Luke 23:4 kjv
Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.
Luke 23:4 nkjv
So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no fault in this Man."
Luke 23:4 niv
Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no basis for a charge against this man."
Luke 23:4 esv
Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, "I find no guilt in this man."
Luke 23:4 nlt
Pilate turned to the leading priests and to the crowd and said, "I find nothing wrong with this man!"
Luke 23 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lk 23:14 | "...nothing worthy of death is done unto him." | Pilate's repeated declaration of innocence |
| Lk 23:15 | "...nothing deserving death has been done by him." | Herod agrees with Pilate on Jesus's innocence |
| Lk 23:22 | "...I have found no cause of death in him..." | Pilate's third declaration of no capital fault |
| Jn 18:38 | "...I find in him no fault at all." | Pilate's initial declaration of Jesus's innocence |
| Jn 19:4 | "...I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him." | Pilate brings Jesus out, reaffirming innocence |
| Jn 19:6 | "...I find no fault in him." | Pilate challenges Jewish leaders to crucify Jesus themselves |
| Mt 27:24 | "I am innocent of the blood of this just person..." | Pilate symbolically washes hands of Jesus's blood |
| Heb 4:15 | "...yet without sin." | Confirms Jesus's sinless nature |
| 1 Pet 2:22 | "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth" | Emphasizes Jesus's blamelessness in word and deed |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin..." | Jesus was sinless, yet bore our sins |
| 1 Jn 3:5 | "...in him is no sin." | Affirms Jesus's pure, unblemished nature |
| Is 53:9 | "...he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth." | Prophecy of the Suffering Servant's sinlessness |
| Acts 3:14 | "But ye denied the Holy One and the Just..." | Peter's sermon highlights Jesus's righteous character |
| Acts 13:28 | "And though they found no cause of death in him..." | Paul also notes lack of charge worthy of death |
| Ps 69:4 | "They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head..." | Prophecy of unjustified hatred against Messiah |
| Acts 2:23 | "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God..." | Jesus's crucifixion part of God's sovereign plan |
| Acts 4:27-28 | "...both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles...were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done." | God's foreordination over human actors |
| Ex 12:5 | "Your lamb shall be without blemish..." | Typological connection to Passover lamb |
| Lev 1:3 | "...he shall offer a male without blemish..." | Requirement for Old Testament sacrifices to be perfect |
| Rom 5:8 | "...while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." | Emphasis on Jesus's death as a substitute for sinners |
Luke 23 verses
Luke 23 4 Meaning
Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, declared Jesus to be innocent of any crime worthy of death, after examining the accusations brought against Him by the chief priests and the people. This statement serves as a foundational affirmation of Jesus's sinlessness and blamelessness in the face of grave charges, establishing that His eventual crucifixion was a miscarriage of justice stemming from human malice, not any personal guilt.
Luke 23 4 Context
Luke 23 begins with Jesus being brought before Pilate by the entire Sanhedrin, accused of subverting the nation, forbidding tribute to Caesar, and claiming to be Christ a king. These were primarily political charges designed to compel Pilate, as the Roman governor, to execute Jesus. Luke 23:4 is Pilate's initial declaration following his private examination of Jesus (Lk 23:3) regarding the charge of being King of the Jews. Pilate's finding of "no fault" sets the stage for his subsequent attempts to release Jesus and highlights the moral and legal innocence of Jesus throughout the escalating demands for His crucifixion by the Jewish leaders. This verse serves as a pivotal point, establishing the lack of a legal basis for the Roman Empire's involvement in Jesus's execution.
Luke 23 4 Word analysis
- Then said Pilate: Implies Pilate's judicial authority and his initial conclusion after questioning Jesus (Lk 23:3). Pilate is a crucial Roman figure in the Passion narrative, holding ultimate power of life and death.
- to the chief priests: Greek: archiereis (ἀρχιερεῖς). These were the highest Jewish religious authorities, the primary accusers and orchestrators of Jesus's condemnation. Their motives were religious (blasphemy) but framed as political to sway Pilate.
- and to the people: Greek: ochlous (ὄχλους). Refers to the crowd that had gathered, easily swayed by the chief priests and elders. Pilate addresses them publicly, seeking to sway public opinion or present his judicial finding clearly.
- I find no fault: Greek: ouden aition heuriskō (Οὐδὲν αἴτιον εὑρίσκω).
- Ouden aition means "no cause" or "nothing guilty/chargeable." It's a strong judicial statement, a verdict of not guilty on the charges presented.
- Aition specifically relates to a cause for a legal charge or accusation. Pilate means he found no valid basis for the capital punishment they were demanding.
- Heuriskō means "I find" or "I discover," signifying Pilate's personal investigation and determination.
- in this man: Greek: en tō anthrōpō toutō (ἐν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τούτῳ). "This man" refers to Jesus, emphasizing His human nature as perceived by Pilate. It's a statement about Jesus's actions and person in relation to the law. Pilate sees no political threat or criminal behavior. This declaration of Jesus's legal blamelessness stands in stark contrast to the religious leaders' fervent desire for His execution.
Luke 23 4 Bonus section
The repeated declarations of "no fault" by Pilate (and implicitly by Herod, Lk 23:15) establish a legal record of Jesus's blamelessness under Roman and Jewish law (as interpreted by Pilate). This is crucial for early Christian apologetics, demonstrating that Jesus was executed not as a criminal, but as a righteous man. It highlights the divine irony where human authorities, in their corrupted judgment, unknowingly validate the purity of the One who was to become the perfect sacrifice.
Luke 23 4 Commentary
Luke 23:4 marks Pilate’s inaugural declaration of Jesus's innocence, a point he reiterates multiple times in this chapter. This verdict underscores a fundamental theological truth: Jesus, the Christ, was sinless and committed no crime deserving of death. His execution, therefore, was not a consequence of personal wrongdoing but a divinely ordained sacrificial act for the atonement of human sins. Pilate's repeated inability to find fault testifies to Jesus's perfect righteousness, providing external, pagan validation to what Scripture consistently proclaims about His impeccable character and unique status as the spotless Lamb of God. This tragic injustice serves to highlight the depths of human sin and the perfect nature of God's redemptive plan through an innocent substitute.