The Meaning of John 19:19 Explained

John 19:19

KJV: And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.

YLT: And Pilate also wrote a title, and put it on the cross, and it was written, 'Jesus the Nazarene, the king of the Jews;'

Darby: And Pilate wrote a title also and put it on the cross. But there was written: Jesus the Nazaraean, the King of the Jews.

ASV: And Pilate wrote a title also, and put it on the cross. And there was written, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  Pilate  wrote  a title,  and  put  [it] on  the cross.  And  the writing  was,  JESUS  OF NAZARETH  THE KING  OF THE JEWS. 

What does John 19:19 Mean?

Context Summary

John 19:18-24 - "they Crucified Him"
Just outside the city gates, beside the main road, was a little conical eminence, which from its resemblance to a skull was called in Aramaic, Golgotha, and in Latin, Calvary. As we speak of the brow of a hill, they called the bald eminence a skull. The three languages in which the inscription was written stand for religion, government, and science. Note that every one of us is unconsciously writing his verdict about Jesus Christ; and when once it is written, there is no altering it. We may be forgiven, but the past cannot be obliterated.
The clothes of the crucified were the perquisite of the soldiers. But Christ's were so poor that they were not worth keeping entire, except the inner tunic, the gift of someone's-it may well have been His mother's-love. What a contrast! Above, the consummate evidence of love working out the plan of eternity; below, the appeal of ignorance and brutality to chance. [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 19:19

Pilate wrote a title also [εγραπσεν και τιτλον ο Πειλατος]
Only John tells us that Pilate himself wrote it and John alone uses the technical Latin word titlon (several times in inscriptions), for the board with the name of the criminal and the crime in which he is condemned; Mark (Mark 15:26) and Luke (Luke 23:28) use επιγραπη — epigraphē (superscription). Matthew (Matthew 27:37) has simply αιτιαν — aitian (accusation). The inscription in John is the fullest of the four and has all in any of them save the words “this is” (ουτος εστιν — houtos estin) in Matthew 27:37. [source]
Title [τίτλον]
Only here and John 19:20, in the New Testament. John uses the technical Roman term titulus, a placard or notice. Used for a bill or notice of sale affixed to a house. Thus Ovid, of a heartless creditor: “She sent our household goods under the placard (sub-titulum )i.e., put the house and furniture up for sale (“Remedia Amoris,” 302). Meaning also the title of a book; an epitaph. Matthew has αἰτίαν , accusation; Mark, ἐπιγραφὴ τῆς αἰτίας superscriptionof the accusation; Luke, ἐπιγραφὴ superscriptionJohn alone mentions the fact that Pilate wrote the inscription. [source]
Matthew : This is Jesus the King of the Jews. []
Mark: The King of the Jews. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
Luke: This is the King of the Jews. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
John: Jesus the Nazarene the King of the Jews.The essential element of the superscription, King of the Jews, is common to all. It expressed, on its face, the main intent of Pilate, which was to cast contempt on the Jews. “In the sense of the man Pilate, it meant: Jesus, the King of the Jewish fanatics, crucified in the midst of Jews, who should all be thus executed. In the sense of the Jews: Jesus, the seditionary, the King of the rebels. In the sense of the political judge: Jesus, for whose accusation the Jews, with their ambiguous accusation, may answer. In the sense of the divine irony which ruled over the expression: Jesus, the Messiah, by the crucifixion become in very truth the King of the people of God” (Lange). [source]

Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews []
The wording of the title is differently given by each Evangelist.Matthew: This is Jesus the King of the Jews. Mark: The King of the Jews. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
Luke: This is the King of the Jews. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
John: Jesus the Nazarene the King of the Jews.The essential element of the superscription, King of the Jews, is common to all. It expressed, on its face, the main intent of Pilate, which was to cast contempt on the Jews. “In the sense of the man Pilate, it meant: Jesus, the King of the Jewish fanatics, crucified in the midst of Jews, who should all be thus executed. In the sense of the Jews: Jesus, the seditionary, the King of the rebels. In the sense of the political judge: Jesus, for whose accusation the Jews, with their ambiguous accusation, may answer. In the sense of the divine irony which ruled over the expression: Jesus, the Messiah, by the crucifixion become in very truth the King of the people of God” (Lange). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 19:19

Mark 15:26 The superscription [η επιγραπη]
The writing upon the top of the cross (our word epigraph). Luke 23:38 has this same word, but Matthew 27:37 has “accusation” See Matthew for discussion. John 19:19 has “title” (τιτλον — titlon). [source]
Luke 23:38 A superscription [επιγραπη]
Mark 15:26 has “the superscription of his accusation” Matthew 27:37, “his accusation,” John 19:19 “a title.” But they all refer to the charge written at the top on the cross giving, as was the custom, the accusation on which the criminal was condemned, with his name and residence. Put all the reports together and we have: This is Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews. This full title appeared in Latin for law, in Aramaic for the Jews, in Greek for everybody (John 19:20). [source]
Acts 24:5 A pestilent fellow [λοιμον]
An old word for pest, plague, pestilence, Paul the pest. In N.T. only here and Luke 21:11 This was an offence against Roman law if it could be proven. “Plotted against at Damascus, plotted against at Jerusalem, expelled from Pisidian Antioch, stoned at Lystra, scourged and imprisoned at Philippi, accused of treason at Thessalonica, haled before the proconsul at Corinth, cause of a serious riot at Ephesus, and now finally of a riot at Jerusalem” (Furneaux). Specious proof could have been produced, but was not. Tertullus went on to other charges with which a Roman court had no concern (instance Gallio in Corinth). Throughout the world The Roman inhabited earth Πρωτοστατης — Prōtostatēs is an old word in common use from πρωτος — prōtos and ιστημι — histēmi a front-rank man, a chief, a champion. Here only in the N.T. This charge is certainly true. About “sect” (αιρεσις — hairesis) see note on Acts 5:17. Ναζωραιοι — Nazōraioi here only in the plural in the N.T., elsewhere of Jesus (Matthew 2:23; Matthew 26:71; Luke 18:37; John 18:5, John 18:7; John 19:19; Acts 2:22; Acts 3:6; Acts 4:10; Acts 6:14; Acts 22:8; Acts 26:9). The disciple is not above his Master. There was a sneer in the term as applied to Jesus and here to his followers. [source]
Acts 24:5 Throughout the world [κατα την οικουμενην]
The Roman inhabited earth Πρωτοστατης — Prōtostatēs is an old word in common use from πρωτος — prōtos and ιστημι — histēmi a front-rank man, a chief, a champion. Here only in the N.T. This charge is certainly true. About “sect” (αιρεσις — hairesis) see note on Acts 5:17. Ναζωραιοι — Nazōraioi here only in the plural in the N.T., elsewhere of Jesus (Matthew 2:23; Matthew 26:71; Luke 18:37; John 18:5, John 18:7; John 19:19; Acts 2:22; Acts 3:6; Acts 4:10; Acts 6:14; Acts 22:8; Acts 26:9). The disciple is not above his Master. There was a sneer in the term as applied to Jesus and here to his followers. [source]

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

Wrote then also a title - Pilate and put [it] on the cross It was now written Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews
Ἔγραψεν δὲ καὶ τίτλον Πιλᾶτος καὶ ἔθηκεν ἐπὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ ἦν δὲ γεγραμμένον ΙΗΣΟΥΣ Ο ΝΑΖΩΡΑΙΟΣ Ο ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ ΤΩΝ ΙΟΥΔΑΙΩΝ

Ἔγραψεν  Wrote 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: γράφω 
Sense: to write, with reference to the form of the letters.
καὶ  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
τίτλον  a  title 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: τίτλος  
Sense: a title.
  - 
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.
ἔθηκεν  put  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: τίθημι  
Sense: to set, put, place.
σταυροῦ  cross 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: σταυρός  
Sense: an upright stake, esp.
ἦν  It  was 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
γεγραμμένον  written 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: γράφω 
Sense: to write, with reference to the form of the letters.
ΙΗΣΟΥΣ  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
ΝΑΖΩΡΑΙΟΣ  Nazareth 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ναζωραῖος  
Sense: an inhabitant of Nazareth.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ  King 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: βασιλεύς  
Sense: leader of the people, prince, commander, lord of the land, king.
ΤΩΝ  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ΙΟΥΔΑΙΩΝ  Jews 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: Ἰουδαῖος  
Sense: Jewish, belonging to the Jewish race.