mss.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Joh 18:32. , He spake) ch. Joh 12:32-33, I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me. This He said signifying what death He should die.-, by what kind of) viz. such a death as the Romans were wont to inflict. The Jews would have stoned Him [that being the punishment of blasphemy among them].
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 18:32
Joh 18:32
that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying by what manner of death he should die.-Jesus had foretold that he would be crucified. This meant that he would be executed under the Roman law. That was the Roman method of executing the lowest criminals. The Jews stoned them. [Stephen was stoned to death in Jerusalem by a mob (Act 7:58-59), and had the Jews been permitted to put Jesus to death, he would have been stoned to death also. But he had foretold what death he should die and that he would be crucified. (Joh 12:32; Mat 20:18-19).]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
the saying: Joh 3:14, Joh 10:31, Joh 10:33, Joh 12:32, Joh 12:33, Mat 20:19, Mat 26:2, Luk 18:32, Luk 18:33, Luk 24:7, Luk 24:8, Act 7:59
what: Deu 21:23, Psa 22:16, Gal 3:13
Reciprocal: Luk 23:33 – they crucified Joh 19:18 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2
The whole transaction was being directed by the Lord, who decreed that Jesus was to die on the cross, and the secular government only would put a man to death in that manner. That is why John says that it would be according to the kind of death Jesus had signified would be imposed upon him. (See Mat 20:19).
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joh 18:32. That the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying by what manner of death he was about to die. The word referred to is chap. Joh 3:14, or still more probably chap. Joh 12:32. The appeal to Pilate paved the way for the lifting on high there spoken of. The Jewish mode of putting to death was stoning. Crucifixion was a Roman punishment, and could be inflicted by the Roman power alone. Hence, accordingly, the fulfilment of that word of Jesus by the very persons who seemed to have Him completely in their hands. So far from its being so, they were in His.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
18:32 That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, {c} signifying what death he should die.
(c) For Christ had foretold that he would be crucified.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
John noted that the Jews’ admission that they could not put anyone to death was in harmony with the sovereign plan of God. Jesus had predicted that He would die by crucifixion, not by stoning (cf. 12:32-33). The Romans were the only ones who could condemn a person to death by crucifixion. The Jews did stone people to death for blasphemy (e.g., Act 6:11; Act 7:58), but these seem to have been instances of mob violence rather than independent legal action. They probably wanted Jesus crucified too because the Mosaic Law regarded such a death as proof of God’s curse (Deu 21:22-23).
"Ironically, the death that the Jewish hierarchy regarded as a final negation of Jesus’ claims became the means of justification apart from the law (Gal 3:13)." [Note: Tenney, "John," p. 175.]
"It was necessary for three reasons for Jesus to be crucified by the Romans at the instigation of the Jews: (a) to fulfill prophecies (e.g., that none of His bones be broken; cf. 19:36-37); (b) to include both Jews and Gentiles in the collective guilt for the deed (cf. Act 2:23; Act 4:27); (c) by crucifixion, Jesus was ’lifted up’ like ’the snake in the desert’ [3:14] . . ." [Note: Blum, p. 337.]