28Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium. It was early. And they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium, so that they might not be ritually defiled, but might eat the Passover. [18:29] Pilate therefore went out to them and said: "What accusation do you bring against this man?" [18:30] They answered and said to him: "If this one were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him to you." [18:31] Pilate therefore said to them: "Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law." The Jews said to him: "It is not permitted for us to put anyone to death" — [18:32] so that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spoke, signifying by what kind of death he was about to die. [18:33] Pilate therefore entered into the Praetorium again and called Jesus and said to him: "Are you the King of the Jews?" [18:34] Jesus answered: "Do you say this from yourself, or did others say it to you concerning me?" [18:35] Pilate answered: "Surely I am not a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered you to me. What did you do?" [18:36] Jesus answered: "My reign is not of this world. If my reign were of this world, my attendants would have been fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my reign is not from here." [18:37] Pilate therefore said to him: "So then you are a king?" Jesus answered: "You say that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, that I may testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice." [18:38] Pilate said to him: "What is truth?" And having said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them: "I find no guilt in him. [18:39] But there is a custom for you that I release one man to you at the Passover. Do you wish therefore that I release to you the King of the Jews?" [18:40] So they cried out again, saying: "Not this one, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a bandit.
JHN 18:28-40
Jesus before Pilate
In the world it was spoken into
In this scene, Jesus is brought before Pilate, the Roman prefect of Judea, by Jewish leaders who avoid entering the Praetorium to maintain ritual purity for Passover. This reflects the strict Jewish purity codes, where contact with Gentiles or entering a Gentile space could render one ceremonially unclean . Pilate’s question about the accusation highlights Roman legal procedure, which required formal charges for trial. The Jewish leaders’ response, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him,” underscores their reliance on Roman authority to execute judgment, as they lacked the power to impose capital punishment under Roman rule. Pilate’s retort, “Take Him yourselves and judge Him by your law,” exposes the tension between Roman governance and Jewish religious autonomy. The mention of Barabbas, described as a (a term often associated with insurrectionists), situates the narrative within the volatile political climate of Judea, where Roman rule faced constant resistance. Jesus’ claim to a “not of this world” contrasts sharply with Roman imperial ideology and Jewish expectations of a political messiah.
›See the receipts
How other translations render this
JHN 18:28
- KJV
- Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.
- BSB
- Then they led Jesus away from Caiaphas into the Praetorium. By now it was early morning, and the Jews did not enter the Praetorium, to avoid being defiled and unable to eat the Passover.
- Koinōnos
- Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium. It was early. And they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium, so that they might not be ritually defiled, but might eat the Passover.
JHN 18:29
- KJV
- Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man?
- BSB
- So Pilate went out to them and asked, “What accusation are you bringing against this man?”
- Koinōnos
- Pilate therefore went out to them and said: "What accusation do you bring against this man?
JHN 18:30
- KJV
- They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee.
- BSB
- “If He were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed Him over to you.”
- Koinōnos
- They answered and said to him: "If this one were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him to you.
JHN 18:31
- KJV
- Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death:
- BSB
- “You take Him and judge Him by your own law,” Pilate told them. “We are not permitted to execute anyone,” the Jews replied.
- Koinōnos
- Pilate therefore said to them: "Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law." The Jews said to him: "It is not permitted for us to put anyone to death" —
JHN 18:32
- KJV
- That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die.
- BSB
- This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to indicate the kind of death He was going to die.
- Koinōnos
- so that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spoke, signifying by what kind of death he was about to die.
JHN 18:33
- KJV
- Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
- BSB
- Pilate went back into the Praetorium, summoned Jesus, and asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
- Koinōnos
- Pilate therefore entered into the Praetorium again and called Jesus and said to him: "Are you the King of the Jews?
JHN 18:34
- KJV
- Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
- BSB
- “Are you saying this on your own,” Jesus asked, “or did others tell you about Me?”
- Koinōnos
- Jesus answered: "Do you say this from yourself, or did others say it to you concerning me?
JHN 18:35
- KJV
- Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
- BSB
- “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed You over to me. What have You done?”
- Koinōnos
- Pilate answered: "Surely I am not a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered you to me. What did you do?
JHN 18:36
- KJV
- Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
- BSB
- Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world; if it were, My servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jews. But now My kingdom is not of this realm.”
- Koinōnos
- Jesus answered: "My reign is not of this world. If my reign were of this world, my attendants would have been fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my reign is not from here.
JHN 18:37
- KJV
- Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
- BSB
- “Then You are a king!” Pilate said. “You say that I am a king,” Jesus answered. “For this reason I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.”
- Koinōnos
- Pilate therefore said to him: "So then you are a king?" Jesus answered: "You say that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, that I may testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.
JHN 18:38
- KJV
- Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.
- BSB
- “What is truth?” Pilate asked. And having said this, he went out again to the Jews and told them, “I find no basis for a charge against Him.
- Koinōnos
- Pilate said to him: "What is truth?" And having said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them: "I find no guilt in him.
JHN 18:39
- KJV
- But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
- BSB
- But it is your custom that I release to you one prisoner at the Passover. So then, do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
- Koinōnos
- But there is a custom for you that I release one man to you at the Passover. Do you wish therefore that I release to you the King of the Jews?
JHN 18:40
- KJV
- Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.
- BSB
- “Not this man,” they shouted, “but Barabbas!” (Now Barabbas was an insurrectionist.)
- Koinōnos
- So they cried out again, saying: "Not this one, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a bandit.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Where the historical framing draws from
- Josephus, AntiquitiesAntiquities 18.3.3
›Josephus, Antiquities Antiquities 18.3.3
“And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him”
Cited to ground: And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross
Translator's notes
JHN 18:28
- they may be defiled:The word translated 'defiled' here refers to ritual impurity that would prevent participation in sacred acts, not moral defilement. It was a temporary state requiring specific purification rites.
JHN 18:31
- the:The term used here, often translated as 'the Jews,' can sometimes carry a more specific meaning of 'the Judeans' or 'the Jewish authorities' in this Gospel, rather than the entire Jewish people.
JHN 18:36
- The:The word translated 'kingdom' here refers not just to a geographical territory ruled by a king, but more broadly to the active reign, rule, or sovereignty of a king.
JHN 18:40
- Barabbas:The word translated 'robber' here could also refer to a bandit, insurgent, or revolutionary, often with political or nationalistic undertones, rather than just a common thief.