Yochanan 19:21

21 Therefore, the Judean Rashei Hakohanim were saying to Pilate, Do not write Melech HaYehudim. Rather write, That one said I am Melech HaYehudim.

Yochanan 19:21 Meaning and Commentary

John 19:21

Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate
Who were not only informed of this inscription, but might read it themselves, for they were present at the crucifying of Christ, and mocked at him as he hung on the tree; these, when they read the title, were greatly offended at it, partly because it was doing too great an honour to Jesus to call him the King of the Jews: and partly because it fixed a public brand of infamy upon their nation, that a king of theirs should be crucified: wherefore they went to Pilate and addressed him, saying,

write not the King of the Jews:
because they did not own him for their king, which this title seemed to suggest, nor had he in their opinion any right to such a character; wherefore they desired that in the room of these words he would be pleased to put the following,

but that he said, I am King of the Jews;
that so he might be thought to be a seditious person and a traitor; one that laid claim to the temporal crown and kingdom of Israel, and one that suffered justly for attempts of that kind.

Yochanan 19:21 In-Context

19 And, also, Pilate wrote out an inscription and had it placarded on top of HaEtz (The Tree). And what it said was, YEHOSHUA, THE ONE FROM NATZERET, MELECH HAYEHUDIM.

20 This inscription, therefore, many of those of Yehudah read, because the place where Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was hanged on HaEtz was near the Ir (City). And it had been written in Ivrit, in Latin, and in Greek.

21 Therefore, the Judean Rashei Hakohanim were saying to Pilate, Do not write Melech HaYehudim. Rather write, That one said I am Melech HaYehudim.

22 In reply, Pilate said, What I have written, I have written [1Chr 21:17; Isa 53:8].

23 Therefore the chaiyalim (soldiers), when they hanged Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach on HaEtz, took his garments and divided them into arba’ah (four) parts, to each chaiyal (soldier) a part. They also took his kesones (VAYIKRA 16:4; TEHILLIM 110:4). Now the kesones was seamless, woven from the top in one piece.