Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 19:3
And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.
3. And said ] The best authorities add a graphic touch not given by the Synoptists; and they kept coming unto Him and saying. We see each soldier coming up in turn to offer his mock homage.
Hail, King of the Jews ] Like the Procurator, they mock the Jews as well as their Victim.
smote him with their hands ] Literally, gave Him blows, but whether with a rod, as the root of the word implies, or with the hand, as is more probable, we are uncertain (see on Joh 18:22). The old Latin version adds in faciem.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Joh 19:3
Hall, King of the Jews!
The mock homage
These words were spoken in contemptuous imitation of the words addressed to a Roman Emperor, on his assuming imperial power: Hail, Emperor! It was as much as saying, Thou a King indeed! Thou and Thy kingdom are alike contemptible.
(Bp. Ryle.)
It was the kingdom of the Jews itself that the soldiers laughed at. They regarded Jesus as the representative of the Messianic hope of the Jews. They would turn to ridicule these royal hopes, which were known widely in the heathen world, more especially as they aspired to the dominion of the whole earth. (Hengstenburg.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
They mocked him when they said, Hail, King of the Jews! But yet spake a great truth, though not in their sense. The other evangelists speak of more indignities offered him: See Poole on “Mar 15:19“.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. And said, Hail, King of theJews!doing Him derisive homage, in the form used onapproaching the emperors. “And they spit upon Him, and took thereed and smote Him on the head” (Mt27:30). The best comment on these affecting details is to coverthe face.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And said, hail, King of the Jews!…. Some copies before this clause read, “and they came unto him”; and so read the Vulgate Latin, Arabic, Coptic, and Ethiopic versions; that is, they came and prostrated themselves before him; bowed the knee unto him, and addressed him in a mock way, as if he was an earthly monarch just come to his crown, and whom they wished long to live; thus mocking at his kingly office, and despising him under that character, as many do now: some will not have him to reign over them, but reject him as King; and others, though in words they own him to be King, yet disregard his commands, and act no better part than these scoffing soldiers did:
and they smote him with their hands: upon his cheeks, as the Syriac version reads it. These, and many other affronts they gave him; in all which they were indulged by Pilate, and was a pleasing scene to the wicked Jews, whose relentless hearts were not in the least moved hereby, though Pilate hoped they would; and which was his view in allowing the soldiers to use such incivilities and indecencies to him.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
They came (). Imperfect middle of repeated action, “they kept coming and saying” () in derision and mock reverence with (, Hail!) as if to Caesar. Note (the king) in address.
They struck him with their hands ( ). Imperfect of , repetition, “they kept on giving him slaps with their hands.” See on 18:22 for this use of .
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
And said. Add kai hrconto prov aujton, and kept coming unto Him, before and said or kept saying. The imperfect denotes the successive acts of homage of the soldiers as they came up one after the other.
They smote Him with their hands [ ] . Literally, kept giving Him blows with their hands. See on 18 22.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And said,” (kai erchonto pros auton kai elegon) “And they came to him and said,” the Roman soldier band, also called Herod’s “men of war,” of cold, cruel, emotions, Luk 23:11; as He was “despised and rejected of men,” Isa 53:3.
2) “Hail, King of the Jews!” (chaire ho basileus ton loudaion) “Hail, 0 you King of the Jews!” Mat 27:29 adds that they “put a reed in his right hand, and mocked him,” while Mar 15:18-19 further describes the scene.
3) “And they smote him with their hands.” (kai ediosan auto hrapismata) “And they gave him blows,” or slapped Him with their hands, repeatedly, with Mar 15:19 explaining, “and they smote him on the head with a reed,” that had been put in His hand, in derision, as a King’s sceptre. “And did spit upon Him, and bowing their knees worshipped him,” as they called Him with derision, “King of the Jews.”
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(3) And said, Hail, King of the Jews.The reading of the better MSS. is, and they kept coming to Him and saying . . . It is a description of the mock reverence which they paid Him. They kept drawing near and bowing before Him. (Comp. Mat. 27:29.)
They smote him with their hands.Comp. Note on Joh. 18:22.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
(3) That St. John is not careful to give the time more than roughly about the sixth hour. The hours of that day may well be confused, for their sorrow would have made minutes seem as hours, and the sun, which on other days marked the hours, was on that day itself darkened. St. Matthew is equally uncertain at what exact time there was the cry with a loud voice (Mat. 27:46), and St. Luke does not give the exact time when the darkness commenced (Luk. 23:44).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3 And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.
Ver. 3. And said, Hail, King of the Jews ] They scoff at him, as a ridiculous and stage player king, whom therefore they clothed with purple, which was a colour affected by the emperors and nobility of Rome; as Herod, for like cause clothed him in white, , a colour much worn by the nobility of the Jews, Jas 2:2 .
And they smote him with their hands ] So do hypocrites still by their unchristian practice when they bend the knee to Christ with ludibrious devotion. They have the voice of Jacob, but the hands of Esau. Their words are God’s, their deeds the devil’s, as John Capocius told Pope Innocent III, preaching peace and sowing discord. Verba tua Dei plane sunt, facta vero diaboli videntur. Your words are clearly from God, truly your deeds seem to be of the devil.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Joh 19:3 . , “and they went on, coming to Him,” imperfect of continued action; “and hailing Him king,” . . ., as they were accustomed to shout “Ave, Caesar”. At the same moment they struck Him on the face with their hands.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Hail. See on Mat 27:29.
smote Him, &c. = gave Him blows. See Joh 18:22.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Joh 19:3. , strokes) with a reed [not with their hands, as Engl.: see note, ch. Joh 18:22]; Mar 15:19.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 19:3
Joh 19:3
and they came unto him, and said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they struck him with their hands.-They hailed him as King of the Jews, yet smite him with their hands, as much as to say, a poor king that may thus be smitten with impunity. A reed was placed in his hands to ridicule his claims to kingly power. (Mat 27:29). [The Jews had already demanded his death by crucifixion. (Luk 23:20-21). If condemned to this death, scourging must necessarily precede it. The scourge was made of rods or thongs with pieces of bone or lead fastened to one end. The condemned person received the blows while fastened to a post so as to have the back bent and the skin stretched. With the blows the back became raw and the blood spurted out. The punishment was so cruel that the condemned person very often succumbed to it immediately.]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Hail: Mat 26:49, Mat 27:29, Luk 1:28
King: Joh 19:19-22, Joh 18:33
Reciprocal: Mic 5:1 – they Mat 26:67 – and others Mat 26:68 – thou Mar 10:34 – mock Mar 14:65 – General Luk 23:3 – the King Luk 23:38 – General Joh 19:14 – Behold
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
3
These derisive words were said in mockery with the same motive that prompted their actions in the preceding verse. Smote him. See the comments on Joh 18:22 for the description and significance of this shameful act.