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Read the Bible

New Life Version

John 19:21

Then the head religious leaders of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews'! Write, ‘He said, I am the King of the Jews.'"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Death;   Indictments;   Jesus, the Christ;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Persecution;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Christianity;   Humiliation of Christ;   Jesus Christ;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Inscription;   John, the Gospel of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - King, Christ as;   Pilate, Pontius;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for March 5;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Don’t write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that he said, ‘I am the King of the Jews.’”
King James Version (1611)
Then said the chiefe Priests of the Iewes to Pilate, Write not, The king of the Iewes: but that he said, I am King of the Iewes.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
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.'"
New American Standard Bible
So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews'; rather, write that He said, 'I am King of the Jews.'"
New Century Version
The leading priests said to Pilate, "Don't write, ‘The King of the Jews.' But write, ‘This man said, "I am the King of the Jews."'"
Amplified Bible
Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews'; but, 'He said, "I am King of the Jews."'"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews'; but that He said, 'I am King of the Jews.'"
Legacy Standard Bible
So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, "Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews;' but that He said, ‘I am King of the Jews.'"
Berean Standard Bible
So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but only that He said, 'I am the King of the Jews.'"
Contemporary English Version
So the chief priests went to Pilate and said, "Why did you write that he is King of the Jews? You should have written, ‘He claimed to be King of the Jews.'"
Complete Jewish Bible
The Judeans' head cohanim therefore said to Pilate, "Don't write, ‘The King of the Jews,' but ‘He said, "I am King of the Jews."'"
Darby Translation
The chief priests of the Jews therefore said to Pilate, Do not write, The king of the Jews, but that *he* said, I am king of the Jews.
Easy-to-Read Version
The leading Jewish priests said to Pilate, "Don't write, ‘The King of the Jews.' But write, ‘This man said, I am the King of the Jews.'"
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then saide the hie Priests of the Iewes to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Iewes, but that he sayd, I am King of the Iewes.
George Lamsa Translation
The high priests then said to Pilate, Do not write that he is the king of the Jews; but that he said, I am the king of the Jews.
Good News Translation
The chief priests said to Pilate, "Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,' but rather, ‘This man said, I am the King of the Jews.'"
Lexham English Bible
Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write ‘The king of the Jews,' but, ‘He said, I am king of the Jews.'"
Literal Translation
Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, Do not write, The King of the Jews, but that One said, I am King of the Jews.
American Standard Version
The chief priests of the Jews therefore said to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but, that he said, I am King of the Jews.
Bible in Basic English
Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, Do not put, The King of the Jews, but, He said, I am the King of the Jews.
Hebrew Names Version
The chief Kohanim of the Yehudim therefore said to Pilate, "Don't write, 'The King of the Yehudim,' but that, 'he said, I am King of the Yehudim.'"
International Standard Version
Then the Jewish high priests told Pilate, "Don't write, 'The King of the Jews,' but that this fellow said, 'I am the King of the Jews.'"
Etheridge Translation
And the chief priests said to Pilatos, Do not write that he is king of the Jihudoyee, but that he said, I am the king of the Jihudoyee.
Murdock Translation
And the chief priests said to Pilate: Write not that he is king of the Jews, but that he said I am king of the Jews.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then sayde the hye priestes of the Iewes to Pilate, Write not kyng of the Iewes: but, that he sayde, I am kyng of the Iewes.
English Revised Version
The chief priests of the Jews therefore said to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but, that he said, I am King of the Jews.
World English Bible
The chief priests of the Jews therefore said to Pilate, "Don't write, 'The King of the Jews,' but that, 'he said, I am King of the Jews.'"
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Then said the chief priests to Pilate, Write not, the king of the Jews; but that he said, I am the king of the Jews.
Weymouth's New Testament
This led the Jewish High Priests to remonstrate with Pilate. "You should not write `The King of the Jews,'" they said, "but that he claimed to be King of the Jews."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor the bischops of the Jewis seiden to Pilat, Nyle thou write kyng of Jewis, but for he seide, Y am king of Jewis.
Update Bible Version
The chief priests of the Jews therefore said to Pilate, Do not write, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
New English Translation
Then 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.'"
New King James Version
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.""'
New Living Translation
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.'"
New Revised Standard
Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,' but, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.'"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The High-priests of the Jews, therefore, were saying unto Pilate - Do not be writing, The King of the Jews; but that, he, said: King of the Jews, I am.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate: Write not: The King of the Jews. But that he said: I am the King of the Jews.
Revised Standard Version
The chief priests of the Jews then said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but, 'This man said, I am King of the Jews.'"
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Then sayde the hye prestes of ye Iewes to Pylate: wryte not kynge of the Iewes: but that he sayde I am kynge of the Iewes.
Young's Literal Translation
The chief priests of the Jews said, therefore, to Pilate, `Write not -- The king of the Jews, but that one said, I am king of the Jews;'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde the hye prestes of the Iewes vnto Pilate: Wryte not kynge of the Iewes, but yt he sayde, I am kynge of the Iewes.
Mace New Testament (1729)
thereupon the chief priests of the Jews went to Pilate, saying, don't write, "The king of the Jews;" but that he said, I am king of the Jews.
Simplified Cowboy Version
The religious leaders objected and asked the sign be changed to, "He said he was the king of the Jews."

Contextual Overview

19 Then Pilate put a writing on the cross which said, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 This was read by many of the Jews. The place where Jesus was nailed to the cross was near the city. The writing was written in the Hebrew and the Latin and the Greek languages. 21 Then the head religious leaders of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews'! Write, ‘He said, I am the King of the Jews.'" 22 Pilate said, "What I have written is to stay just as it is!" 23 The soldiers who nailed Jesus to the cross took His clothes and divided them in four parts, each soldier getting one part. But His coat which was not sewed was made in one piece. 24 They said to each other, "Let us not cut it up. Let us draw names to see whose it should be." This happened as the Holy Writings said it would happen, "They divided My clothes among them and they drew names for My coat." 25 This is what the soldiers did. The mother of Jesus and her sister Mary, the wife of Cleophas, were standing near the cross. Mary Magdalene was there also. 26 Jesus saw His mother and the follower whom He loved standing near. He said to His mother, "Woman, look at your son." 27 Then Jesus said to the follower, "Look at your mother." From that time the follower took her to his own house. 28 Jesus knew that everything was now finished. Everything happened as the Holy Writings said it would happen. He said, "I am thirsty."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Luke 23:49 - the women John 18:38 - I find

Cross-References

Genesis 4:7
Will not your face be happy if you do well? If you do not do well, sin is waiting to destroy you. Its desire is to rule over you, but you must rule over it."
Genesis 12:2
And I will make you a great nation. I will bring good to you. I will make your name great, so you will be honored.
Genesis 18:24
What if there are fifty good people within the city? Will You destroy the place and not save it because of the fifty good people in it?
Genesis 19:8
See, I have two daughters who have never had a man. Let me bring them out to you. And do to them whatever you want. But do nothing to these men, for they have come to be safe under my roof."
Genesis 19:9
But they said, "Get out of our way. This man came to live here from another land. And already he acts like a judge. Now we will do worse things to you than to them." So they pushed hard against Lot and almost broke down the door.
Genesis 19:15
When morning came, the angels told Lot to hurry. They said, "Get up. Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Or else you will be destroyed when the city is punished."
Genesis 19:16
But Lot was slow to move. So the men took him, his wife and two daughters by the hand and brought them out of the city. For the Lord had loving-pity for him.
Psalms 34:15
The eyes of the Lord are on those who do what is right and good. His ears are open to their cry.
Psalms 102:17
He will answer the prayer of those in need. He will not turn from their prayer.
Psalms 145:19
He will fill the desire of those who fear Him. He will also hear their cry and will save them.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate,.... Who were not only informed of this inscription, but might read it themselves, for they were present at the crucifying of Christ, and mocked at him as he hung on the tree; these, when they read the title, were greatly offended at it, partly because it was doing too great an honour to Jesus to call him the King of the Jews: and partly because it fixed a public brand of infamy upon their nation, that a king of theirs should be crucified: wherefore they went to Pilate and addressed him, saying,

write not the King of the Jews: because they did not own him for their king, which this title seemed to suggest, nor had he in their opinion any right to such a character; wherefore they desired that in the room of these words he would be pleased to put the following,

but that he said, I am King of the Jews; that so he might be thought to be a seditious person and a traitor; one that laid claim to the temporal crown and kingdom of Israel, and one that suffered justly for attempts of that kind.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the notes at Matthew 27:32-37.

John 19:22

What I have written ... - This declaration implied that he would make no change. He was impatient, and weary of their solicitations. He had yielded to them contrary to the convictions of his own conscience, and he now declared his purpose to yield no further.


 
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