Acts 13:28 kjv
And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.
Acts 13:28 nkjv
And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death.
Acts 13:28 niv
Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed.
Acts 13:28 esv
And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed.
Acts 13:28 nlt
They found no legal reason to execute him, but they asked Pilate to have him killed anyway.
Acts 13 28 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 53:9 | "And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death... Though He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth." | Jesus' innocence prophesied. |
| Psa 22:16 | "For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me..." | Prophetic suffering at the hands of wicked. |
| Psa 35:19 | "Let them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies; Nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause." | Unjust hatred and persecution. |
| Luke 23:4 | "Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, 'I find no fault in this Man.'" | Pilate's first declaration of innocence. |
| Luke 23:14 | "He said to them, 'You have brought this Man to me, as one who incites the people to rebellion... I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him.'" | Pilate reiterates lack of guilt. |
| Luke 23:15 | "No, nothing worthy of death has been done by Him." | Pilate confirms no capital crime. |
| Luke 23:22 | "Then he said to them the third time, 'Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him.'" | Pilate's persistent declaration of Jesus' innocence. |
| John 18:38 | "Pilate said to Him, 'What is truth?' And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, 'I find no fault in Him at all.'" | Pilate finds no fault in the charges. |
| John 19:4 | "Pilate then went out again, and said to them, 'Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.'" | Pilate repeatedly affirms Jesus' innocence. |
| John 19:6 | "Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, 'Crucify Him, crucify Him!' Pilate said to them, 'You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.'" | Jewish leaders' demand for crucifixion despite Pilate's findings. |
| Matt 27:24 | "When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all... took water and washed his hands... saying, 'I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.'" | Pilate declares Jesus righteous, shirks responsibility. |
| Mark 15:15 | "So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified." | Pilate yields to public pressure despite conscience. |
| Acts 2:23 | "Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death." | God's sovereign plan despite human wickedness. |
| Acts 3:15 | "and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead..." | Describes the human action of killing Jesus. |
| Acts 3:17 | "Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers." | Human ignorance contributing to the act. |
| Acts 4:27-28 | "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus... both Herod and Pontius Pilate... conspired... To do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done." | Unjust acts fulfilling God's predetermined plan. |
| 1 Cor 2:8 | "which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." | Ignorance of those in power. |
| 1 Pet 2:22 | "Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth." | Peter emphasizes Jesus' sinless nature. |
| 1 Pet 2:23 | "who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten..." | Jesus' righteous response to unjust suffering. |
| Rom 11:25 | "For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery... that blindness in part has happened to Israel..." | Partial blindness of Israel in rejecting Christ. |
| Heb 4:15 | "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." | Jesus' sinlessness confirmed. |
| Titus 2:14 | "who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed..." | Jesus' sacrificial death for humanity's sin. |
Acts 13 verses
Acts 13 28 Meaning
Acts 13:28 conveys a profound paradox: despite finding no legitimate legal basis or capital offense in Jesus, the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem nevertheless relentlessly requested the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, to have Him executed. This highlights the severe rejection of Jesus by those who should have recognized Him, underscoring the legal innocence of Christ while revealing the unjust, yet sovereignly purposed, human decision to crucify Him.
Acts 13 28 Context
Acts 13:28 is part of Paul’s sermon in the synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia, delivered to Jews and God-fearing Gentiles. Paul meticulously recounts Israel’s history from the Exodus, through the judges and kings, leading up to David, from whose lineage Jesus, the promised Savior, has come. Paul emphasizes that John the Baptist heralded Jesus, and that Jesus fulfilled the Law and Prophets. The verse directly follows Paul's account of how the inhabitants of Jerusalem and their rulers failed to recognize Jesus as the Messiah or to understand the prophetic Scriptures, thereby fulfilling them by condemning Him. It highlights the profound irony and injustice of the Sanhedrin's actions regarding Jesus, contrasting their rejection with God's divine plan of salvation through Christ's death and resurrection. Historically, Jewish leaders lacked the authority to carry out capital punishment under Roman rule, hence their appeal to Pilate.
Acts 13 28 Word analysis
- And though they found: "And" (καί - kai) connects this action to the preceding narrative of rejection and failure to understand prophecies. "Found" (εὑρόντες - heurontes), a participle from heuriskō, signifies discovering or ascertaining. It indicates that the Jewish leaders, despite their extensive theological and legal scrutiny of Jesus, could not genuinely establish a legitimate capital charge. This directly implies the falsity and emptiness of their accusations.
- no cause for death: Greek: αἰτία θανάτου (aitia thanatou). "Aitia" refers to a cause, reason, or charge, especially a judicial accusation. "Thanatou" refers to death. Together, it means a capital crime or a charge warranting the death penalty. This phrase is critical because it reiterates that, from a legal and factual standpoint, Jesus committed no offense deserving execution. This was acknowledged by the Roman authority (Pilate) as well.
- in Him: Greek: ἐν αὐτῷ (en autō). Literally "in Him," indicating that no such cause resided within His person, character, or actions. Jesus was truly innocent.
- yet they asked: "Yet" (ἀλλ᾽ - all' or ἀλλὰ - alla) introduces a strong contrast, emphasizing the illogical and unjust nature of their subsequent action. "Asked" (ᾐτήσαντο - ētēsanto) is an aorist middle indicative of aiteō, signifying that they themselves took the initiative to request or demand. This was not a passive observation but an active, deliberate petition. The term suggests an insistent request, indicating their determination to see Jesus put to death.
- Pilate: Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. His involvement was crucial as he alone possessed the authority to execute a capital sentence, reflecting the Roman occupation and the Jewish leaders' limited judicial power in capital cases. Their "asking" Pilate underlines this jurisdictional reality.
- that He should be put to death: Greek: ἀναιρεθῇ (anairethē) from anaireō. While it can mean to "take up" or "destroy," in this context it unequivocally means "to kill" or "to execute." The passive voice "should be put to death" emphasizes the outcome they sought to impose on Jesus through Pilate's authority. Their goal was the execution of one whom they could not lawfully condemn themselves.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "And though they found no cause for death in Him": This phrase highlights the profound legal and moral dilemma. It showcases Jesus's utter innocence despite intense scrutiny by religious and civil authorities. The very people tasked with upholding justice failed to find any just cause for capital punishment. This fact underscores the inherent wickedness of their demand.
- "yet they asked Pilate that He should be put to death": This directly confronts the audience with the Sanhedrin’s immense prejudice and desire to eliminate Jesus, superseding even clear evidence of innocence. It emphasizes their determination to bring about His death at any cost, demonstrating deep-seated rejection rooted not in truth but in hardened hearts and misunderstanding.
Acts 13 28 Bonus section
The profound paradox described in Acts 13:28—innocence found, death demanded—serves to establish Jesus as the perfectly unblemished sacrificial Lamb, as prophesied in the Old Testament. Since no blemish, moral or legal, could be found in Him, His subsequent death on the cross takes on full redemptive power as a truly sinless offering for the sins of the world. This legal verdict of "no cause for death" heightens the significance of His willing self-sacrifice for others. It also highlights the depth of human culpability when, in willful ignorance and prejudice, truth is suppressed and innocent blood is shed. Despite human malice, God's divine purpose to offer salvation through His Son remained unfailing and ultimately accomplished, illustrating His perfect control over all circumstances.
Acts 13 28 Commentary
Acts 13:28 profoundly summarizes the human injustice that culminated in the crucifixion. Paul, in his synagogue sermon, masterfully presents the sequence of events as both a human tragedy and a divine fulfillment. The verse strips away any pretense of justice, directly stating that the very Jewish leaders who sought Jesus’s death could not actually find a legal justification for it, nor could the Roman authority (Pilate). Their insistent demand to Pilate for Jesus’s execution reveals the extent of their rejection and opposition to the Messiah. This demand, arising from their spiritual blindness and willful ignorance of prophetic scriptures, ironically became the instrument through which God's pre-ordained plan of salvation was executed, demonstrating God's sovereignty over human sin and rebellion. This legal anomaly and moral perversion underscore the absolute necessity and profundity of Christ's substitutionary death, establishing His death as a righteous sacrifice for unrighteous people. The contrast between Jesus's proven innocence and His condemned status points to the boundless depth of God's love in providing a Savior, even through the sin of humanity.