The Meaning of John 19:12 Explained

John 19:12

KJV: And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.

YLT: From this time was Pilate seeking to release him, and the Jews were crying out, saying, 'If this one thou mayest release, thou art not a friend of Caesar; every one making himself a king, doth speak against Caesar.'

Darby: From this time Pilate sought to release him; but the Jews cried out saying, If thou releasest this man, thou art not a friend to Caesar. Every one making himself a king speaks against Caesar.

ASV: Upon this Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou release this man, thou art not Caesar's friend: every one that maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And from  thenceforth  Pilate  sought  to release  him:  but  the Jews  cried out,  saying,  If  thou let  this man  go,  thou art  not  Caesar's  friend:  whosoever  maketh  himself  a king  speaketh against  Caesar. 

What does John 19:12 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jesus" reminder of the authority over Pilate moved the governor to press for Jesus" release. However the Jewish leaders reminded Pilate that anyone who set someone who claimed to be a king free would not receive Tiberius Caesar"s approval. They placed Pilate on the horns of a dilemma. It seemed that whatever decision he made he could get into trouble with Caesar. The solution to Pilate"s problem, of course, was to do what was right, but Pilate was too much a man of the world to settle for that. He wanted to assure his own future with his boss. He cared less about his relationship with God.
The title "friend of Caesar" (Lat. amicus Caesaris) later became an official designation of an intimate friend of the emperor. At the time of Jesus" trial, it was probably at least a semi-technical term that denoted the same thing. Pilate had been the protg of Aelius Sejanus, a highly influential prefect in Rome. The Roman historian Tacitus wrote, "The closer a man is with Sejanus, the stronger his claim to the emperor"s friendship." [1] Thus it is possible that the Jewish leaders were implying that if word of Jesus" release reached Tiberius, Pilate would lose his privileged relationship with the emperor. Bad reports about Pilate had already arrived in Rome, and another one might end his career and possibly his life. [2]
The Jewish leaders presented themselves as loyal subjects of Caesar, which was far from the truth. However ironically they were slaves of Rome and of sin (cf8:33-34). They appeared to be a greater threat to Pilate and to Rome than Jesus was.

Context Summary

John 19:10-17 - The Rejection Of The King
Pilate's pride was touched by that silence. In His reply our Lord refers to the relative responsibility of those who shared in His condemnation. It was as if He said, "Great as your sin is, in forfeiting your position, it is less than the sin of those who have put Me into your power." Pilate then became aware of the coil of evil in which he was caught. He was dealing with a matter that touched the unseen and eternal, but the threat to report him to Caesar suddenly brought him back to the earthly and human aspects of the case. With ill-concealed irritation he adopted the phraseology of the priests and cried, Behold your King! The Jews touched the lowest depth of degradation when, trampling under foot their national pride, they cried, We have no king but Caesar! Pilate signed the necessary documents and retired to his palace as having been himself sentenced. [source]

Chapter Summary: John 19

1  Jesus is scourged, crowned with thorns, and beaten
4  Pilate is desirous to release him,
15  but being overcome with the outrage of the crowd, he delivers him to be crucified
23  They cast lots for his garments
25  He commends his mother to John
28  He dies
31  His side is pierced
38  He is buried by Joseph and Nicodemus

Greek Commentary for John 19:12

Sought [εζητει]
Imperfect active, “kept on seeking,” “made renewed efforts to release him.” He was afraid to act boldly against the will of the Jews. If thou release this man Condition of third class, a direct threat to Pilate. He knew all the time that the Sanhedrin might tell Caesar on him. Thou art not Caesar‘s friend Later to Vespasian this was an official title, here simply a daring threat to Pilate. Speaketh against Caesar Caesar brooks no rival. Jesus had allowed himself to be acclaimed king of Israel in the Triumphal Entry (John 12:13; Mark 11:10; Luke 19:38). The Sanhedrin have caught Pilate in their toils. [source]
From thenceforth [ἐκ τούτου]
Incorrect. Rev., rightly, upon this. [source]
Sought [ἐζήτει]
Imperfect tense. Made repeated attempts. [source]
Caesar's friend []
A title conferred, since the time of Augustus, upon provincial governors. Probably, however, not used by the Jews in this technical sense, but merely as a way of saying “Thou art not true to the emperor.” [source]
Caesar [τῷ Καίσαρι]
Literally, the Caesar. The term, which was at first a proper name, the surname of Julius Caesar, adopted by Augustus and his successors, became an appellative, appropriated by all the emperors as a title. Thus the emperor at this time was Tiberius Caesar. A distinction was, however, introduced between this title and that of Augustus, which was first given to Octavianus the first emperor. The title “Augustus” was always reserved for the monarch, while “Caesar” was more freely communicated to his relations; and from the reign of Hadrian at least (a.d. 117-138) was appropriated to the second person in the state, who was considered as the presumptive heir of the empire. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 19:12

John 6:66 From that time [ἐκ τούτου]
Render, as Rev., upon this. As a result proceeding out of ( ἐκ ) this. Compare John 19:12. [source]
John 11:43 He cried with a loud voice [πωνηι μεγαληι εκραυγασεν]
First aorist active indicative of κραυγαζω — kraugazō old and rare word from κραυγη — kraugē (Matthew 25:6). See Matthew 12:19. Occurs again in John 18:40; John 19:6, John 19:12. Only once in the lxx (Ezra 3:13) and with πωνηι μεγαληι — phōnēi megalēi (either locative or instrumental case makes sense) as here. For this “elevated (great) voice” see also Matthew 24:31; Mark 15:34, Mark 15:37; Revelation 1:10; Revelation 21:3. The loud voice was not for the benefit of Lazarus, but for the sake of the crowd standing around that they might see that Lazarus came forth simultaneously with the command of Jesus. Lazarus, come forth “Hither out.” No verb, only the two adverbs, deuro here alone in John. Lazarus heard and obeyed the summons. [source]
John 6:66 Upon this [εκ τουτου]
Same idiom in John 19:12. “Out of this saying or circumstance.” Jesus drew the line of cleavage between the true and the false believers. Went back Aorist (ingressive) active indicative of απερχομαι — aperchomai with εις τα οπισω — eis ta opisō “to the rear” (the behind things) as in John 18:6. Walked no more with him Imperfect active of περιπατεω — peripateō The crisis had come. These half-hearted seekers after the loaves and fishes and political power turned abruptly from Jesus, walked out of the synagogue with a deal of bluster and were walking with Jesus no more. Jesus had completely disillusioned these hungry camp-followers who did not care for spiritual manna that consisted in intimate appropriation of the life of Jesus as God‘s Son. [source]
1 John 1:10 We make Him [ποιοῦμεν αὐτὸν]
A phrase characteristic of John. See John 5:18; John 8:53; John 10:33; John 19:7, John 19:12. [source]

What do the individual words in John 19:12 mean?

Out of this - Pilate was seeking to release Him - but the Jews cried out saying If this [man] you release not you are a friend - of Caesar Everyone a king himself making speaks against - Caesar
Ἐκ τούτου Πιλᾶτος ἐζήτει ἀπολῦσαι αὐτόν οἱ δὲ Ἰουδαῖοι ἐκραύγασαν λέγοντες Ἐὰν τοῦτον ἀπολύσῃς οὐκ εἶ φίλος τοῦ Καίσαρος πᾶς βασιλέα ἑαυτὸν ποιῶν ἀντιλέγει τῷ Καίσαρι

Ἐκ  Out  of 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐκ 
Sense: out of, from, by, away from.
τούτου  this 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Πιλᾶτος  Pilate 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Πειλᾶτος 
Sense: the sixth Roman procurator of Judah and Samaria who ordered Christ to be crucified.
ἐζήτει  was  seeking 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ζητέω  
Sense: to seek in order to find.
ἀπολῦσαι  to  release 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: ἀπολύω  
Sense: to set free.
οἱ  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰουδαῖοι  the  Jews 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: Ἰουδαῖος  
Sense: Jewish, belonging to the Jewish race.
ἐκραύγασαν  cried  out 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: κραυγάζω  
Sense: to cry out, cry aloud, to shout, to cry out to one.
λέγοντες  saying 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
τοῦτον  this  [man] 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
ἀπολύσῃς  you  release 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἀπολύω  
Sense: to set free.
εἶ  you  are 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
φίλος  a  friend 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: φίλος  
Sense: friend, to be friendly to one, wish him well.
τοῦ  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Καίσαρος  of  Caesar 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Καῖσαρ  
Sense: the surname of Julius Caesar, which adopted by Octavius Augustus and his successors afterwards became a title, and was appropriated by the Roman emperors as part of their title.
πᾶς  Everyone 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: πᾶς  
Sense: individually.
βασιλέα  a  king 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: βασιλεύς  
Sense: leader of the people, prince, commander, lord of the land, king.
ἑαυτὸν  himself 
Parse: Reflexive Pronoun, Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἑαυτοῦ  
Sense: himself, herself, itself, themselves.
ποιῶν  making 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ποιέω  
Sense: to make.
ἀντιλέγει  speaks  against 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀντιλέγω  
Sense: to speak against, gainsay, contradict.
τῷ  - 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Καίσαρι  Caesar 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: Καῖσαρ  
Sense: the surname of Julius Caesar, which adopted by Octavius Augustus and his successors afterwards became a title, and was appropriated by the Roman emperors as part of their title.

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