John 19:20

Pilate wanted everyone there to understand it, so he told that man to write it in the languages of the Jewish people, the Roman people, and the Greek people. And those crosses were near the Jewish city called Jerusalem, so a lot of Jewish people read that sign.

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.

In Context

19Pilate told one of his men to write some words on a flat bit of wood, to say why they were killing Jesus, and to nail it to the cross. He told that man to write, “Jesus, from Nazareth, the big boss over the Jews.”

21The bosses of the Jewish ceremonies told Pilate to change the sign. They said, “Don’t write, ‘The big boss over the Jews.’ You have to write, ‘This man said that he is the big boss over the Jews.’”

Read all of John 19

Cross References

John 19:13When they said that, Pilate went into his house and got Jesus, and he took him to the place outside called the Stone Floor. (In the Jewish language it was called Gabbatha.) And Pilate sat down there on the judge’s seat.

Acts 21:40The boss said, “All right. You can talk to them.” So Paul stood on the steps and held up his hand to get everyone to be quiet, and after they all stopped shouting, Paul talked to them in their own language, called Hebrew.

Acts 26:14We all fell down on to the ground. Then I heard the voice of somebody talk to me in the Hebrew language. He said, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you making trouble for me and hurting me? You are hurting yourself too, you know.’

Matthew Henry on John 19:20-31

The Inscription on the Cross; The Crucifixion. 19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. 21 Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. 22 Pilate answered, What I have written I have written. 23 Then the… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

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