New King James Version
John 19:12
12From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.”
John 19:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Cesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Cesar.
- New International Version (NIV)From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, "If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar."
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders shouted, “If you release this man, you are no ‘friend of Caesar.’ Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caesar.”
Context of John 19:12
10Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” 11Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.” 13When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”
Read all of John 19John 19:12 word by word
ἐκ τούτου ὁ Πιλᾶτος ἐζήτει ἀπολῦσαι αὐτόν.¶ Οἱ δὲ Ἰουδαῖοι ἐκραύγασαν λέγοντες· ἐὰν τοῦτον ἀπολύσῃς, οὐκ εἶ φίλος τοῦ Καίσαρος. πᾶς ὁ βασιλέα ἑαυτὸν ποιῶν ἀντιλέγει τῷ Καίσαρι.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- And fromἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- thenceforthοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- PilateΠιλᾶτοςPilatos · PilateG4091
- sought toζητέωzēteō · to seekG2212
- releaseἀπολύωapoluō · to release: releaseG630
- himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- butδέde · thenG1161
- the JewsἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453
- cried outκράζωkrazō · to cryG2896
- sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- Ifἐάνean · ifG1437
- thou artεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- notοὐou · noG3756
- Cesar’sΚαῖσαρKaisar · CaesarG2541
- friendφίλοςphilos · friendly/friendG5384
- whosoeverπᾶςpas · allG3956
- makethποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
- a kingβασιλεύςbasileus · kingG935
- speaketh againstἀντιλέγωantilegō · to disputeG483
Cross-references for John 19:12
- Mark 6:16But when Herod heard, he said, “This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!”
- Acts 24:24And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
- John 18:33Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
- Luke 23:2And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.”
- Acts 17:6But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.
Commentaries on John 19:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Pilate sought to release him - Pilate made five several attempts to release our Lord; as we may learn from Luke 23:4, Luke 23:15, Luke 23:20, Luke 23:22; John 19:4, John 19:12, John 19:13. Thou art not Caesar's friend - Thou dost not act like a person who has the interest of the emperor at heart. Ambassadors, prefects, counsellors, etc., were generally termed the friends of the emperor. This insinuation determined Pilate to make no longer resistance: he…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Sought to release him - He was more and more convinced of his innocence, and more unwilling to yield him to mere malice and envy in the face of justice. But the Jews cried out - This moved Pilate to deliver Jesus into their hands. He feared that he would be accused of unfaithfulness to the interests of the Roman emperor if he did not condemn a man whom his own nation had accused of sedition. The Roman emperor then on the throne was exceedingly jealous…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12Pilate tried to release Jesus each time they talked. Despite his efforts, he failed. friend of Caesar: This was an official title for those, like senators, who showed great loyalty to the Roman emperor. The Jewish religious leaders implied they would damage Pilate's career by claiming he did not support Rome's interests. They probably knew that Pilate was also having a personal crisis. Pilate’s patron in Rome, Sejanus, was the chief administrator of the…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 12-1612-16. And from thenceforth--particularly this speech, which seems to have filled him with awe, and redoubled his anxiety. Pilate sought to release him--that is, to gain their consent to it, for he could have done it at once on his authority. but the Jews cried--seeing their advantage, and not slow to profit by it. If thou let this man go, thou art not Cæsar's friend, &c.--"This was equivalent to a threat of impeachment, which we know was much dreaded by…Read the comment
Topics related to John 19:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on John 19
- 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
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries