The Meaning of John 18:31 Explained

John 18:31

KJV: Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death:

YLT: Pilate, therefore, said to them, 'Take ye him -- ye -- and according to your law judge him;' the Jews, therefore, said to him, 'It is not lawful to us to put any one to death;'

Darby: Pilate therefore said to them, Take him, ye, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said to him, It is not permitted to us to put any one to death;

ASV: Pilate therefore said unto them, Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your law. The Jews said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death:

Discover John 18:31

CONTEXT: What is the Context of John 18:31?

MEANING: What does John 18:31 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in John 18:31 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in John 18:31?

What is the context of John 18:31?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death:

What does John 18:31 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Since the Jews did not charge Jesus formally there was nothing that Pilate could do except hand Him back to them for discipline in their courts. The Jews" response explained why that was an unacceptable alternative. They wanted Jesus executed, but they did not have the authority to execute Him themselves. ^[1]

"The Pilate disclosed in the ^[2] historical documents almost certainly acted like this not so much out of any passion for justice as out of the ego-building satisfaction he gained from making the Jewish authorities jump through legal hoops and recognize his authority." ^[3]

Context Summary

John 18:25-32 - Pilate's Weak Evasion

It may be that while Peter was thus denying his Lord, Jesus was passing from Annas to Caiaphas, and in doing so cast on the stumbling disciple that look of mingled sorrow and love which broke his heart. John does not dwell on the trial before Caiaphas, because the other evangelists have already described it; but passes on to tell more minutely of the vacillation and weakness of Pilate. The Roman governor first sought to rid himself of the responsibility of deciding the ease. He refused to consider that it came within his jurisdiction, because it seemed connected with some religious dispute involving a technical knowledge which he did not possess. He suggested, therefore, that the Jewish leaders should deal with it under their own statutes. There was no apparent need for Roman law to interfere. When, however, the murderous intent of the high priests emerged, it became evident that their charges against Jesus were of a much more serious character, and Pilate was compelled to give his earnest attention to them. How little he realized the momentous issues to be decided that day! [source]

Chapter Summary: John 18

¹ Judas betrays Jesus
⁶ The officers fall to the ground
¹⁰ Peter cuts off Malchus' ear
¹² Jesus is taken, and led unto Annas and Caiaphas
¹⁵ Peter's denial
¹⁹ Jesus examined before Caiaphas
²⁵ Peter's second and third denial
²⁸ Jesus arraigned before Pilate
³⁶ His kingdom
⁴⁰ The Jews prefer Barabbas

Greek Commentary for John 18:31

Yourselves [υμεις]
Emphatic. Pilate shrewdly turns the case over to the Sanhedrin in reply to their insolence, who have said nothing whatever about their previous trial and condemnation of Jesus. He drew out at once the admission that they wanted the death of Jesus, not a fair trial for him, but Pilate‘s approval of their purpose to kill him (John 7:1, John 7:25). [source]

Take ye him [λάβετε αὐτὸν ὑμεῖς]
The A.V. obscures the emphatic force of ὑμεῖς , you. Pilate's words display great practical shrewdness in forcing the Jews to commit themselves to the admission that they desired Christ's death. “Take him yourselves (so Rev.), and judge him according to your law.” “By our law,” reply the Jews, “he ought to die.” But this penalty they could not inflict. “It is not lawful,” etc.sa40 [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 18:31

John 19:6 Take ye Him [λάβετε αὐτὸν ὑμεῖς]
According to the Greek order, “take Him ye.” Rev., take Him yourselves. See on John 18:31. [source]

John 18:30 If this man were not an evil-doer [ει μη ην ουτος κακον ποιων]
Condition (negative) of second class (periphrastic imperfect indicative), assumed to be untrue, with the usual apodosis This is a pious pose of infallibility not in the Synoptics. They then proceeded to make the charges (Luke 23:2) as indeed John implies (John 18:31, John 18:33). Some MSS. here read κακοποιος kakopoios (malefactor) as in 1 Peter 2:12, 1 Peter 2:14, with which compare Luke‘s κακουργος kakourgos (Luke 23:32.; so also 2 Timothy 2:9), both meaning evil-doer. Here the periphrastic present participle ποιων poiōn with κακον kakon emphasizes the idea that Jesus was a habitual evil-doer (Abbott). It was an insolent reply to Pilate (Bernard). [source]

What do the individual words in John 18:31 mean?

Said therefore to them - Pilate Take Him yourselves and according to the law of you judge Him Said to him the Jews To us not it is permitted to put to death no one

Εἶπεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ὁ Πιλᾶτος Λάβετε αὐτὸν ὑμεῖς καὶ κατὰ τὸν νόμον ὑμῶν κρίνατε αὐτόν Εἶπον αὐτῷ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι Ἡμῖν οὐκ ἔξεστιν ἀποκτεῖναι οὐδένα

Εἶπεν	Said
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: λέγω Sense: to speak, say.
αὐτοῖς	to them
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural Root: αὐτός Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ὁ	-
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: ὁ 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.
Λάβετε	Take
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural Root: λαμβάνω Sense: to take.
ὑμεῖς	yourselves
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Nominative 2nd Person Plural Root: σύ Sense: you.
κατὰ	according to
Parse: Preposition Root: κατά Sense: down from, through out.
νόμον	law
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular Root: νόμος Sense: anything established, anything received by usage, a custom, a law, a command.
ὑμῶν	of you
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Plural Root: σύ Sense: you.
κρίνατε	judge
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural Root: κρίνω Sense: to separate, put asunder, to pick out, select, choose.
Εἶπον	Said
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural Root: λέγω Sense: to speak, say.
αὐτῷ	to him
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular Root: αὐτός Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
Ἰουδαῖοι	Jews
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural Root: Ἰουδαῖος Sense: Jewish, belonging to the Jewish race.
Ἡμῖν	To us
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 1st Person Plural Root: ἐγώ Sense: I, me, my.
ἔξεστιν	it is permitted
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: ἔξεστι Sense: it is lawful.
ἀποκτεῖναι	to put to death
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active Root: ἀποκτείνω Sense: to kill in any way whatever.
οὐδένα	no one
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Singular Root: οὐδείς Sense: no one, nothing.

What are the major concepts related to John 18:31?

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Similar Scriptures for John 18:31

		John 19:6-7 [3]
		John 19:15 [3]
		Acts 25:18-20 [2]
		Hosea 3:4-5 [1]
		Genesis 49:10 [1]
		Ezekiel 21:26-27 [1]