John 19:14 kjv
And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
John 19:14 nkjv
Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold your King!"
John 19:14 niv
It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon. "Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews.
John 19:14 esv
Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, "Behold your King!"
John 19:14 nlt
It was now about noon on the day of preparation for the Passover. And Pilate said to the people, "Look, here is your king!"
John 19 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exo 12:3-6 | "...lambs, one for each household... keep until the fourteenth day of the same month..." | Instructions for the Passover lamb. |
| Exo 12:46 | "nor are you to break any bone of it." | Foreshadows Jesus' unbroken bones. |
| Isa 53:7 | "He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth..." | Prophecy of the suffering servant. |
| Jer 11:19 | "...like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter..." | Prophecy of the innocent victim. |
| Matt 27:62 | "Now on the next day, the day after the Preparation..." | Confirms the "Day of Preparation" was a Friday. |
| Mk 15:25 | "And it was the third hour when they crucified Him." | Synoptic timing of crucifixion start. |
| Mk 15:42 | "When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day..." | Mark also calls it "Preparation Day." |
| Matt 27:45 | "Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour." | Darkness during the crucifixion (Jewish noon). |
| Lk 23:44 | "It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land..." | Darkness during the crucifixion (Jewish noon). |
| Jn 1:29 | "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" | John the Baptist identifying Jesus. |
| Jn 1:36 | "...as Jesus walked by, he said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God!'" | Further identification of Jesus. |
| Jn 18:28 | "Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium... to avoid ceremonial defilement and be able to eat the Passover." | Jewish concern for Passover purity. |
| Jn 19:7-13 | "Pilate was afraid... Pilate led Jesus out and sat on the judgment seat..." | Immediate preceding context of the trial. |
| Jn 19:31 | "Then, because it was the day of Preparation, and so the bodies would not remain..." | Underscores the day's significance for burial. |
| Jn 19:36 | "For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: 'Not one of His bones will be broken.'" | Fulfills Passover lamb instruction. |
| Jn 19:42 | "Because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was nearby..." | Confirmation of a quick burial due to the day. |
| 1 Cor 5:7 | "For Christ our Passover has been sacrificed." | Paul explicitly states Jesus as Passover Lamb. |
| Heb 9:11-14 | "...through His own blood, He entered the Most Holy Place once for all..." | Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice. |
| 1 Pet 1:18-19 | "...but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ." | Jesus' blameless sacrificial nature. |
| Rev 5:6 | "...a Lamb standing, as if slain..." | Jesus is eternally the sacrificed Lamb. |
| Gen 22:7-8 | "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering." | Abraham's prophetic words about a future sacrifice. |
John 19 verses
John 19 14 Meaning
This verse marks a critical juncture in the trial of Jesus, identifying the precise temporal setting of Pilate's final pronouncement before delivering Jesus for crucifixion. It was "the day of Preparation of the Passover," meaning Friday, the day before the Sabbath, and specifically the day lambs were slaughtered for the upcoming Passover feast. The time, "about the sixth hour," approximately midday in Jewish reckoning or 6 AM Roman time, holds deep symbolic and theological significance within John's Gospel, tying Jesus' judgment and subsequent sacrifice directly to the Passover Lamb's appointed time.
John 19 14 Context
John 19:14 is situated at the climax of Jesus' trial before Pontius Pilate. Prior to this verse, Pilate has made several attempts to release Jesus, presenting Him to the crowds, questioning Him about His kingship, and finding no fault. The Jewish leaders, however, relentlessly press for Jesus' crucifixion, employing threats regarding Pilate's loyalty to Caesar (Jn 19:12-13). This verse serves as the narrative hinge, setting the precise time for Pilate's ultimate capitulation and the solemn decree that would lead to Jesus' death. The phrase "the day of Preparation of the Passover" underscores the profound irony and theological significance, as the spotless Lamb of God is condemned on the very day the Jewish nation was preparing to slaughter lambs to commemorate their deliverance from bondage. The "sixth hour" further frames this moment with symbolic weight, connecting Jesus' final judgment to the ritualistic timing of the Old Covenant.
John 19 14 Word analysis
- Now: (Greek: kai) A simple conjunction acting as a narrative connector, signaling a significant transition or continuation in the storyline.
- it was: A declarative statement setting the stage.
- the day of Preparation: (Greek: paraskeuē) Refers to Friday, the day before the Sabbath, when Jews would complete all necessary tasks as no work was permitted on the Sabbath. Here, it takes on heightened meaning by its connection to Passover.
- of the Passover: (Greek: tou Pascha) Specifies that this Preparation Day was specifically for the Passover festival. This indicates it was the 14th of Nisan, the day when the paschal lambs were typically slaughtered in the Temple in the afternoon, before the Passover meal was eaten after sunset. The combination "Preparation of the Passover" thus marks this as a doubly significant day of preparation, intensifying the gravity of the events unfolding.
- and it was about: (Greek: hōs) This particle means "about" or "approximately." It suggests a general time, allowing for some flexibility, perhaps emphasizing the symbolic rather than absolute clock-time precision. This precision allows John's account to carry specific theological weight without needing to be hyper-literal with other Gospel accounts.
- the sixth hour: (Greek: hektē) This timing is a subject of scholarly discussion due to apparent discrepancies with the Synoptic Gospels (e.g., Mk 15:25 stating Jesus was crucified at the "third hour," 9 AM).
- Interpretation 1 (Roman Time): If John used Roman reckoning, "the sixth hour" would be 6 AM. This would fit Pilate's early morning proceedings before the 9 AM crucifixion of the Synoptics, suggesting Pilate's judgment occurred before the actual crucifixion commenced.
- Interpretation 2 (Jewish Time): If John used Jewish reckoning (sunrise at 6 AM as "first hour"), "the sixth hour" would be noon. This would align Jesus' condemnation and public display with the precise time the lambs for the Passover meal were beginning to be sacrificed in the Temple, powerfully underscoring Jesus as the ultimate Passover Lamb. This view emphasizes John's theological rather than strictly chronological intent.
- Symbolic Significance: Regardless of literal time-reckoning, the "sixth hour" holds symbolic weight. If noon (Jewish), it's the high point of the sun, yet for Jesus, the Light of the World, it marked the beginning of His being 'eclipsed' by death. It also sets His final condemnation precisely at the moment the Passover sacrifice process would intensify in Jerusalem.
John 19 14 Bonus section
The choice of "the sixth hour" in John's account, contrasted with the "third hour" in Mark, is often considered a deliberate theological statement rather than a simple chronological discrepancy. If John intends "the sixth hour" as Jewish noon, it highlights a profound cosmic reversal: the Light of the World (Jn 8:12) is publicly condemned by human darkness (Jn 3:19-20) at the very zenith of natural light. More importantly, this specific timing aligns with the period of intense slaughter of the Passover lambs within the Temple courtyards, transforming Jesus from a mere condemned criminal into the ultimate, real "Lamb of God" whose sacrifice definitively ushers in a new era of redemption for humanity, moving beyond the shadow of the Old Covenant's sacrificial system. John consistently frames his narrative to emphasize Jesus' divine identity and fulfillment of prophecy, and this precise temporal marker serves that very purpose.
John 19 14 Commentary
John 19:14 is a pinnacle of John's theological artistry, compressing immense significance into a few descriptive words. By dating Pilate's judgment and presentation of Jesus to "the day of Preparation of the Passover" and "about the sixth hour," John profoundly connects Jesus' death to the foundational Israelite celebration of the Passover. On this very day, when the chosen lamb's blood signified redemption and deliverance from death for Israel, the true "Lamb of God" (Jn 1:29) was condemned to die. This emphasizes Jesus not merely as a historical figure, but as the fulfillment of centuries of prophecy and types, bringing the new covenant. The specific timing reinforces Jesus' active role, submitting to the divine plan precisely when the ceremonial lambs were being slaughtered, effectively portraying Him as the perfect, unblemished Passover sacrifice. The choice of "the sixth hour" (often understood as Jewish noon, when darkness would famously cover the land later on, or when the first lambs were slain in the Temple courtyard), is a subtle but powerful polemic against any notion that Jesus' death was an arbitrary event; rather, it was Divinely ordained and executed in perfect timing to institute the ultimate redemption.