English Standard Version
John 18:36
36Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world."
John 18:36 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
- New King James Version (NKJV)Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”
Context of John 18:36
34Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?" 35Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world." 37Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice." 38Pilate 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.
Read all of John 18John 18:36 word by word
Ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς· ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου· εἰ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἦν ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμή, οἱ ὑπηρέται οἱ ἐμοὶ ἠγωνίζοντο ἵνα μὴ παραδοθῶ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις· νῦν δὲ ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐντεῦθεν.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Jesusὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- answeredἀποκρίνωapokrinomai · to answerG611
- Myἐμόςemos · mineG1699
- kingdomβασιλείαbasileia · kingdomG932
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- notοὐou · noG3756
- ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
- ifεἰei · ifG1487
- then wouldἄνan · ifG302
- servantsὑπηρέτηςhupēretēs · servantG5257
- fightἀγωνίζομαιagōnizomai · to struggleG75
- thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- I shouldπαραδίδωμιparadidōmi · to deliverG3860
- notμήmē · notG3361
- to the JewsἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453
- butδέde · thenG1161
- nowνῦνnun · nowG3568
- from henceἐντεῦθεν, ἔνθενenteuthen · from hereG1782
Cross-references for John 18:36
- 1 Timothy 6:13I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession,
- John 6:15Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
- John 8:15You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.
- Psalms 45:3Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, in your splendor and majesty!
- Isaiah 9:6For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
- Daniel 2:44And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,
- Daniel 7:14And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
- Zechariah 9:9Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
- Luke 12:14But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?"
- Luke 17:20Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, "The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed,
- Romans 14:17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
- Colossians 1:12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
- John 18:11So Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?"
Commentaries on John 18:36
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 36My kingdom is not of this world - It is purely spiritual and Divine. If it had been of a secular nature, then my servants would have contended - they would have opposed force with force, as the kingdoms of this world do in their wars; but as my kingdom as not of this world, therefore no resistance has been made. Eusebius relates, Hist. Eccles. lib. iii. c. 20, that "The relatives of our Lord were brought before Domitian, and interrogated whether they were…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 36My kingdom - The charge on which Jesus was arraigned was that of laying claim to the office of a king. He here substantially admits that he did claim to be a king, but not in the sense in which the Jews understood it. They charged him with attempting to set up an earthly kingdom, and of exciting sedition against Caesar. In reply to this, Jesus says that his kingdom is not of this world - that is, it is not of the same nature as earthly kingdoms. It was…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. 36-37Jesus was willing to accept the title of king, but he made it clear that he did not govern an earthly kingdom that might rival Rome. The kingship of Jesus is not of this world. Rather than being a political ruler, he rules through the devotion and obedience of his followers.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 18:36
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries