John 19:21 kjv
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.
John 19:21 nkjv
Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but, 'He said, "I am the King of the Jews." ' "
John 19:21 niv
The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews."
John 19:21 esv
So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but rather, 'This man said, I am King of the Jews.'"
John 19:21 nlt
Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate, "Change it from 'The King of the Jews' to 'He said, I am King of the Jews.'"
John 19 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lk 1:32-33 | ...the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end. | Jesus as the promised eternal King. |
| Jn 1:49 | Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel!” | Early disciple's recognition of Jesus' kingship. |
| Jn 18:33-37 | Pilate ... “Are You the King of the Jews?” ... “My kingdom is not of this world..." | Pilate's questioning and Jesus' explanation of His kingship. |
| Mt 27:11 | Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” | Jesus' affirmative response to being King. |
| Mk 15:26 | The inscription of the accusation against Him was written above: “THE KING OF THE JEWS.” | Consistent Gospel record of Pilate's title. |
| Lk 23:38 | An inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” | Trilingual nature emphasizes universal declaration. |
| Rev 19:16 | And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. | Future, ultimate proclamation of Christ's sovereignty. |
| Ps 2:6-7 | “Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.” “I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.'" | Divine establishment of the Messianic King. |
| Zech 9:9 | “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey…” | Prophetic foretelling of the humble King's arrival. |
| Isa 9:6-7 | For unto us a Child is born... The Government will be upon His shoulder... Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David... | Prophecy of the everlasting messianic kingdom. |
| Mt 26:63-64 | The high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “It is as you say. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” | Chief priests' theological conflict with Jesus' divine claims. |
| Jn 5:18 | ...He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. | Their motivation for rejection based on claims of divinity. |
| Jn 11:48 | If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation. | Sanhedrin's political fear concerning Jesus' popularity. |
| Jn 12:13 | They took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ The King of Israel!” | Popular acclaim for Jesus as King on Palm Sunday. |
| Lk 23:2 | They began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.” | The fabricated political accusation to Pilate. |
| Acts 17:7 | They are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus. | Later Jewish opposition to the proclamation of Christ's kingship. |
| Jn 19:12 | From then on Pilate sought to release Him; but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.” | The intense pressure on Pilate from the Jewish leaders. |
| 1 Tim 6:15 | ...which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords. | Paul's affirmation of Christ's ultimate kingship. |
| Dan 7:13-14 | ...one like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven!... His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed. | Prophetic vision of the Son of Man's eternal kingdom. |
| Jn 19:22 | Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.” | Pilate's resolute refusal to change the inscription. |
John 19 verses
John 19 21 Meaning
John 19:21 captures the fervent protest of the Jewish chief priests to Pontius Pilate regarding the inscription he had placed above Jesus on the cross. Pilate's sign declared Jesus "The King of the Jews," a factual declaration from a Roman perspective following an accusation. The chief priests, however, demanded it be changed to state that Jesus merely claimed to be the king, thus reducing it from a declaration of identity to a report of a self-serving, false assertion. This request reveals their persistent refusal to acknowledge Jesus's messianic claim or kingship and their desire to undermine any such implication in the public eye, seeking to distance themselves from what they viewed as a potentially seditious or blasphemous claim.
John 19 21 Context
John 19:21 occurs in the midst of Jesus' crucifixion narrative. After multiple attempts to release Jesus, Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, has succumbed to the Jewish leaders' demands to crucify Him. As part of Roman custom, Pilate wrote an inscription, or titulus, to be affixed to the cross, stating the prisoner's crime. For Jesus, this read "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." This titulus was prominently displayed in three languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew) for all to read. The chief priests, who had tirelessly sought Jesus' death and manipulated the trial against Him, found Pilate's straightforward declaration of Jesus' kingship deeply offensive and unacceptable. This verse captures their immediate, fervent objection, demonstrating their persistent animosity towards any affirmation of Jesus as "King." Historically, the title "King of the Jews" was highly sensitive under Roman occupation. It implied a potential challenger to Roman authority and evoked deep-seated messianic expectations among the Jewish people. The religious leaders feared the political ramifications of such a title, and more deeply, rejected Jesus' divine claims and identity. Their protest underscored their theological and political opposition to Jesus.
John 19 21 Word analysis
- Then: Indicates an immediate response to Pilate's act of writing and displaying the inscription from Jn 19:19-20.
- the chief priests (οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς - hoi archiereis): Refers to the highest-ranking Jewish religious leaders, primarily members of the priestly families and the Sanhedrin, holding significant influence and authority, especially within the Temple system. These were Jesus' principal adversaries.
- of the Jews (τῶν Ἰουδαίων - tōn Ioudaion): Emphasizes that these individuals were the leaders specifically of the Jewish people, distinct from Pilate's Roman authority, and underscores the internal religious opposition to Jesus.
- said to Pilate (εἶπον τῷ Πιλάτῳ - eipon tō Pilatō): Indicates a direct address and an instruction or demand, showing their presumption and persistence in trying to influence Pilate.
- “Do not write (μὴ γράφε - mē graphe)": A strong prohibition or command in Greek, reflecting their urgency and insistence. It directly challenges Pilate's authority to write what he deems fit.
- ‘The King of the Jews’ (Ὁ Βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων - Ho Basileus tōn Ioudaion)": Pilate's direct and declarative title. To the Roman mind, this might simply mean 'the man accused of being king', but to the Jewish leaders, it sounded like an official affirmation of his status.
- but rather (ἀλλ’ - all'): Marks a strong contrast, introducing their proposed alternative.
- ‘This Man (ὅτι Ἐκεῖνος - hoti Ekeinos)": A deliberately demeaning and impersonal reference to Jesus. They refuse to call Him by name, further reducing His identity and status. It suggests a distancing and rejection.
- said (εἶπεν - eipen): Shifting the statement from Pilate's declarative truth ("is the King") to a reported claim ("He said, 'I am King'"). This turns a statement of identity into a mere human assertion, making it sound like a baseless boast rather than a divine reality or Pilate's assessment.
- ‘I am (Ἐγώ εἰμι - Egō eimi)": An echo of Jesus' common self-designations in John's Gospel, which carry profound theological weight ("I AM" references to God in Exodus 3:14). However, in the chief priests' context here, it's used to frame Jesus as self-important and a deceiver making a false claim.
- ‘the King of the Jews’ (ὁ Βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων - ho Basileus tōn Ioudaion)": The repeated title. By making it "He said, 'I am the King...'", they transform Pilate's declaration of a recognized, though condemned, king, into a record of a criminal's self-deceiving or rebellious statement.
- Words-group analysis: "Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This Man said, ‘I am the King of the Jews.’" This full phrase demonstrates the chief priests' deliberate attempt to redefine and undermine Jesus' identity and status. They want to remove any semblance of legitimacy from the "King" title. By adding "This Man said, 'I am,'" they transform a statement of "fact" (from Pilate's perspective, for a criminal inscription) into a report of a potentially deluded or fraudulent self-proclamation. This carefully worded request reflects their legalistic approach, their rejection of Jesus' messiahship, and their desire to politically protect themselves from any implication that they recognized Jesus as a legitimate "King" in any sense that could displease Rome or inspire a popular uprising.
John 19 21 Bonus section
The irony in this verse is profound: the chief priests, by trying to negate Jesus' kingship, inadvertently pushed Pilate to solidify a statement that proclaimed Him King. Pilate, likely weary of their incessant demands and possibly wishing to vex them, chose a wording that declared Jesus' status unequivocally. The religious leaders were concerned not just about blasphemy, but also about a political threat that could incur Roman wrath. Their proposal "This Man said, 'I am the King of the Jews'" intended to cast Jesus as a seditionist claiming illegitimate authority, not a genuine threat or rightful monarch. This highlights a recurring theme in John's Gospel where unbelief ironically confirms truth, as seen in Caiaphas's prophecy (Jn 11:49-52).
John 19 21 Commentary
John 19:21 unveils the depth of opposition Jesus faced from the Jewish religious leadership, even in His final hours. Pilate's blunt, tri-lingual declaration, "The King of the Jews," stood as an unwitting testament to Jesus' true identity. This declaration, seen as problematic by the chief priests, reflected the common Roman practice of identifying a condemned criminal's charge. Yet, the religious leaders recognized its powerful implicit affirmation. Their vehement demand for alteration reveals their strategic manipulation, aiming to portray Jesus not as an actual or acclaimed king, but merely as one who falsely claimed such a title. They sought to redefine Pilate's official statement into a libelous record of self-deception, reducing Jesus to a mere common criminal who suffered for his audacity, rather than a divine figure. This act underscores their theological blindness and fear, unable to accept His true kingship and desperate to control the narrative surrounding His death. Ironically, Pilate's steadfast refusal in the next verse meant that even in their greatest act of rejection, the world was shown a profound truth about Jesus, despite the intention of the accusers. It highlights the eternal truth that human attempts to diminish God's truth ultimately serve His sovereign purpose.