John 18:38

John 18:38 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (NIV)“What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, "I find no guilt in him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.

Context of John 18:38

36Jesus said, ‘My kingdom does not belong to this world. If it did, my disciples would have fought for me. They would have fought so that the Jewish leaders could not take hold of me. No, my kingdom belongs to another place.’ 37Pilate said to him, ‘So that means you really are a king!’ Jesus answered, ‘You have said that I am a king! I was born for this reason: I came into the world to tell people the truth about God. Everyone who believes the truth listens to my message.’ Pilate said, ‘I do not know what truth is.’ When Pilate had said that, he went outside again to the Jewish people there. He said to them, ‘I do not see that this man is guilty of anything wrong. I have no reason to punish him. 39But every year we do something for you Jews. We let one man go free from the prison at the time of your Passover festival. Do you want me to let the king of the Jews go free?’ 40They shouted their answer, ‘No, we do not want him! Let Barabbas go free!’ (Barabbas was a man who had attacked people and robbed them.)

John 18:38 word by word

Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Πιλᾶτος· τί ἐστιν ἀλήθεια; καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν πάλιν ἐξῆλθεν πρὸς τοὺς Ἰουδαίους καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· ἐγὼ οὐδεμίαν εὑρίσκω ἐν αὐτῷ αἰτίαν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• PilateΠιλᾶτοςPilatos · PilateG4091
• saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• unto himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• Whatτίςtis · which?G5101
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• truthἀλήθειαalētheia · truthG225
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• he went outἐξέρχομαιexerchomai · to go outG1831
• againπάλινpalin · againG3825
• untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• the JewsἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453
• Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• findεὑρίσκωheuriskō · to find/meetG2147
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• noοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
• faultαἰτίαaitia · cause/chargeG156

Cross-references for John 18:38

• Acts 17:19So these men asked Paul to go with them to Areopagus hill. They wanted him to speak to the city's important officers who met there.
• Acts 24:25Paul continued to speak for some time. He said, ‘People need to do what is right. They need to stop themselves doing wrong things. One day, God will judge people for how they have lived.’ While Paul talked about these things, Felix became afraid. He said to Paul, ‘You can leave us now. At some time I may want to listen to you again. Then I will ask you to come to me again.’
• John 19:4Pilate went outside once more. He said to the crowd, ‘Listen to me. I will bring Jesus out here to you. You should know this: I do not say that this man is guilty of anything wrong. I have no reason to punish him.’
• Matthew 27:18Pilate knew why the Jewish leaders had brought Jesus to him. They were jealous because people liked Jesus so much.
• Mark 15:14‘Why should I kill him?’ Pilate asked. ‘What bad things has he done?’ But the people shouted even louder, ‘Kill him on a cross!’
• Luke 23:4Pilate then said to the leaders of the priests and to all the crowd of people, ‘I cannot find any reason to say that this man is guilty.’
• 1 Peter 1:19Instead, he bought you with the very valuable blood of Christ, who died as a sacrifice for our sins. He died like a lamb that is completely good and has nothing wrong with it.
• 1 Peter 2:22The Bible says this: ‘He never did anything that was wrong. He never said anything that was not true.’

Commentaries on John 18:38

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 38What is truth - Among the sages of that time there were many opinions concerning truth; and some had even supposed that it was a thing utterly out of the reach of men. Pilate perhaps might have asked the question in a mocking way; and his not staying to get an answer indicated that he either despaired of getting a satisfactory one, or that he was indifferent about it. This is the case with thousands: they appear desirous of knowing the truth, but have not…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 38What is truth? - This question was probably asked in contempt, and hence Jesus did not answer it. Had the question been sincere, and had Pilate really sought it as Nicodemus had done John 18:33, and as soon as Pilate had asked the question, without waiting for an answer, he went out. It is evident that he was satisfied, from the answer of Jesus John 18:36-37, that he was not a king in the sense in which the Jews accused him; that he would not endanger the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 33-40Verses 33-40 Art thou the King of the Jews? that King of the Jews who has been so long expected? Messiah the Prince; art thou he? Dost thou call thyself so, and wouldest thou be thought so? Christ answered this question with another; not for evasion, but that Pilate might consider what he did. He never took upon him any earthly power, never were any traitorous principles or practices laid to him. Christ gave an account of the nature of his kingdom. Its…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 38-39What is truth?: Truth was not a foreign idea to Pilate. But he did not wait for an answer because he did not believe there was one. Pilate returned to the council members waiting outside and delivered his verdict: not guilty. Although he referred to Jesus as “King of the Jews” (see also 19:19), the title was just an expression meant to mock Jesus. Pilate wanted to release Jesus. His offer showed that he did not want Jesus to be executed.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33-3833-38. Pilate ... called Jesus, and said ... Art thou the King of the Jews?--In Lu 23:2 they charge our Lord before Pilate with "perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar, saying that He Himself is Christ a king." Perhaps this was what occasioned Pilate's question.Read the comment

Topics related to John 18:38

• Demagogism
• Jesus, the Christ
• Opinion, Public
• Pilate, Pontius
• Politics
• Prisoners
• Truth

In the dictionaries

• Pilate; Pontius
• Pilate
• Judge
• Resort
• Cohort
• Crime; Crimes
• Fault
• Jesus Christ
• Jesus Christ, the Arrest and Trial of
• John, Gospel of

Commentaries on John 18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings