The Meaning of John 19:7 Explained

John 19:7

KJV: The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

YLT: the Jews answered him, 'We have a law, and according to our law he ought to die, for he made himself Son of God.'

Darby: The Jews answered him, We have a law, and according to our law he ought to die, because he made himself Son of God.

ASV: The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The Jews  answered  him,  We  have  a law,  and  by  our  law  he ought  to die,  because  he made  himself  the Son  of God. 

What does John 19:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Jewish leaders" objections to Jesus were both political and religious. Until now, they had been stressing the political implications of Jesus" claims to Pilate. Sensing that they were not going to receive the desired sentence against Jesus with this approach, they shifted their emphasis to the religious claims that Jesus had made.
Jesus had claimed to be the Son of God, they admitted, which constituted blasphemy under normal circumstances. The penalty for blasphemy under the Mosaic Law was death ( Leviticus 24:16). This charge of blaspheming had been the major issue in Jesus" religious trial (cf. Matthew 26:59-66; Mark 14:55-64). John noted a growing conviction among the Jews that Jesus was blaspheming (cf5:18; 8:58-59; 10:33 , 36). Their rejection of Jesus was an intelligent and deliberate denial of the evidence that He was deity, not simply a political Messiah.

Context Summary

John 19:1-9 - Jesus Endures Contempt
Pilate was convinced of our Lord's innocence, and he adopted several expedients to save His life; he did everything, indeed, except to act with absolute justice and discharge the case. If he had promptly and firmly refused to be a party to the unrighteous act to which the Jewish leaders were goading him, before they could further inflame the popular sentiment, the whole matter would have come to an end. But he let the golden moment slip, and every succeeding hour made it more impossible to retrieve it. The proposal to chastise Jesus; the endeavor to induce the people to ask for Him rather than Barabbas; the scourging as an appeal to their pity-all such expedients failed to turn them from their purpose. The governor became more and more afraid. Whence art thou? Of human birth or more? Our Lord's silence was His answer. Had He been only of earth, He would never have let Pilate suppose that He might be of heaven. [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 19:7

Because he made himself the Son of God [οτι υιον τεου εαυτον εποιησεν]
Here at last the Sanhedrin give the real ground for their hostility to Jesus, one of long standing for probably three years (John 5:18) and the one on which the Sanhedrin voted the condemnation of Jesus (Mark 14:61-64; Matt 27:23-66), but even now they do not mention their own decision to Pilate, for they had no legal right to vote Christ‘s death before Pilate‘s consent which they now have secured. [source]
We have a law []
We, emphatic. Whatever your decision may be, we have a law, etc. [source]
By our law []
The best texts omit our: Read by that law, as Rev. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 19:7

John 2:18 Answered []
Often used in reply to an objection or criticism, or to something present in another's mind, as John 19:7, or John 3:3, where Jesus answers with reference to the error in Nicodemus' mind, rather than in direct reply to his address. [source]
John 13:14 Ought [ὀφείλετε]
The verb means to owe. It occurs several times in John's Epistles (1 John 2:6; 1 John 3:16; 1 John 4:11; 3 John 1:8). In the Gospel only here and John 19:7. Compare Luke 17:10. In Matthew's version of the Lord's prayer occur the two kindred words ὀφείλνμα , debt, and ὀφειλέτης , debtor. Jesus here puts the obligation to ministry as a debt under which His disciples are laid by His ministry to them. The word ought is the past tense of owe. Δεῖ , ought or must (see John 3:7, John 3:14, John 3:30, etc.) expresses an obligation in the nature of things; ὀφείλειν , a special, personal obligation. [source]
John 1:34 I have seen [εωρακα]
Present perfect active of οραω — horaō John repeats the statement of John 1:32 Have borne witness Perfect active indicative of μαρτυρεω — martureō for which verb see John 1:32. This is the Son of God The Baptist saw the Spirit come on Jesus at his baptism and undoubtedly heard the Father‘s voice hail him as “My Beloved Son” (Mark 1:11; Matthew 3:17; Luke 3:22). Nathanael uses it as a Messianic title (John 1:49) as does Martha (John 11:27). The Synoptics use it also of Christ (Mark 3:11; Matthew 14:33; Luke 22:70). Caiaphas employs it to Christ as a Messianic title (Matthew 26:63) and Jesus confessed under oath that he was (verse Matthew 26:64), thus applying the term to himself as he does in John‘s Gospel (John 5:25; John 10:36; John 11:4) and by implication (the Father, the Son) in Matthew 11:27 (Luke 10:22). Hence in the Synoptics also Jesus calls himself the Son of God. The phrase means more than just Messiah and expresses the peculiar relation of the Son to the Father (John 3:18; John 5:25; John 17:5; John 19:7; John 20:31) like that of the Logos with God in John 1:1. [source]
John 10:36 Of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world [ον ο πατηρ ηγιασεν και απεστειλεν εις τον κοσμον]
Another relative clause with the antecedent Recitative οτι — hoti again before direct quotation. Because I said Causal use of οτι — hoti and regular form ειπον — eipon (cf. ειπα — eipa in John 10:34). I am the Son of God Direct quotation again after ειπον — eipon This Jesus had implied long before as in John 2:16 (my Father) and had said in John 5:18-30 (the Father, the Son), in John 9:35 in some MSS., and virtually in John 10:30. They will make this charge against Jesus before Pilate (John 19:7). Jesus does not use the article here with υιος — huios perhaps (Westcott) fixing attention on the character of Son rather than on the person as in Hebrews 1:2. There is no answer to this question with its arguments. [source]
John 5:18 Sought the more [μαλλον εζητουν]
Imperfect active of ζητεω — zēteō graphic picture of increased and untiring effort “to kill him” John repeats this clause “they sought to kill him” in John 7:1, John 7:19, John 7:25; John 8:37, John 8:40. Their own blood was up on this Sabbath issue and they bend every energy to put Jesus to death. If this is a passover, this bitter anger, murderous wrath, will go on and grow for two years. Not only brake the Sabbath Imperfect active of λυω — luō He was now a common and regular Sabbath-breaker. Λυω — Luō means to loosen, to set at naught. The papyri give examples of λυω — luō in this sense like λυειν τα πεντη — luein ta penthē (to break the period of mourning). This was the first grudge against Jesus, but his defense had made the offense worse and had given them a far graver charge. But also called God his own Father “His own” Ισος — Isos is an old common adjective (in papyri also) and means equal. In Philemon 2:6 Paul calls the Pre-incarnate Christ ισα τεωι — isa theōi “equal to God” (plural ισα — isa attributes of God). Bernard thinks that Jesus would not claim to be ισος τεωι — isos theōi because in John 14:28 he says: “The Father is greater than I.” And yet he says in John 14:7 that the one who sees him sees in him the Father. Certainly the Jews understood Jesus to claim equality with the Father in nature and privilege and power as also in John 10:33; John 19:7. Besides, if the Jews misunderstood Jesus on this point, it was open and easy for him to deny it and to clear up the misapprehension. This is precisely what he does not do. On the contrary Jesus gives a powerful apologetic in defense of his claim to equality with the Father (verses 19-47). [source]
John 8:53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham? [Μη συ μειζων ει του πατρος ημων Αβρααμ]
Negative answer expected by μη — mē with ablative case of comparison in πατρος — patros after μειζων — meizōn The question was designed to put Jesus in a difficult position, for Abraham and the prophets all “died.” They do not see that Jesus uses death in a different sense. Whom makest thou thyself? Σεαυτον — Seauton is predicate accusative with ποιεις — poieis They suspect that Jesus is guilty of blasphemy as they charged in John 5:18 in making himself equal with God. Later they will make it specifically (John 10:33; John 19:7). They set a trap for Jesus for this purpose. [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 19:7 mean?

Answered him the Jews We a law have and according to the law He ought to die because [the] Son of God Himself He made
Ἀπεκρίθησαν αὐτῷ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι Ἡμεῖς νόμον ἔχομεν καὶ κατὰ τὸν νόμον ὀφείλει ἀποθανεῖν ὅτι Υἱὸν Θεοῦ ἑαυτὸν ἐποίησεν

Ἀπεκρίθησαν  Answered 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἀποκρίνομαι  
Sense: to give an answer to a question proposed, to answer.
Ἰουδαῖοι  Jews 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: Ἰουδαῖος  
Sense: Jewish, belonging to the Jewish race.
νόμον  a  law 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: νόμος  
Sense: anything established, anything received by usage, a custom, a law, a command.
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.
ὀφείλει  He  ought 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ὀφείλω  
Sense: to owe.
ἀποθανεῖν  to  die 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: ἀποθνῄσκω  
Sense: to die.
ὅτι  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
Υἱὸν  [the]  Son 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: υἱός  
Sense: a son.
Θεοῦ  of  God 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.
ἑαυτὸν  Himself 
Parse: Reflexive Pronoun, Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἑαυτοῦ  
Sense: himself, herself, itself, themselves.
ἐποίησεν  He  made 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ποιέω  
Sense: to make.