Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, September 13th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

The Darby Translation

John 18:30

They answered and said to him, If this [man] were not an evildoer, we should not have delivered him up to thee.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Accusation, False;   Indictments;   Jesus, the Christ;   Persecution;   Pilate, Pontius;   Priest;   Prisoners;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Rome;   Sanhedrin;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Persecution;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Trial of Jesus;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Pilate;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Malefactor;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Aceldama;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Malefactor;   Pilate, Pontius;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They answered him, “If this man weren’t a criminal, we wouldn’t have handed him over to you.”
King James Version (1611)
They answered, & said vnto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not haue deliuered him vp vnto thee.
King James Version
They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee.
English Standard Version
They answered him, "If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you."
New American Standard Bible
They answered and said to him, "If this Man were not a criminal, we would not have handed Him over to you."
New Century Version
They answered, "If he were not a criminal, we wouldn't have brought him to you."
Amplified Bible
They answered, "If He were not a criminal, we would not have handed Him over to you [for judgment]."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
They answered and said to him, "If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you."
Legacy Standard Bible
They answered and said to him, "If this man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you."
Berean Standard Bible
"If He were not a criminal," they replied, "we would not have handed Him over to you."
Contemporary English Version
They answered, "He is a criminal! That's why we brought him to you."
Complete Jewish Bible
They answered, "If he hadn't done something wrong, we wouldn't have brought him to you."
Easy-to-Read Version
They answered, "He is a bad man. That is why we brought him to you."
Geneva Bible (1587)
They answered, and saide vnto him, If hee were not an euill doer, we woulde not haue deliuered him vnto thee.
George Lamsa Translation
They answered and said to him, If he were not an evil-doer, we would not have delivered him up also to you.
Good News Translation
Their answer was, "We would not have brought him to you if he had not committed a crime."
Lexham English Bible
They answered and said to him, "If this man were not doing evil, we would not have handed him over to you!"
Literal Translation
They answered and said to him, If this One were not an evildoer, then we would not have delivered Him to you.
American Standard Version
They answered and said unto him, If this man were not an evil-doer, we should not have delivered him up unto thee.
Bible in Basic English
They said to him in answer, If the man was not a wrongdoer we would not have given him up to you.
Hebrew Names Version
They answered him, "If this man weren't an evildoer, we wouldn't have delivered him up to you."
International Standard Version
They answered him, "If he weren't a criminal, we wouldn't have handed him over to you."
Etheridge Translation
They answered and said to him, If he were not a worker of evils, we would not to thee have delivered him.
Murdock Translation
They replied, and said to him: If he were not a malefactor, we should not have delivered him up to thee.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
They aunswered, and said vnto him: Yf he were not an euyll doer, we would not haue deliuered hym vnto thee.
English Revised Version
They answered and said unto him, If this man were not an evil-doer, we should not have delivered him up unto thee.
World English Bible
They answered him, "If this man weren't an evildoer, we wouldn't have delivered him up to you."
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
They answered and said to him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him to thee.
Weymouth's New Testament
"If the man were not a criminal," they replied, "we would not have handed him over to you."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thei answeriden, and seiden to hym, If this were not a mysdoere, we hadden not bitakun hym to thee.
Update Bible Version
They answered and said to him, If this man were not an evildoer, we should not have delivered him up to you.
Webster's Bible Translation
They answered and said to him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up to thee.
New English Translation
They replied, "If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you."
New King James Version
They answered and said to him, "If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you."
New Living Translation
"We wouldn't have handed him over to you if he weren't a criminal!" they retorted.
New Life Bible
The Jews said, "If He had not done wrong, we would not have brought Him to you."
New Revised Standard
They answered, "If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
They answered and said unto him - If this one had not been doing, mischief, unto thee, had we not delivered him up.
Douay-Rheims Bible
They answered and said to him: If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up to thee.
Revised Standard Version
They answered him, "If this man were not an evildoer, we would not have handed him over."
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
They answered and sayd vnto him. If he were not an evyll doar we wolde not have delyvered him vnto the.
Young's Literal Translation
they answered and said to him, `If he were not an evil doer, we had not delivered him to thee.'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
They answered, and sayde vnto him: Yf he were not an euell doer, we had not delyuered him vnto the.
Mace New Testament (1729)
they answered him, if he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him to you.
THE MESSAGE
They said, "If he hadn't been doing something evil, do you think we'd be here bothering you?"
Simplified Cowboy Version
The Jews said, "He is a criminal. Why else would we have brought him to you?"

Contextual Overview

28 They lead therefore Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium; and it was early morn. And *they* entered not into the praetorium, that they might not be defiled, but eat the passover. 29 Pilate therefore went out to them and said, What accusation do ye bring against this man? 30 They answered and said to him, If this [man] were not an evildoer, we should not have delivered him up to thee. 31 Pilate therefore said to them, Take him, ye, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said to him, It is not permitted to us to put any one to death; 32 that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled which he spoke, signifying what death he should die. 33 Pilate therefore entered again into the praetorium and called Jesus, and said to him, Thou art the king of the Jews? 34 Jesus answered [him], Dost thou say this of thyself, or have others said it to thee concerning me? 35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thy nation and the chief priests have delivered thee up to me: what hast thou done? 36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my servants had fought that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but now my kingdom is not from hence. 37 Pilate therefore said to him, Thou art then a king? Jesus answered, Thou sayest [it], that I am a king. I have been born for this, and for this I have come into the world, that I might bear witness to the truth. Every one that is of the truth hears my voice.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

If: John 19:12, Mark 15:3, Luke 20:19-26, Luke 23:2-5

delivered: Mark 10:33, Luke 24:7, Acts 3:13

Reciprocal: Psalms 64:6 - search Jeremiah 26:11 - saying Luke 18:32 - delivered John 9:24 - we know Acts 21:33 - and demanded Acts 25:5 - if

Cross-References

Genesis 18:8
And he took thick and sweet milk, and the calf that he had dressed, and set [it] before them; and he stood before them under the tree, and they ate.
Genesis 18:9
And they said to him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
Genesis 18:11
Now Abraham and Sarah were old [and] advanced in age: it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
Genesis 18:16
And the men rose up thence, and looked toward Sodom; and Abraham went with them to conduct them.
Genesis 18:28
Perhaps there may want five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city on account of the five? And he said, If I shall find forty-five there, I will not destroy [it].
Genesis 18:29
And he continued yet to speak with him, and said, Perhaps there may be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake.
Genesis 44:18
Then Judah came near to him, and said, Ah! my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant; for thou art even as Pharaoh.
Judges 6:39
And Gideon said to God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once! Let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it, I pray thee, be dry upon the fleece only, and upon all the ground let there be dew.
Job 40:4
Behold, I am nought: what shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.
Psalms 9:12
For when he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them; the cry of the afflicted ones hath he not forgotten.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

They answered and said unto him,.... Offended at the question put to them, and filled with indignation that they should be so interrogated, with an air of haughtiness and insolence reply to him:

if he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee; insinuating, that he was guilty of some very wicked action; not merely of a breach of some of their laws peculiar to them; for then they would have tried and judged him according to them, and not have brought him before him; but they suggest, that he was guilty of some crimes recognizable by Caesar's court; and which they did not care to mention expressly, lest they should not succeed, not having it may be as yet, their witnesses ready; and hoped he would have took their own word for it, without any further proof, they being men of such rank and dignity, and of so much knowledge, learning, and religion; and therefore took it ill of him, that he should ask such persons as they were, so famous for their prudence, integrity, and sanctity, such a question: however, they own themselves to be the betrayers and deliverers up of our Lord, which Christ had before foretold, and which Stephen afterwards charged them with.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

If he were not a malefactor - A violator of the law. If we had not determined that he was such, and was worthy of death, Matthew 26:66. From this it appears that they did not deliver him up to be tried, but hoped that Pilate would at once, give sentence that he should be executed according to their request. It is probable that in ordinary cases the Roman governor was not accustomed to make very strict inquiry into the justice of the sentence. The Jewish Sanhedrin tried causes and pronounced sentence, and the sentence was usually approved by the governor; but in this case Pilate, evidently contrary to their expectations, proceeded himself to rehear and retry the cause. He had doubtless heard of the miracles of Jesus. He seems to have been strongly pre-possessed with the belief of his innocence. He knew that they had delivered him from mere envy Matthew 27:18, and hence, he inquired of them the nature of the case, and the kind of charge which they expected to substantiate against him.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 30. If he were not a malefactor — So they did not wish to make Pilate the judge, but the executor of the sentence which they had already illegally passed.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile