John 18:39

John 18:39 in other versions

• King James Version (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?
• New International Version (NIV)But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)“But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”

Context of John 18:39

37Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus replied, “You’re correct in saying that I’m a king. I have been born and have come into the world for this reason: to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to me.” 38Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After Pilate said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I don’t find this man guilty of anything. You have a custom that I should free one person for you at Passover. Would you like me to free the king of the Jews for you?” 40The Jews shouted again, “Don’t free this man! Free Barabbas!” (Barabbas was a political revolutionary.)

John 18:39 word by word

ἔστιν δὲ συνήθεια ὑμῖν ἵνα ἕνα ἀπολύσω ὑμῖν ἐν τῷ πάσχα· βούλεσθε οὖν ἀπολύσω ὑμῖν τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Butδέde · thenG1161
• ye haveεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• a customσυνήθειαsunētheia · customG4914
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• I should releaseἀπολύωapoluō · to release: releaseG630
• untoσύsu · youG4771
• oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
• atἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the passoverπάσχαpascha · Passover lambG3957
• will yeβούλομαιboulomai · to planG1014
• thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• the Kingβασιλεύςbasileus · kingG935
• of the JewsἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453

Cross-references for John 18:39

• Matthew 27:15At every Passover festival the governor would free one prisoner whom the crowd wanted.
• Mark 15:6At every Passover festival, Pilate would free one prisoner whom the people asked for.
• John 18:33Pilate went back into the palace, called for Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Commentaries on John 18:39

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 39But ye have a custom - Nothing relative to the origin or reason of this custom is known. Commentators have swam in an ocean of conjecture on this point. They have lost their labor, and made nothing out: see the notes on Matthew 27:15; Luke 23:17.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 39See the notes at Matthew 27:15-21.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. 3939. But ye have a custom that I should release one unto you at the passover, &c.--See on Mr 15:7-11. "On the typical import of the choice of Christ to suffer, by which Barabbas was set free, see the sixteenth chapter of Leviticus, particularly Le 16:5-10, where the subject is the sin offering on the great day of atonement" [Krafft in Luthardt].Read the comment

Topics related to John 18:39

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

In the dictionaries

• King of the Jews
• Judge
• Resort
• Cohort
• Custom (2)
• Jesus Christ
• John, Gospel of
• Pilate; Pontius

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