John 19:10

10 "Do you refuse to speak even to me?" asked Pilate; "do you not know that I have it in my power either to release you or to crucify you?"

John 19:10 Meaning and Commentary

John 19:10

Then saith Pilate unto him
Being angry with him, resenting his silence, and looking upon it as a contempt of him;

speakest thou not unto me?
he wondered that he stood in no fear of him, who was the Roman governor, his judge; who had the power of life and death; and that he should make no answer to him, who was in so much dignity, and in so high and exalted a station.

Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power
to release thee?
proudly boasting of his authority to do one or the other. The sudden change of the man from fear, to vain and proud boasting, is to be observed; just now he was afraid of the divine power of Christ, lest he should have any divinity in him; and now he boasts and brags of his own power, and menaces and threatens with his authority to punish with death, even the death of tho cross; in which he discovers his wickedness, as a magistrate, to endeavour to terrify one that he himself believed to be innocent: and besides, his assertion is false; for he had no power, neither from God nor man, to crucify innocent men, and release criminals: and moreover, he himself must be self-condemned, who had a power, as he says, of releasing him, and yet did not do it, though he had once and again declared he found no fault in him.

John 19:10 In-Context

8 More alarmed than ever, Pilate no sooner heard these words than he re-entered the Praetorium and began to question Jesus.

9 "What is your origin?" he asked. But Jesus gave him no answer.

10 "Do you refuse to speak even to me?" asked Pilate; "do you not know that I have it in my power either to release you or to crucify you?"

11 "You would have had no power whatever over me," replied Jesus, "had it not been granted you from above. On that account he who has delivered me up to you is more guilty than you are."

12 Upon receiving this answer, Pilate was for releasing Him. But the Jews kept shouting, "If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar's. Every one who sets himself up as king declares himself a rebel against Caesar."