John 19
New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel
John chapter 19 is given here in full, verse by verse, in the English Majority Text Version (EMTV), with the Byzantine Majority Text set beneath each verse. The text follows the Byzantine textual tradition used in the Orthodox Church.
12 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from 3 Fathers — Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Augustine of Hippo, and Saint Augustine.
John 19
1So then Pilate took Jesus and flogged Him.Τότε οὖν ἔλαβεν ὁ Πιλᾶτος τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ ἐμαστίγωσε.
2And the soldiers twisted a crown out of thorns and put it on His head, and they put a purple robe around Him.Καὶ οἱ στρατιῶται πλέξαντες στέφανον ἐξ ἀκανθῶν ἐπέθηκαν αὐτοῦ τῇ κεφαλῇ, καὶ ἱμάτιον πορφυροῦν περιέβαλον αὐτόν,
3And they kept saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they were striking Him with their hands.καὶ ἔλεγον, Χαῖρε, ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων· καὶ ἐδίδουν αὐτῷ ῥαπίσματα.
4Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, so that you may know that I find no fault in Him.”Ἐξῆλθεν οὖν πάλιν ἔξω ὁ Πιλᾶτος, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς, Ἴδε, ἄγω ὑμῖν αὐτὸν ἔξω, ἵνα γνῶτε ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ οὐδεμίαν αἰτίαν εὑρίσκω.
5Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold, the Man!”Ἐξῆλθεν οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἔξω, φορῶν τὸν ἀκάνθινον στέφανον καὶ τὸ πορφυροῦν ἱμάτιον. Καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς, Ἴδε, ὁ ἄνθρωπος.
6Therefore, when the chief priests and the attendants saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.”Ὅτε οὖν εἶδον αὐτὸν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ ὑπηρέται, ἐκραύγασαν λέγοντες, Σταύρωσον, σταύρωσον αὐτόν. Λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Πιλᾶτος, Λάβετε αὐτὸν ὑμεῖς καὶ σταυρώσατε· ἐγὼ γὰρ οὐχ εὑρίσκω ἐν αὐτῷ αἰτίαν.
7The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.”Ἀπεκρίθησαν αὐτῷ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, Ἡμεῖς νόμον ἔχομεν, καὶ κατὰ τὸν νόμον ἡμῶν ὀφείλει ἀποθανεῖν, ὅτι ἑαυτὸν Θεοῦ υἱὸν ἐποίησεν.
8Therefore, when Pilate heard this saying, he was even more afraid,Ὅτε οὖν ἤκουσεν ὁ Πιλᾶτος τοῦτον τὸν λόγον, μᾶλλον ἐφοβήθη,
9and he entered into the Praetorium again, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸ πραιτώριον πάλιν, καὶ λέγει τῷ Ἰησοῦ, Πόθεν εἶ σύ; Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἀπόκρισιν οὐκ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ.
10Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have authority to crucify You, and I have authority to release You?”Λέγει οὖν αὐτῷ ὁ Πιλᾶτος, Ἐμοὶ οὐ λαλεῖς; Οὐκ οἶδας ὅτι ἐξουσίαν ἔχω σταυρῶσαί σε, καὶ ἐξουσίαν ἔχω ἀπολῦσαί σε;
11Jesus answered, “You would have no authority at all against Me unless it had been given to you from above. Therefore the one who betrayed Me to you has a greater sin.”Ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς, Οὐκ εἶχες ἐξουσίαν οὐδεμίαν κατ᾽ ἐμοῦ, εἰ μὴ ἦν σοι δεδομένον ἄνωθεν· διὰ τοῦτο ὁ παραδιδούς μέ σοι μείζονα ἁμαρτίαν ἔχει.
12From this point Pilate was seeking to release Him, but the Jews kept crying out, saying, “If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar's. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.”Ἐκ τούτου ἐζήτει ὁ Πιλᾶτος ἀπολῦσαι αὐτόν. Οἱ δὲ Ἰουδαῖοι ἔκραζον λέγοντες, Ἐὰν τοῦτον ἀπολύσῃς, οὐκ εἶ φίλος τοῦ Καίσαρος· πᾶς ὁ βασιλέα ἑαυτὸν ποιῶν, ἀντιλέγει τῷ Καίσαρι.
13Therefore Pilate, having heard this saying, led Jesus outside and sat down on the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.Ὁ οὖν Πιλᾶτος ἀκούσας τούτων τῶν λόγων ἤγαγεν ἔξω τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος, εἰς τόπον λεγόμενον Λιθόστρωτον, Ἑβραϊστὶ δὲ Γαββαθᾶ·
14Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”ἦν δὲ Παρασκευὴ τοῦ Πάσχα, ὥρα δὲ ὡσεὶ ἕκτη· καὶ λέγει τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, Ἴδε, ὁ βασιλεὺς ὑμῶν.
15But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!”Οἱ δὲ ἐκραύγασαν, Ἆρον, ἆρον, σταύρωσον αὐτόν. Λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Πιλᾶτος, Τὸν βασιλέα ὑμῶν σταυρώσω; Ἀπεκρίθησαν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς, Οὐκ ἔχομεν βασιλέα εἰ μὴ Καίσαρα.
16Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him away.Τότε οὖν παρέδωκεν αὐτὸν αὐτοῖς ἵνα σταυρωθῇ. Παρέλαβον δὲ τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ ἤγαγον·
17And bearing His cross, He went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha,καὶ βαστάζων τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ ἐξῆλθεν εἰς τόπον λεγόμενον Κρανίου Τόπον, ὃς λέγεται Ἑβραϊστὶ Γολγοθᾶ·
18where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on each side, and Jesus in the middle.ὅπου αὐτὸν ἐσταύρωσαν, καὶ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἄλλους δύο, ἐντεῦθεν καὶ ἐντεῦθεν, μέσον δὲ τὸν Ἰησοῦν.
19Now Pilate wrote a title and he put it on the cross. And it was written: JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.Ἔγραψε δὲ καὶ τίτλον ὁ Πιλᾶτος, καὶ ἔθηκεν ἐπὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ· ἦν δὲ γεγραμμένον, Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων.
20Then many of the Jews read this title, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Greek, and in Latin.Τοῦτον οὖν τὸν τίτλον πολλοὶ ἀνέγνωσαν τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ὅτι ἐγγὺς ἦν ὁ τόπος τῆς πόλεως ὅπου ἐσταυρώθη ὁ Ἰησοῦς· καὶ ἦν γεγραμμένον Ἑβραϊστί, Ἑλληνιστί, Ῥωμαϊστί.
21Therefore 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.” ’ ”Ἔλεγον οὖν τῷ Πιλάτῳ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς τῶν Ἰουδαίων, Μὴ γράφε, Ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων· ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι Ἐκεῖνος εἶπε, Βασιλεύς εἰμι τῶν Ἰουδαίων.
22Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”Ἀπεκρίθη ὁ Πιλᾶτος, Ὃ γέγραφα, γέγραφα.
23Then the soldiers, when they crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was seamless, woven from the top in one piece.Οἱ οὖν στρατιῶται, ὅτε ἐσταύρωσαν τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ἔλαβον τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐποίησαν τέσσαρα μέρη, ἑκάστῳ στρατιώτῃ μέρος, καὶ τὸν χιτῶνα. Ἦν δὲ ὁ χιτὼν ἄραφος, ἐκ τῶν ἄνωθεν ὑφαντὸς δι᾽ ὅλου.
24Therefore they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but let us cast lots for it, whose it will be,” so that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: “They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.Εἶπον οὖν πρὸς ἀλλήλους, Μὴ σχίσωμεν αὐτόν, ἀλλὰ λάχωμεν περὶ αὐτοῦ, τίνος ἔσται· ἵνα ἡ γραφὴ πληρωθῇ ἡ λέγουσα, Διεμερίσαντο τὰ ἱμάτιά μου ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν ἱματισμόν μου ἔβαλον κλῆρον. Οἱ μὲν οὖν στρατιῶται ταῦτα ἐποίησαν.
25Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.Εἱστήκεισαν δὲ παρὰ τῷ σταυρῷ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἡ ἀδελφὴ τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ, Μαρία ἡ τοῦ Κλωπᾶ, καὶ Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνή.
26Therefore Jesus, seeing His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!”Ἰησοῦς οὖν ἰδὼν τὴν μητέρα, καὶ τὸν μαθητὴν παρεστῶτα ὃν ἠγάπα, λέγει τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ, Γύναι, ἰδοὺ ὁ υἱός σου.
27Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her into his own care.Εἶτα λέγει τῷ μαθητῇ, Ἰδοὺ ἡ μήτηρ σου. Καὶ ἀπ᾽ ἐκείνης τῆς ὥρας ἔλαβεν ὁ μαθητὴς αὐτὴν εἰς τὰ ἴδια.
28After this, Jesus, seeing that all things already had been fulfilled, so that the Scripture might be fulfilled, He said, “I thirst!”Μετὰ τοῦτο ἰδὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὅτι πάντα ἤδη τετέλεσται, ἵνα τελειωθῇ ἡ γραφή, λέγει, Διψῶ.
29Now a vessel was set full of sour wine; and they, having filled a sponge with sour wine, put it around a hyssop, they held it to His mouth.Σκεῦος οὖν ἔκειτο ὄξους μεστόν· οἱ δέ, πλήσαντες σπόγγον ὄξους, καὶ ὑσσώπῳ περιθέντες, προσήνεγκαν αὐτοῦ τῷ στόματι.
30Therefore when Jesus received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.Ὅτε οὖν ἔλαβε τὸ ὄξος ὁ Ἰησοῦς, εἶπε, Τετέλεσται· καὶ κλίνας τὴν κεφαλήν, παρέδωκε τὸ πνεῦμα.
31Therefore the Jews, since it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and they might be taken away.Οἱ οὖν Ἰουδαῖοι, ἵνα μὴ μείνῃ ἐπὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ τὰ σώματα ἐν τῷ σαββάτῳ, ἐπεὶ Παρασκευὴ ἦν—ἦν γὰρ μεγάλη ἡ ἡμέρα ἐκείνου τοῦ σαββάτου—ἠρώτησαν τὸν Πιλᾶτον ἵνα κατεαγῶσιν αὐτῶν τὰ σκέλη, καὶ ἀρθῶσιν.
32Then the soldiers came and they broke the legs of the first man, and of the other who was crucified with Him.Ἦλθον οὖν οἱ στρατιῶται, καὶ τοῦ μὲν πρώτου κατέαξαν τὰ σκέλη καὶ τοῦ ἄλλου τοῦ συσταυρωθέντος αὐτῷ·
33But having come to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.ἐπὶ δὲ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐλθόντες, ὡς εἶδον αὐτὸν ἤδη τεθνηκότα, οὐ κατέαξαν αὐτοῦ τὰ σκέλη·
34But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.ἀλλ᾽ εἷς τῶν στρατιωτῶν λόγχῃ αὐτοῦ τὴν πλευρὰν ἔνυξε, καὶ εὐθέως ἐξῆλθεν αἷμα καὶ ὕδωρ.
35And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he tells the truth, so that you may believe.Καὶ ὁ ἑωρακὼς μεμαρτύρηκε, καὶ ἀληθινή ἐστιν αὐτοῦ ἡ μαρτυρία, κἀκεῖνος οἶδεν ὅτι ἀληθῆ λέγει, ἵνα ὑμεῖς πιστεύσητε.
36For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not a bone of His shall be broken.”Ἐγένετο γὰρ ταῦτα ἵνα ἡ γραφὴ πληρωθῇ, Ὀστοῦν οὐ συντριβήσεται αὐτοῦ.
37And again another Scripture says, “They shall look at Him whom they pierced.”Καὶ πάλιν ἑτέρα γραφὴ λέγει, Ὄψονται εἰς ὃν ἐξεκέντησαν.
38After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away the body of Jesus.Μετὰ ταῦτα ἠρώτησε τὸν Πιλᾶτον Ἰωσὴφ ὁ ἀπὸ Ἀριμαθαίας, ὢν μαθητὴς τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, κεκρυμμένος δὲ διὰ τὸν φόβον τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ἵνα ἄρῃ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ· καὶ ἐπέτρεψεν ὁ Πιλᾶτος. Ἦλθεν οὖν καὶ ἦρε τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ.
39And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.Ἦλθε δὲ καὶ Νικόδημος, ὁ ἐλθὼν πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν νυκτὸς τὸ πρῶτον, φέρων μίγμα σμύρνης καὶ ἀλόης ὡς λίτρας ἑκατόν.
40Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen strips with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury.Ἔλαβον οὖν τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ ἔδησαν αὐτὸ ἐν ὀθονίοις μετὰ τῶν ἀρωμάτων, καθὼς ἔθος ἐστὶ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἐνταφιάζειν.
41Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been buried.Ἦν δὲ ἐν τῷ τόπῳ ὅπου ἐσταυρώθη κῆπος, καὶ ἐν τῷ κήπῳ μνημεῖον καινόν, ἐν ᾧ οὐδέπω οὐδεὶς ἐτέθη.
42So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews' Preparation Day, because the tomb was near.Ἐκεῖ οὖν διὰ τὴν Παρασκευὴν τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ὅτι ἐγγὺς ἦν τὸ μνημεῖον, ἔθηκαν τὸν Ἰησοῦν.
The Fathers on John 19
Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Augustine of Hippo, and Saint Augustine comment on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On John 19:16–18Saint John Chrysostom“Then delivered he Him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led Him away. And He, bearing His Cross, went forth into a place called the place of a skull, where they crucified Him.”
Read Homilies on the Gospel of John →
On John 19:1–16Saint Augustine of Hippo1. On the Jews crying out that they did not wish Jesus to be released unto them at the passover, but Barabbas the robber; not the Saviour, but the murderer; not the Giver of life, but the destroyer —“then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him.” We must believe that Pilate acted thus for no other reason than that the...
Read Tractates on the Gospel of John →
On John 19:17Saint AugustineMatthew, accordingly, goes on with his narrative in these terms: “And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear His cross.” In like manner, Mark says: “And they led Him out to be crucified.
Read The Harmony of the Gospels →
On John 19:17–22Saint Augustine of Hippo1. On Pilate's judgment and condemnation before the tribunal, they took the Lord Jesus Christ, about the sixth hour, and led Him away. “And He, bearing His cross, went forth into the place that is called Calvary, but in Hebrew, Golgotha; where they crucified Him.” What else, then, is the meaning of the evangelist Mark...
Read Tractates on the Gospel of John →
On John 19:15Saint AugustineMatthew continues thus: “And they set up over His head His accusation written, ‘This is Jesus the King of the Jews.’” Mark, on the other hand, before making any such statement, inserts these words: “And it was the third hour,...
Read The Harmony of the Gospels →
On John 19:23Saint AugustineMatthew goes on thus: “And after they crucified Him, they parted His garments, casting lots: and sitting down, they watched Him.” Mark reports the same incident, as follows: “And crucifying Him, they parted His garments,...
Read The Harmony of the Gospels →
On John 19:23–24Saint Augustine of Hippo1. The things that were done beside the Lord's cross, when at length He was now crucified, we would take up, in dependence on His help, in the present discourse. “Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Him, took His garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also His coat: now the coat was without...
Read Tractates on the Gospel of John →
On John 19:25Saint AugustineMatthew proceeds thus: “And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee: among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.” Mark...
Read The Harmony of the Gospels →
On John 19:24–30Saint Augustine of Hippo1. The Lord being now crucified, and the parting of His garments having also been completed by the casting of the lot, let us look at what the evangelist John thereafter relates. “And these things,” he says, “the soldiers did. Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary [the wife]...
Read Tractates on the Gospel of John →
On John 19:38Saint AugustineMatthew proceeds as follows: “Now when the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple: he went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.
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On John 19:31–42Saint Augustine of Hippo1. After that the Lord Jesus had accomplished all that He foreknew required accomplishment before His death, and had, when it pleased Himself, given up the ghost, what followed thereafter, as related by the evangelist, let us now consider. “The Jews therefore,” he says, “because it was the preparation (parasceve),...
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On John 19:39, 42Open John 19 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint AugustineMatthew proceeds thus: “And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre,...
Read The Harmony of the Gospels →