JHN 19:1-15

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

1Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged him.

2And the soldiers, having woven a crown out of thorns, set it on his head, and threw a purple robe around him,

3and they were coming to him and saying: "Hail, King of the Jews!" — and they were giving him blows with the palm.

4And Pilate went outside again and says to them: "Behold, I bring him out to you, that you may know that I find in him no guilt."

5Jesus therefore came outside, wearing the thorny crown and the purple robe. And he says to them: "Behold the man!"

6When therefore the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, saying: "Crucify, crucify!" Pilate says to them: "Take him yourselves and crucify, for I find in him no guilt."

7The Jews answered him: "We have a law, and according to the law he ought to die, because he made himself Son of God."

8When therefore Pilate heard the word, he was even more afraid,

9and he entered into the Praetorium again and says to Jesus: "From where are you?" But Jesus did not give him an answer.

10Pilate therefore says to him: "To me you do not speak? Do you not know that I have authority to release you, and I have authority to crucify you?"

11Jesus answered him: "You would have no authority against me at all, if it had not been given to you from above; on account of this the one delivering me up to you has greater sin."

12From this Pilate was seeking to release him; but the Jews cried out, saying: "If you release this one, you are not a friend of Caesar; everyone making himself a king opposes Caesar."

13Pilate therefore, having heard these words, brought Jesus outside and sat on the judgment seat at a place called Stone Pavement, and in Hebrew, Gabbatha.

14Now it was the Preparation of the Passover; the hour was about the sixth. And he says to the Jews: "Behold your king!"

15They therefore cried out: "Away, away, crucify him!" Pilate says to them: "Your king shall I crucify?" The chief priests answered: "We have no king except Caesar."

In the world it was spoken into

In the Roman imperial context, soldiers mocking Jesus as 'King of the Jews' would have been understood as a brutal parody of Roman authority. The purple robe symbolized imperial power, as purple dye was costly and reserved for elites. The crown of thorns mimicked the laurel wreaths worn by Roman emperors, turning a symbol of victory into one of humiliation. Striking Jesus with blows was a deliberate act of degradation, as such slaps were reserved for those deemed socially inferior or dishonorable. Pilate’s presentation of Jesus on the , a formal judicial platform, underscored the public nature of this mockery and his attempt to placate the crowd while maintaining his own authority. For Jewish listeners, this scene would have evoked the tension between Roman oppression and Jewish messianic hopes, as Jesus’ suffering inverted expectations of a triumphant king. The soldiers’ mockery reflected the broader Roman disdain for Jewish aspirations of sovereignty.

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How other translations render this

JHN 19:1

KJV: Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.
BSB: Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged.
Koinōnos: Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged him.

JHN 19:2

KJV: And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
BSB: The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns, set it on His head, and dressed Him in a purple robe.
Koinōnos: And the soldiers, having woven a crown out of thorns, set it on his head, and threw a purple robe around him,

JHN 19:3

KJV: And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.
BSB: And they went up to Him again and again, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and slapping Him in the face.
Koinōnos: and they were coming to him and saying: "Hail, King of the Jews!" — and they were giving him blows with the palm.

JHN 19:4

KJV: Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.
BSB: Once again Pilate came out and said to the Jews, “Look, I am bringing Him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against Him.”
Koinōnos: And Pilate went outside again and says to them: "Behold, I bring him out to you, that you may know that I find in him no guilt.

JHN 19:5

KJV: Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!
BSB: When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”
Koinōnos: Jesus therefore came outside, wearing the thorny crown and the purple robe. And he says to them: "Behold the man!

JHN 19:6

KJV: When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.
BSB: As soon as the chief priests and officers saw Him, they shouted, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” “You take Him and crucify Him,” Pilate replied, “for I find no basis for a charge against Him.”
Koinōnos: When therefore the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, saying: "Crucify, crucify!" Pilate says to them: "Take him yourselves and crucify, for I find in him no guilt.

JHN 19:7

KJV: The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.
BSB: “We have a law,” answered the Jews, “and according to that law He must die, because He declared Himself to be the Son of God.”
Koinōnos: The Jews answered him: "We have a law, and according to the law he ought to die, because he made himself Son of God.

JHN 19:8

KJV: When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid;
BSB: When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid,
Koinōnos: When therefore Pilate heard the word, he was even more afraid,

JHN 19:9

KJV: And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.
BSB: and he went back into the Praetorium. “Where are You from?” he asked. But Jesus gave no answer.
Koinōnos: and he entered into the Praetorium again and says to Jesus: "From where are you?" But Jesus did not give him an answer.

JHN 19:10

KJV: Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?
BSB: So Pilate said to Him, “Do You refuse to speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You and authority to crucify You?”
Koinōnos: Pilate therefore says to him: "To me you do not speak? Do you not know that I have authority to release you, and I have authority to crucify you?

JHN 19:11

KJV: Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
BSB: Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed Me over to you is guilty of greater sin.”
Koinōnos: Jesus answered him: "You would have no authority against me at all, if it had not been given to you from above; on account of this the one delivering me up to you has greater sin.

JHN 19:12

KJV: And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.
BSB: From then on, Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is defying Caesar.”
Koinōnos: From this Pilate was seeking to release him; but the Jews cried out, saying: "If you release this one, you are not a friend of Caesar; everyone making himself a king opposes Caesar.

JHN 19:13

KJV: When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.
BSB: When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat on the judgment seat at a place called the Stone Pavement, which in Hebrew is Gabbatha.
Koinōnos: Pilate therefore, having heard these words, brought Jesus outside and sat on the judgment seat at a place called Stone Pavement, and in Hebrew, Gabbatha.

JHN 19:14

KJV: And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
BSB: It was the day of Preparation for the Passover, about the sixth hour. And Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is your King!”
Koinōnos: Now it was the Preparation of the Passover; the hour was about the sixth. And he says to the Jews: "Behold your king!

JHN 19:15

KJV: But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.
BSB: At this, they shouted, “Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him!” “Shall I crucify your King?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” replied the chief priests.
Koinōnos: They therefore cried out: "Away, away, crucify him!" Pilate says to them: "Your king shall I crucify?" The chief priests answered: "We have no king except Caesar.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

JHN 19:2

a robe:The word translated 'a robe' refers specifically to an outer garment, worn over a tunic, indicating a distinct piece of clothing rather than just any covering.

JHN 19:3

blows with the palm.:The phrase translated 'blows with the palm' specifically denotes a slap to the face, a direct and insulting physical assault.

JHN 19:11

from above;:The word translated 'from above' can mean either 'from on high' (implying divine origin or authority) or 'again' (implying a second time or renewal). The context here suggests divine origin.

JHN 19:13

of the:The word translated 'of the' in this context refers to a 'judgment seat' or 'tribunal,' a raised platform from which officials would administer justice.