The inscription on the cross. "And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews." I. PILATE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF A ROMAN CUSTOM TO INSULT THE JEWS BY REPRESENTING THIS MALEFACTOR AS THEIR KING . It was an act of revenge for all the humiliation the Jews had inflicted upon him. II. IT WAS WRITTEN IN THE LANGUAGES OF THE THREE PRINCIPAL PEOPLES OF THE WORLD .... read more
This title therefore many of the Jews read: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh unto the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Roman (Latin), and in Greek . The word ἑβραῖστί occurs four times in this Gospel and twice in the Revelation, and nowhere else in the New Testament. Codex B reads ῥωμαῖστι first. The Latin form of the trilingual inscription may very naturally have been placed at the top. The reference to this peculiarity of the inscription as also given by... read more
See the notes at Matthew 27:32-37.John 19:22What 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. read more
John 19:19-22. And Pilate wrote a title, &c. The governor, as usual, put a title or writing on the cross, signifying the crime for which Jesus was condemned. This writing probably was in black characters on a whitened board. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS Here, as Bengelius has observed, John gives us the very words ordered to be written by Pilate, (and without doubt the same in the three languages,) although the other evangelists do not express them at... read more
158. The crucifixion (Matthew 27:33-44; Mark 15:22-32; Luke 23:32-43; John 19:18-24)Golgotha, the place of Jesus’ crucifixion, was a hill beside a main road just outside Jerusalem. The procession arrived there about 9 a.m. (Matthew 27:33; Mark 15:25). (It is difficult to calculate the exact times of all the incidents that took place on the day of Jesus’ crucifixion. People in those days did not carry clocks, and the times given in the Gospels are only approximate. In some cases the writers may... read more
And = Moreover. wrote . John alone mentions that Pilate wrote it himself. See App-163 . on . Greek. epi. App-104 . the writing was = it was written. OF NAZARETH = the Nazarene. See John 18:5 . read more
for = because . Greek. hoti. nigh. Probably just outside the north wall, between the Damascus Gate and Herod's Gate, and near the so-called grotto of Jeremiah, about half a mile from the Prsetorium. See Conder's Jerusalem, p. 161, &c., and Palestine Exploration Society's maps. read more
And Pilate wrote a title also, and put it on the cross. And there was written, JESUS OF NAZARETH; THE KING OF THE JEWS.The full inscription actually had ten words, thus: THIS IS JESUS OF NAZARETH; THE KING OF THE JEWS, as indicated by a composite of all four Gospel accounts. Matthew recorded eight of the ten, omitting "of Nazareth." Mark gave the last five words, which appear in all four Gospels. Luke omitted "Jesus of Nazareth," giving the other seven; and John gives us eight of the ten words,... read more
This title therefore read many of the Jews, for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city; and it was written in Hebrew, and in Latin, and in Greek.The roads to the city were choked with thousands traveling to the Holy City for Passover; and it must have been a matter of widespread consternation when the entire city was filled with buzzing conversation about the "King of the Jews" being crucified just outside the city. Intended by Pilate as a sadistic joke and as a final slap in... read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - John 19:19-22
(b) The title on the cross read more