John 18:34

34 ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς · Ἀπὸ σεαυτοῦ ⸃ σὺ τοῦτο λέγεις ἢ ἄλλοι εἶπόν σοι ⸃ περὶ ἐμοῦ;

John 18:34 Meaning and Commentary

John 18:34

Jesus answered him, sayest thou this thing of thyself
That he was the king of the Jews: Christ's meaning is, whether he asserted this from the sentiments of his own mind; or moved the question from anything he himself had observed, which might give him just ground to suspect that he had, or intended to set up himself as the king of that nation: or did others tell it thee of me?
Whether the Jews had not intimated some such thing to him, out of malice and ill will? not but that Christ full well knew where the truth of this lay; but he was desirous of convincing Pilate of his weakness, if he so judged of himself, and of his imprudence and hastiness, if he took up this from others; and also to expose the baseness and wickedness of the Jews, to charge him with this, when they themselves would have made him a temporal king, and he refused; and when he had not only paid tribute himself to Caesar, but had exhorted them to do the like.

John 18:34 In-Context

32 ἵνα ὁ λόγος τοῦ Ἰησοῦ πληρωθῇ ὃν εἶπεν σημαίνων ποίῳ θανάτῳ ἤμελλεν ἀποθνῄσκειν.

33 Εἰσῆλθεν οὖν πάλιν εἰς τὸ πραιτώριον ⸃ ὁ Πιλᾶτος καὶ ἐφώνησεν τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ · Σὺ εἶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων;

34 ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς · Ἀπὸ σεαυτοῦ ⸃ σὺ τοῦτο λέγεις ἢ ἄλλοι εἶπόν σοι ⸃ περὶ ἐμοῦ;

35 ἀπεκρίθη ὁ Πιλᾶτος · Μήτι ἐγὼ Ἰουδαῖός εἰμι; τὸ ἔθνος τὸ σὸν καὶ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς παρέδωκάν σε ἐμοί · τί ἐποίησας;

36 ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς · Ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου · εἰ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἦν ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμή, οἱ ὑπηρέται οἱ ἐμοὶ ἠγωνίζοντο ἄν, ἵνα μὴ παραδοθῶ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις · νῦν δὲ ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐντεῦθεν.