Matthew 27 19

Matthew 27:19 kjv

When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.

Matthew 27:19 nkjv

While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him."

Matthew 27:19 niv

While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him."

Matthew 27:19 esv

Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream."

Matthew 27:19 nlt

Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: "Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night."

Matthew 27 verses

Matthew 27 19 Meaning

While Pontius Pilate was presiding over the trial of Jesus from his official judgment seat, his wife sent him an urgent message. Troubled by a powerful dream she had experienced that very day concerning Jesus, she warned Pilate to have no involvement in the condemnation of "that innocent man." Her dream caused her significant distress and conveyed a divine premonition, underscoring Jesus' blamelessness and urging Pilate to refrain from complicity in his wrongful execution. This unusual intervention served as a profound witness to Jesus' innocence and a stark warning to the Roman governor.

Matthew 27 19 Context

This verse is embedded in Matthew's account of Jesus' trial before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. After Jesus' arrest and initial condemnation by the Jewish Sanhedrin, He is brought to Pilate because the Jewish authorities lack the power to execute Him under Roman law (Jn 18:31). Pilate attempts to release Jesus, finding no cause for charges, particularly against the backdrop of the Passover custom of releasing a prisoner. It's at this crucial moment of political maneuvering and judicial indecision, amidst the clamor of the crowd, that Pilate's wife sends her urgent, supernatural warning. Her intervention precedes Pilate's iconic act of washing his hands, emphasizing the profound and multiple layers of witness to Jesus' innocence and the governor's deliberate abdication of justice. The historical context shows Roman officials' wives often lived with them in the provinces, and while not having official roles, could exert personal influence. Dreams were widely recognized in antiquity, by both pagans and Jews, as potential avenues for divine or supernatural communication.

Matthew 27 19 Word analysis

• While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat: (Greek: kathēmenou epi tou bēmatos)
  • judgment seat (bēmatos): This refers to the bēma or tribunal, a raised platform from which a Roman magistrate would hear cases and pronounce judgment. It signifies the formal legal setting and Pilate's authority as a representative of Roman law and order. His position on the bēma underscores the gravity of the proceedings and his responsibility for judicial fairness.
• his wife: This detail is unique to Matthew's Gospel, emphasizing a supernatural warning originating from an unexpected source – a Gentile woman, often identified by tradition as Claudia Procula. Her unnamed status in the Bible itself may highlight her role as a divinely-inspired instrument rather than an individual of personal prominence. This also subverts the common patriarchal assumption of women's lack of authority in public spheres.
• sent him this message: Communication via a messenger suggests the urgency and public nature of the setting, making a direct personal address difficult. This implies a significant level of distress to prompt such an unusual public intervention by the governor's wife.
• 'Don't have anything to do with that innocent man...': (Greek: Mēden soi kai tō dikaiō ekeinō)
  • 'Don't have anything to do with': A strong Greek idiom expressing a desire for complete separation, implying: "Leave him alone," "Have no part in his condemnation," or "Do not bring guilt upon yourself concerning him." It's an urgent warning to disassociate from the injustice.
  • 'that innocent man': (Greek: tō dikaiō ekeinō) The word dikaios here means righteous, just, or innocent. This is a crucial assertion of Jesus' absolute blamelessness and upright character, confirming His true nature as perceived supernaturally, in stark contrast to the false accusations of the Sanhedrin and the Jewish crowd. This designation from an unlikely, Gentile source profoundly underlines Jesus' sinless purity. It's a direct witness to His holiness, echoing Old Testament prophecies of the righteous suffering servant (Is 53).
• 'for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him': (Greek: polla gar epathon sēmeron kat’ onar di’ auton)
  • 'suffered a great deal' (polla gar epathon): This indicates intense mental and emotional distress, anguish, or agitation. The suffering was not physical but psychological, triggered by the vividness and disturbing nature of the dream.
  • 'today' (sēmeron): The immediate temporal marker stresses the urgency and fresh impact of the dream, underscoring why she acted instantly to warn Pilate before he delivered judgment.
  • 'in a dream' (kat’ onar): Dreams were a well-established form of divine communication throughout biblical history (Gen, Num, Dan, Matt's own accounts in ch. 1 and 2) and were widely considered significant in the ancient world, even by pagans. This context would have lent legitimacy and seriousness to her warning in Pilate's mind. It signifies a supernatural intervention by God to attest to Jesus' righteousness and influence the proceedings, albeit fruitlessly for Pilate's outcome. The divine source of the dream highlights that God himself was bearing witness to Jesus' innocence even in this hour of his betrayal.
  • 'because of him' (di’ auton): Directly attributes her distress to Jesus, emphasizing His unique and impactful spiritual identity. Her suffering in the dream serves as a foreshadowing of the profound consequences of condemning the Son of God.

Matthew 27 19 Bonus section

The tradition of the Church Fathers often identifies Pilate's wife as Claudia Procula, and some Eastern Orthodox and Coptic churches venerate her as a saint because of this very intercession for Christ. This reflects the early Church's recognition of her unique role as an unexpected prophetess of Christ's innocence. This specific biblical instance underscores that God's grace and warnings can reach even those in positions of worldly power, and even through unconventional means like dreams communicated to pagan officials. The detail serves not just as a historical aside but as a theological point: the truth about Jesus (His innocence) was revealed by divine intervention, leaving Pilate without excuse, thereby heightening his responsibility and foreshadowing divine judgment upon those who condemn the Just One despite clear warnings.

Matthew 27 19 Commentary

Matthew 27:19 is a pivotal verse, offering a profound witness to Jesus' innocence and underscoring the spiritual dimensions of His trial. The unsolicited intervention by Pilate's wife, a Gentile woman, is highly significant. Her troubling dream, attributed directly to Jesus, serves as a divine warning—a clear message from God affirming Jesus' blamelessness and urging Pilate to act justly. This unusual divine intervention further amplifies Pilate's culpability, demonstrating that he had multiple witnesses to Jesus' righteousness (his own conscience, the Jewish accusations lacking merit, and now his wife's supernatural warning) yet still succumbed to political pressure. It highlights the cosmic importance of the trial, where not only earthly powers but heavenly agencies are involved, attempting to steer the course towards justice, despite humanity's ultimate choice to condemn. The dream also suggests a spiritual "suffering" already manifesting around Jesus' condemnation, even for those tangentially involved, foreshadowing the immense cost of crucifying the righteous Son of God. This detail uniquely in Matthew points to the pervasive witness of Jesus' true nature, even outside the circle of His disciples or the Jewish leadership.