19:1 {Took and scourged} (elaben kai emastig“sen). First aorist
active indicative of lamban“ and mastigo“ (from mastix,
whip). For this redundant use of lamban“ see also verse 6. It
is the causative use of mastigo“, for Pilate did not actually
scourge Jesus. He simply ordered it done, perhaps to see if the
mob would be satisfied with this penalty on the alleged pretender
to royalty (Lu 23:22) whom Pilate had pronounced innocent (Joh
18:38), an illegal act therefore. It was a preliminary to
crucifixion, but Jesus was not yet condemned. The Sanhedrin had
previously mocked Jesus (Mr 14:65; Mt 26:67f.; Lu 22:63ff.) as
the soldiers will do later (Mr 15:16-19; Mt 27:27-30). This
later mock coronation (Mark and Matthew) was after the
condemnation.
19:3 {They came} (ˆrchonto). Imperfect middle of repeated
action, "they kept coming and saying" (elegon) in derision and
mock reverence with Ave (chaire, Hail!) as if to Caesar. Note ho basileus (the king) in address.
19:4 {I bring him out to you} (ag“ humin auton ex“). Vividly
pictures Pilate leading Jesus out of the palace before the mob in
front.
19:5 {Wearing} (phor“n). Present active participle of phore“,
an early frequentative of pher“, denoting a continual wearing,
though not true here (only temporary). Jesus bore the mockery
with kingly dignity as part of the shame of the Cross (Heb
12:2).
19:6 {Crucify him, crucify him} (staur“son, staur“son). First
aorist active imperative of stauro“ for which verb see Mt
29:19, etc. Here the note of urgency (aorist imperative) with no
word for "him," as they were led by the chief priests and the
temple police till the whole mob takes it up (Mt 27:22).
19:7 {Because he made himself the Son of God} (hoti huion theou
heauton epoiˆsen). Here at last the Sanhedrin give the real
ground for their hostility to Jesus, one of long standing for
probably three years (Joh 5:18) and the one on which the
Sanhedrin voted the condemnation of Jesus (Mr 14:61-64; Mt
27:23-66), but even now they do not mention their own decision
to Pilate, for they had no legal right to vote Christ's death
before Pilate's consent which they now have secured.
19:8 {He was the more afraid} (mallon ephobˆthˆ). First aorist
passive indicative of phobeomai. He was already afraid because
of his wife's message (Mt 27:19). The claim of Jesus to deity
excited Pilate's superstitious fears.
19:9 {Whence art thou?} (pothen ei su;). Pilate knew that Jesus
was from Galilee (Lu 23:6f.). He is really alarmed. See a like
question by the Jews in 8:25.
19:10 {Unto me} (emoi). Emphatic position for this dative. It
amounted to contempt of court with all of Pilate's real
"authority" (exousia), better here than "power."
19:11 {Thou wouldest have} (ouk eiches). Imperfect active
indicative without an, but apodosis of second-class condition
as in 15:22,24.
19:12 {Sought} (ezˆtei). Imperfect active, "kept on seeking,"
"made renewed efforts to release him." He was afraid to act
boldly against the will of the Jews.
19:13 {Sat down on the judgement seat} (ekathisen epi bˆmatos).
"Took his seat upon the bˆma" (the raised platform for the
judge outside the palace as in Ac 7:5). The examination is over
and Pilate is now ready for the final stage.
19:14 {The Preparation of the passover} (paraskeuˆ tou pascha).
That is, Friday of passover week, the preparation day before the
Sabbath of passover week (or feast). See also verses 31,42; Mr
15:42; Mt 27:62; Lu 23:54 for this same use of paraskeuˆ for
Friday. It is the name for Friday today in Greece.
19:15 {Away with him, away with him} (ƒron, ƒron). First aorist
active imperative of air“. See aire in Lu 23:18. This thing
has gotten on the nerves of the crowd. Note the repetition. In a
second-century papyrus letter (Moulton and Milligan's
"Vocabulary") a nervous mother cries "He upsets me; away with
him" (arron auton). Pilate weakly repeats his sarcasm: "{Your
king shall I crucify?} (Ton basilea hum“n staur“s“;).
19:16 {He delivered} (pared“ken). Kappa aorist active of paradid“mi, the very verb used of the Sanhedrin when they
handed Jesus over to Pilate (18:30,35). Now Pilate hands Jesus
back to the Sanhedrin with full consent for his death (Lu
23:25).
19:17 {They took} (parelabon). Second aorist active indicative
of paralamban“, they took Jesus from Pilate. Cf. 1:11; 14:3.
This is after the shameful scourging between 6 A.M. and 9 A.M.
when the soldiers insult Jesus "ad libitum" (Mr 15:16-19; Mt
27:27-30).
{Bearing the cross for himself} (bastaz“n haut“i ton stauron).
Cf. Lu 14:27 for this very picture in the words of Jesus. The
dative case of the reflexive pronoun haut“i "for himself" is in
strict accord with Roman custom. "A criminal condemned to be
crucified was required to carry his own cross" (Bernard). But
apparently Jesus under the strain of the night before and the
anguish of heart within him gave out so that Simon of Cyrene was
impressed to carry it for Jesus (Mr 15:21f.; Mt 27:32f.; Lu
23:26). See Mr 15:22f.; Mt 27:33f.; Lu 23:33 for the meaning
of "place of a skull" or Calvary and Golgotha in Hebrew
(Aramaic). Luke has simply Kranion (Skull), a skull-looking
place.
19:18 {They crucified} (estaur“san). The soldiers just as in
Ac 22:24f.; the scourging of Paul was to be done by the
soldiers.
19:19 {Pilate wrote a title also} (egrapsen kai titlon ho
Peilatos). Only John tells us that Pilate himself wrote it and
John alone uses the technical Latin word "titlon" (several times
in inscriptions), for the board with the name of the criminal and
the crime in which he is condemned; Mark (Mr 15:26) and Luke
(Lu 23:28) use epigraphˆ (superscription). Matthew (Mt
27:37) has simply aitian (accusation). The inscription in John
is the fullest of the four and has all in any of them save the
words "this is" (houtos estin) in Mt 27:37.
19:20 {Read} (anegn“san). Second aorist active indicative of anagin“sk“. It was meant to be read. Latin was the legal and
official language; Aramaic (Hebrew) was for the benefit of the
people of Jerusalem; Greek was for everybody who passed by who
did not know Aramaic. Many of the Jews mocked as they read the
accusation. This item alone in John.
19:21 {But that he said} (all' hoti ekeinos eipen). The chief
priests were uneasy for fear that the joke in the mock title was
on them instead of on Jesus. They were right in their fear.
19:22 {What I have written I have written} (ho gegrapha
gegrapha). With emphasis on the permanence of the accusation on
the board. Pilate has a sudden spirit of stubbornness in this
detail to the surprise of the chief priests. Technically he was
correct, for he had condemned Jesus on this charge made by the
chief priests.
19:23 {Four parts} (tessera merˆ). There were four soldiers,
the usual quaternion (tetradion, Ac 12:9) besides the
centurion (Mr 15:39; Mt 27:54; Lu 23:47). The clothes
(himatia, outer clothes) of the criminal were removed before
the crucifixion and belonged to the soldiers. Luke (Lu 23:34)
mentions the division of the garments, but not the number four.
The four pieces would be the head gear, the sandals, the girdle,
the tallith (outer garment with fringes).
19:24 {Let us not rend it} (mˆ schis“men auton). Mˆ with
first aorist active volitive subjunctive of schiz“, to split.
It was too valuable to ruin.
19:25 {Were standing by the cross of Jesus} (histˆkeisan para
t“i staur“i tou Iˆsou). Perfect of histˆmi, to place, used as
imperfect (intransitive) with para (beside) and the locative
case. Vivid contrast this to the rude gambling of the soldiers.
This group of four (or three) women interests us more. Matt. (Mt
27:55f.) spoke of women beholding from afar and names three
(Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses,
and the mother of the sons of Zebedee). Mark also (Mr 15:40)
names three (Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the less
and of Joses, and Salome). They have clearly drawn near the Cross
by now. John alone mentions the mother of Jesus in the group. It
is not clear whether the sister of the mother of Jesus is Salome
the mother of the sons of Zebedee or the wife of Clopas. If so,
two sisters have the name Mary and James and John are cousins of
Jesus. The point cannot be settled with our present knowledge.
19:26 {His mother} (tˆn mˆtera). Common Greek idiom, the
article as possessive.
19:27 {Unto his own home} (eis ta idia). See this same idiom
and sense in 1:11; 16:32; Ac 21:6. John had a lodging in
Jerusalem, whether a house or not, and the mother of Jesus lived
with him there.
19:28 {Are now finished} (ˆdˆ tetelestai). Perfect passive
indicative of tele“. See same form in verse 30. As in 13:1,
where Jesus is fully conscious (knowing, eid“s) of the meaning
of his atoning death.
19:29 {Was set} (ekeito). Imperfect middle. John, as
eyewitness, had noticed it there.
19:30 {Had received} (elaben). Second aorist active indicative
of lamban“. Jesus took the vinegar (a stimulant), though he had
refused the drugged vinegar. It is finished (tetelestai). Same
for as in verse 28. A cry of victory in the hour of defeat like nenikˆka in 16:33. Jesus knew the relation of his death to
redemption for us (Mr 10:45; Mt 20:28; 26:28).
19:31 {The Preparation} (paraskeuˆ). Friday. See verse 14.
{Might not remain} (mˆ meinˆi). Negative final clause with hina mˆ and first aorist active (constative) subjunctive of men“.
19:32 {Which was crucified with him} (tou sunstaur“thentos
aut“i). First aorist passive articular participle of sunstauro“ with associative instrumental case. Cf. Paul's Christ“i sunestaur“mai (Ga 2:19).
19:33 {Already dead} (ˆdˆ tethnˆkota). Perfect active
participle of thnˆsk“. So then Jesus died before the robbers,
died of a broken heart.
19:34 {With a spear} (logchˆi). Instrumental case of this old
word, here only in the N.T.
19:35 {He that hath seen} (ho he“rak“s). Perfect active
articular participle of hora“. John the Apostle was there and
saw this fact (still sees it, in fact). This personal witness
disproves the theory of the Docetic Gnostics that Jesus did not
have a real human body.
19:36 {Be broken} (suntribˆsetai). Second future passive of suntrib“, to crush together. A free quotation of Ex 12:46
about the paschal lamb.
19:37 {They pierced} (exekentˆsan). First aorist active of ekkente“, late verb, correct translation of the Hebrew of Zec
12:10, but not like the LXX, in N.T. only here and Re 1:7.
19:38 {But secretly for fear of the Jews} (kekrummenos de dia
ton phobon t“n Ioudai“n). Perfect passive participle of krupt“. An example of the rulers described in 12:41-43 who
through cowardice feared to own their faith in Jesus as the
Messiah. But it must be put down to the credit of Joseph that he
showed courage in this darkest hour when the majority had lost
heart.
19:39 {Nicodemus also} (kai Nikodˆmos). The Synoptics tell
about Joseph of Arimathea, but only John adds the help that
Nicodemus gave him in the burial of Jesus, these two timid
disciples, Nicodemus now at last taking an open stand.
19:40 {In linen cloths} (othoniois). Late diminutive for the
old othonˆ, used for ships' sails, in N.T. here and Lu 24:12.
Case here either locative or instrumental.
19:41 {A garden} (kˆpos). See 18:1,26.
19:42 {Was nigh at hand} (eggus ˆn). This tomb was outside of
the city, near a road as the Cross was, and in a garden. The hill
looked like a skull and was probably Gordon's Calvary seen from
the Mount of Olives today.
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