Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 19:21
Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The king of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.
21. Then said ] Better, said therefore. Now that they have wrung what they wanted out of Pilate they see that in granting it he has insulted them publicly before the thousands present at the Passover, and in a way not easy to resent.
the chief priests of the Jews ] The addition ‘of the Jews’ is remarkable, ‘and it occurs nowhere else in N.T. It probably refers to the title: these ‘chief priests of the Jews ’ objected to His being called ‘the King of the Jews.’
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The Jews thought it would be a disgrace to them, that Christ should be reported abroad as their king, therefore they desire an alteration of the writing.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate,…. Who were not only informed of this inscription, but might read it themselves, for they were present at the crucifying of Christ, and mocked at him as he hung on the tree; these, when they read the title, were greatly offended at it, partly because it was doing too great an honour to Jesus to call him the King of the Jews: and partly because it fixed a public brand of infamy upon their nation, that a king of theirs should be crucified: wherefore they went to Pilate and addressed him, saying,
write not the King of the Jews: because they did not own him for their king, which this title seemed to suggest, nor had he in their opinion any right to such a character; wherefore they desired that in the room of these words he would be pleased to put the following,
but that he said, I am King of the Jews; that so he might be thought to be a seditious person and a traitor; one that laid claim to the temporal crown and kingdom of Israel, and one that suffered justly for attempts of that kind.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
But that he said (‘ ). The chief priests were uneasy for fear that the joke in the mock title was on them instead of on Jesus. They were right in their fear.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “Then said the chief priest of the Jews to Pilate,” (elegon oun to Pilato hoi archiereis ton loudaion) “Then the administrative priests of the Jews said to Pilate,” in complaint against the wording of the charges placed against Jesus, for which He was crucified, for which they were the chief instigators. Their sins had “found them out,” through a determined Gentile governor, Num 32:23.
2) “Write not, The King of the Jews;” (me graph ho basileus ton loudaion) “Don’t write or inscribe The King of the Jews,” as each Gospel writer certifies had been written over His head, upon His cross.
3) “But that he said,” (all’ hoti ekeinos eipen) “But write that that man said,” asserted or claimed:
4) “I am King of the Jews.” (basileus eimi ton loudaion) “I am (exist as) king of the Jews:” Suppose He did. Someone had to be their king, Gen 49:10; Luk 1:32-33.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
21. The chief priests of the Jews said therefore to Pilate. They feel that they are sharply rebuked; and, therefore, they would wish that the title were changed, so as not to involve the nation in disgrace, but to throw the whole blame on Christ. But yet they do not conceal their deep hatred of the truth, since the smallest spark of it is more than they are able to endure. Thus Satan always prompts his servants to endeavor to extinguish, or, at least, to choke, by their own darkness, the light of God, as soon as the feeblest ray of it appears.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(21) Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate.Better, Therefore said . . ., i.e., because the inscription could be read by all comers, and the Messianic title, King of the Jews, would be exposed to scorn. Yet these are the men who said, in order to accomplish the death of Jesus, We have no king but Csar.
The expression, chief priests of the Jews, occurs only here in the New Testament, perhaps in contrast to the title, King of the Jews, to indicate that their anxiety about the title came from them as representatives of the national honour.
What I have written I have written.The words are a formula to signify that the thing was done and could not be undone. There are frequent instances of similar expressions in the Rabbinical writings.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
21. Said the chief priests Write not This betrayal of their feeling of the odiousness of the superscription affords Pilate the completeness of his triumph.
He said This would make his crime consist in making a treasonable claim. Pilate would have it, as in truth it was, that Jesus was their king.
Joh 19:21-22 . The Jewish opponents of Christ have, with hierarchic tact, deciphered the resentful bitterness in the , hence the chief priests among them suggest to Pilate, etc. The expression . . . does not stand in contrast to the . . (Hengstenberg, Godet), but the high clerus of the opposition desired not to see the ancient sacred designation of Messiah profaned.
] The writing, because still capable of being altered, is conceived as not yet concluded.
, ] Formal way of designating that with what is written the matter is unalterably to rest. Analogous formulae from the Rabbins, see in Lightfoot. Comp. also 1Ma 13:38 ; . Now, too late, he who was previously so weak in character stands firm. In this subordinate point at least he will have his own opinion, and not expose his weak side!
21 Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.
Ver. 21. Write not, The King of the Jews ] They would needs be mending Magnificat, as they say; and this of pure spite, that the disgrace might rest only upon Christ, and not at all reflect upon their nation. Whereas, in truth, nothing so ennobleth, as any the least relation to Christ. Bethlehem, where he was born, is, though the least, yet therefore “not the least among the cities of Judah,”Mat 2:6Mat 2:6 ; Mic 5:2 . Among those that were marked,Rev 7:5Rev 7:5 , Judah is reckoned first, of all the tribes by Leah’s side, because our Lord sprang out of Judah; and Naphtali is named first among those that came by Rachel’s side, because at Capernaum (in that tribe) Christ dwelt; which therefore also is said to be lifted up to heaven,Mat 11:23Mat 11:23 . Ut utrobique superemineat Christi praerogativa.
Joh 19:21 . Naturally the chief priests remonstrated and begged Pilate so to alter the inscription as to remove the impression that the claim of Jesus was admitted.
the chief priests of the Jews. This expression occurs only here. They were no longer God’s priests.
not. Greek. ou. App-105.
he = that fellow. Greek. ekeinos. Spoken with contempt.
Joh 19:21. ) So the Syr[389], Arab., and Anglosax. Versions have it, without adding , which is read in other copies. Very often are mentioned, and never are they called : and in this passage transcribers most easily laid hold of from the subsequent words. If, however, John wrote it so, he has intended thereby to mark the hatred wherewith the chief Priests of the Jews abhorred the King of the Jews.[390]-, that man) They now by this time use an appellation of Him, as of one whom they have removed far from them. In ch. Joh 18:30 they had said , this man.
[389] yr. the Peschito Syriac Version: second cent.: publ. and corrected by Cureton, from MS. of fifth cent.
[390] Syr. alone of the oldest authorities omits . Tisch quotes also Vulg. Amiat. for the omission. But Lachm. gives the Vulg. Judorum. AB and all the oldest authorities have .-E. and T.
Joh 19:21
Joh 19:21
The chief priests of the Jews therefore said to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but, that he said, I am King of the Jews.-The priests were chagrined at his saying, The King of the Jews, and suggested that he change it. [Pilate evidently had his revenge.]
Reciprocal: Luk 23:49 – the women Joh 18:38 – I find
1
The title on the cross was such a flimsy reason for having Jesus slain, that the chief priests were ashamed as they saw the crowds reading it. They thought it could be made to seem more fitting if the charge would read so as to represent Jesus as an arch impostor; they requested Pilate to change the wording to that effect.
Joh 19:21. The chief priests of the Jews therefore said to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews, but, That man said, I am King of the Jews. The offence taken might have been, and probably was, expected by Pilate; but the mode in which it is described is again highly worthy of our notice. This is the only occasion on which we meet with the expression the chief priests of the Jews; and as it occurs in such close connection with the words the King of the Jews, we can hardly doubt that the latter words determined the form of the phrase before us. On the one side we see the King of the Jews defeated, yet victorious; suspended on the cross, yet proclaimed to be what He is in all the great languages of the world; set before us as universal King. On the other side we see the chief priests of the Jews victorious, yet defeated; their object apparently accomplished, yet its accomplishment turned to their own shame, and their Victims glory.Their request was denied in the most curt and contemptuous language.
The chief priests’ emendation of the title would have robbed Pilate of this last chance to humiliate the Jews. He had already conceded once to their request, but he refused to give them the satisfaction of robbing him of this revenge. Ironically what Pilate let stand was the exact truth. He had unwittingly become God’s herald of His redemptive purpose.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)