The Meaning of John 19:37 Explained

John 19:37

KJV: And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

YLT: and again another Writing saith, 'They shall look to him whom they did pierce.'

Darby: And again another scripture says, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

ASV: And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  again  another  scripture  saith,  They shall look  on  him whom  they pierced. 

What does John 19:37 Mean?

Context Summary

John 19:31-37 - The Pierced Side
How punctilious the Jewish leaders were to maintain each detail of their ritual! Remember that there is a religiousness which is not religion but its counterfeit.
John solemnly attests the fact of the blood and water. He knoweth that he saith true. It is referred to again in his Epistle, 1 John 5:6; 1 John 5:8. Science tells us that the presence of those two elements was evidence that there had been heart rupture, and that our Lord literally died of a broken heart. But it was also, as devout souls have loved to remember, a symbol of the "double cure," which Jesus has effected. Blood to atone; water to purify and cleanse. What a comfort it is that Jesus did not come by water alone! As we come to know ourselves better, we realize that only blood could meet our need. He bowed His head, that we might lift ours up to greet the eternal morning. [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 19:37

They pierced [εχεκεντησαν]
First aorist active of εκκεντεω — ekkenteō late verb, correct translation of the Hebrew of Zechariah 12:10, but not like the lxx, in N.T. only here and Revelation 1:7. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 19:37

Mark 12:10 Scripture [γραφὴν]
A passage of scripture: hence frequently this scripture; another scripture; the same scripture. Luke 4:21; John 19:37; Acts 1:16. [source]
Mark 12:10 This scripture [την γραπην ταυτην]
This passage of scripture (Luke 4:21; John 19:37; Acts 1:16). It is a quotation from Psalm 118:22. See Matthew 21:42 for discussion. [source]
John 19:34 Pierced [ἔνυξεν]
Only here in the New Testament. The question has been raised whether the Evangelist means to describe a gash or a prick. Another verb is rendered pierced in John 19:37, the quotation from Zechariah 12:10, ἐξεκέντησαν , which occurs also at Revelation 1:7, with reference to Christ's crucifixion, and is used in classical Greek of putting out the eyes, or stabbing, and in the Septuagint of Saul's request to his armor-bearer: “Draw thy sword and thrust me through therewith” (1 Chronicles 10:4). The verb used here, however, νύσσω , is also used to describe severe and deadly wounds, as in Homer:“As he sprangInto his car, Idomeneus, expert To wield the ponderous javelin, thrust ( νύξ ) its blade-DIVIDER-
Through his right shoulder. From the car he fell,-DIVIDER-
And the dark night of death came over him.”“Iliad,” v. 45-47. It has been suggested that the body was merely pricked with the spear to ascertain if it were yet alive. There seems, on the whole, no reason for departing from the ordinary understanding of the narrative, that the soldier inflicted a deep thrust on the side of Jesus (compare John 20:25, John 20:27); nor is it quite apparent why, as Mr. Field urges, a distinction should be kept up between the two verbs in John 19:34and John 19:37. [source]

1 Timothy 5:18 The Scripture [ἡ γραφή]
Comp. 2 Timothy 3:16. To the Jews ἡ γραφή signified the O.T. canon of Scripture; but in most cases ἡ γραφή is used of a particular passage of Scripture which is indicated in the context. See John 7:38, John 7:42; Acts 1:16; Acts 8:32, Acts 8:35; Romans 4:3; Romans 9:17; Romans 10:11; Galatians 3:8. Where the reference is to the sacred writings as a whole, the plural γραφαὶ or αἱ γραφαὶ is used, as Matthew 21:42; Luke 24:32; John 5:39; Romans 15:4. Once γραφαὶ ἅγιαι holyScriptures, Romans 1:2. Ἑτέρα γραφὴ anotheror a different Scripture, John 19:37; ἡ γραφὴ αὕτη this Scripture, Luke 4:21; πᾶσα γραφὴ everyScripture, 2 Timothy 3:16. See on writings, John 2:22. The passage cited here is Deuteronomy 25:4, also by Paul, 1 Corinthians 9:9. [source]
Revelation 1:7 Shall see [οπσεται]
Future middle of οραω — horaō a reminiscence of Zechariah 12:10 according to the text of Theodotion (Aquila and Symmachus) rather than the lxx and like that of Matthew 24:30 (similar combination of Daniel and Zechariah) and Matthew 26:64. This picture of the victorious Christ in his return occurs also in Revelation 14:14, Revelation 14:18-20; Revelation 19:11-21; Revelation 20:7-10.And they which (και οιτινες — kai hoitines). “And the very ones who,” Romans and Jews, all who shared in this act.Pierced First aorist active indicative of εκκεντεω — ekkenteō late compound (Aristotle, Polybius, lxx), from εκ — ek and κεντεω — kenteō (to stab, to pierce), in N.T., only here and John 19:37, in both cases from Zechariah 12:10, but not the lxx text (apparently proof that John used the original Hebrew or the translation of Theodotion and Aquila).Shall mourn (κοπσονται — kopsontai). Future middle (direct) of κοπτω — koptō old verb, to cut, “they shall cut themselves,” as was common for mourners (Matthew 11:17; Luke 8:52; Luke 23:27). From Zechariah 12:12. See also Revelation 18:9.Tribes Not just the Jewish tribes, but the spiritual Israel of Jews and Gentiles as in Revelation 7:4-8. No nation had then accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour, nor has any yet done so. [source]
Revelation 1:7 Pierced [εχεκεντησαν]
First aorist active indicative of εκκεντεω — ekkenteō late compound (Aristotle, Polybius, lxx), from εκ — ek and κεντεω — kenteō (to stab, to pierce), in N.T., only here and John 19:37, in both cases from Zechariah 12:10, but not the lxx text (apparently proof that John used the original Hebrew or the translation of Theodotion and Aquila).Shall mourn (κοπσονται — kopsontai). Future middle (direct) of κοπτω — koptō old verb, to cut, “they shall cut themselves,” as was common for mourners (Matthew 11:17; Luke 8:52; Luke 23:27). From Zechariah 12:12. See also Revelation 18:9.Tribes Not just the Jewish tribes, but the spiritual Israel of Jews and Gentiles as in Revelation 7:4-8. No nation had then accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour, nor has any yet done so. [source]

What do the individual words in John 19:37 mean?

And again another Scripture says They will look on the [One] they have pierced
καὶ πάλιν ἑτέρα γραφὴ λέγει Ὄψονται εἰς ὃν ἐξεκέντησαν

πάλιν  again 
Parse: Adverb
Root: πάλιν  
Sense: anew, again.
ἑτέρα  another 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: ἀλλοιόω 
Sense: the other, another, other.
γραφὴ  Scripture 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: γραφή  
Sense: a writing, thing written.
λέγει  says 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
Ὄψονται  They  will  look 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Plural
Root: εἶδον 
Sense: to see with the eyes.
ὃν  the  [One] 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
ἐξεκέντησαν  they  have  pierced 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἐκκεντέω  
Sense: to put out, dig out.

What are the major concepts related to John 19:37?

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