John 18 31

John 18:31 kjv

Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death:

John 18:31 nkjv

Then Pilate said to them, "You take Him and judge Him according to your law." Therefore the Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,"

John 18:31 niv

Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." "But we have no right to execute anyone," they objected.

John 18:31 esv

Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." The Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death."

John 18:31 nlt

"Then take him away and judge him by your own law," Pilate told them. "Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone," the Jewish leaders replied.

John 18 verses

John 18 31 Meaning

John 18:31 captures a pivotal exchange between Pontius Pilate and the Jewish leaders. Pilate, initially seeking to distance himself from Jesus' case by urging them to apply their own law, is met with the leaders' declaration that they lack the authority under Roman rule to inflict capital punishment. This brief exchange highlights the political limitations of the Jewish Sanhedrin, revealing their intention for Jesus to be put to death, and effectively forcing the Roman governor to engage with the charges, moving the case towards a Roman trial and ultimately, crucifixion.

John 18 31 Context

John 18:31 occurs in the immediate aftermath of Jesus' arrest in Gethsemane and His preliminary interrogation by Annas and Caiaphas. The Jewish Sanhedrin, after holding a night trial, condemned Jesus on charges of blasphemy. However, because Judea was under Roman occupation, the Jewish authorities had their judicial powers severely restricted. Specifically, they had lost the jus gladii, the right to execute capital punishment. Therefore, to carry out their desired death sentence, they had to bring Jesus before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, the ultimate legal authority in the region. The Jewish leaders' statement in John 18:31 marks their maneuver to transition Jesus' fate from a Jewish religious trial to a Roman political one, framing the charges in a way that would concern Rome, like claiming to be "King of the Jews," to ensure Pilate's involvement and achieve their aim of execution. This shift sets the stage for the infamous Roman trial.

John 18 31 Word Analysis

• Then Pilate said: Greek: Πιλᾶτος ἔφη (Pilatos ephē). Pilate's immediate, direct response. He sought to maintain Roman impartiality in what he initially perceived as an internal Jewish dispute.
• unto them: Referring to the Jewish chief priests and Pharisees, representatives of the Sanhedrin who brought Jesus to him.
• Take ye him: Greek: λάβετε αὐτόν (labete auton). An imperative verb, signaling a command or challenge. Pilate offers to hand Jesus back to their jurisdiction, assuming the charge is solely religious, not requiring Roman intervention.
• and judge him: Greek: κρίνατε (krinate). Another imperative, "judge" in a legal sense, to preside over a judicial process.
• according to your law: Greek: κατὰ τὸν νόμον ὑμῶν (kata ton nomon hymōn). Emphasizes that Pilate views it as a matter for their religious statutes. He implies that if Jesus violated Jewish religious law, they should enforce their own penalties.
• The Jews therefore said unto him: Greek: Οἱ οὖν Ἰουδαῖοι ἔλεγον (Hoi oun Ioudaioi elegon). Identifies the plaintiffs/accusers collectively as "the Jews" (referring specifically to the religious authorities who opposed Jesus). The "therefore" (οὖν, oun) indicates their immediate, consequential reply.
• It is not lawful for us: Greek: Οὐκ ἔξεστιν ἡμῖν (Ouk exestin hēmin). This is the core declaration. "Ouk exestin" signifies a legal prohibition or lack of permission, stating "it is not permitted" or "it is not within our legal competence." "Hēmin" ("for us") refers to the Jewish Sanhedrin and their inability to act with ultimate judicial authority.
• to put any man to death: Greek: ἀποκτεῖναι οὐδένα (apokteinai oudena). "Apokteinai" means "to kill" or "to execute." "Oudena" means "no one" or "any man," specifically clarifying that their restriction applied to capital punishment. This directly reveals their desired outcome for Jesus – His death – and their inability to achieve it independently under Roman rule.

Words-group Analysis:

• "Take ye him, and judge him according to your law": Pilate's initial reaction is to push the responsibility back to the Jewish authorities. He aims to treat this as an internal religious dispute, not a case that falls under Roman civil jurisdiction, or he tests their real motives. This also implies Roman policy to allow conquered peoples self-governance in internal matters, provided it doesn't challenge Roman sovereignty.
• "It is not lawful for us to put any man to death": This crucial statement explains the transfer of jurisdiction from the Sanhedrin to Pilate. It publicly acknowledges their restricted judicial authority under Roman occupation, especially concerning capital offenses. This legal limitation forces them to appeal to Pilate, ensuring Jesus' trial moves to a Roman court, which ultimately allows the prophecy of Jesus' crucifixion (a Roman method) to be fulfilled, as opposed to stoning (a Jewish method for blasphemy).

John 18 31 Bonus Section

• The loss of the power of capital punishment for the Sanhedrin by Roman decree is historically supported by various Jewish traditions, placing it roughly 40 years before the destruction of the Temple, aligning it around the time of Christ. This specific legal nuance ensured that Jesus' death would be executed by the Roman power, expanding the guilt of the cross beyond just the Jewish leadership to Gentile involvement as well.
• The legal impasse at this verse shifts the nature of the charges from Jewish religious transgression (blasphemy, a capital crime under Mosaic law) to Roman civil sedition (claiming to be King of the Jews, a direct challenge to Caesar). This forced recharacterization of Jesus' alleged crime was essential for Pilate to even consider His execution under Roman law.
• The meticulous orchestration of these events by divine providence highlights that even seemingly arbitrary political and legal limitations were part of God's overarching plan for humanity's salvation through Christ's sacrificial death.

John 18 31 Commentary

John 18:31 is a critical juncture in the trial of Jesus, precisely defining the limits of Jewish judicial power under Roman rule and, crucially, setting the stage for the specific fulfillment of prophecy regarding Christ's death. Pilate's initial attempt to sidestep the issue, offering to return Jesus to Jewish jurisdiction, reveals his view of the matter as an internal, potentially trivial, religious dispute. However, the Jewish leaders' immediate and pointed reply underscores their lack of authority for capital punishment. This limitation, historically corroborated, means that for Jesus to be put to death, His case must go through Roman channels.

This forced transfer of jurisdiction from a charge of blasphemy (punishable by stoning under Jewish law) to one that Pilate could act upon (like claiming kingship, interpreted as treason against Rome) was no accident from a divine perspective. It ensured that Jesus would die by crucifixion, a Roman form of execution, rather than by stoning. This perfectly aligns with Jesus' own predictions about being "lifted up" (Jn 3:14, 8:28, 12:32-33), referring specifically to His crucifixion. Thus, this verse exemplifies God's sovereignty working through human legal and political circumstances to accomplish His predetermined plan for redemption, despite the distinct human motivations of both Pilate and the Jewish leaders.