John 18:37

Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Pilate	Πιλᾶτος· Pilatos	G4091	close-pressed · noun — nominative singular masculine, a proper name
therefore	οὖν oun	G3767	(adverbially) certainly · conjunction
said	Εἶπεν Eipen	G2036	to speak or say (by word or writing) · verb — second aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
him	αὐτῷ autō	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — dative singular masculine
Art	εἶ eî	G1488	thou art
thou	σύ; su	G4771	thou · personal pronoun — 2nd person nominative singular
king	βασιλεὺς basileus	G935	a sovereign (abstractly · noun — nominative singular masculine
then	οὐκοῦν oukoun	G3766	is it not therefore that · conjunction
Jesus	Ἰησοῦς· Iēsous	G2424	Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua) · noun — nominative singular masculine, a proper name
answered	ἀπεκρίθη apekrithē	G611	to conclude for oneself · verb — aorist middle deponent indicative, 3rd person singular
Thou	σὺ su	G4771	thou · personal pronoun — 2nd person nominative singular
sayest	λέγεις legeis	G3004	properly · verb — present active indicative, 2nd person singular
that	ὅτι hoti	G3754	demonstrative · conjunction
I	ἐγὼ egō	G1473	I · personal pronoun — 1st person nominative singular
am	εἶ ei	G1510	I exist (used only when emphatic) · verb — present active indicative, 2nd person singular
a king	βασιλεύς basileus	G935	a sovereign (abstractly · noun — nominative singular masculine
To	εἰς eis	G1519	to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
this end	τοῦτο toûto	G5124	that thing
was	γεγέννημαι gegennēmai	G1080	to procreate (properly · verb — perfect passive indicative, 1st person singular
I	ἐγώ egṓ	G1473	I
born	γεννάω gennáō	G1080	to procreate (properly
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
for	εἰς eis	G1519	to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
this cause	τοῦτο toûto	G5124	that thing
came I	ἐλήλυθα elēlutha	G2064	to come or go (in a great variety of applications · verb — second perfect active indicative, 1st person singular
into	εἰς eis	G1519	to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
the world	κόσμον kosmon	G2889	orderly arrangement · noun — accusative singular masculine
that	ἵνα ina	G2443	compare G3588 (ὁ)) · conjunction
I should bear witness	μαρτυρήσω marturēsō	G3140	to be a witness · verb — aorist active subjunctive, 1st person singular
unto the truth	ἀληθείᾳ. alētheia	G225	truth · noun — dative singular feminine
Every one	πᾶς pas	G3956	all · adjective — nominative singular masculine
that is	ὤν ṓn	G5607	being
of	ἐκ ek	G1537	literal or figurative · preposition
the truth	ἀληθείας alētheias	G225	truth · noun — genitive singular feminine
heareth	ἀκούει akouei	G191	to hear (in various senses) · verb — present active indicative, 3rd person singular
my	μοῦ moû	G3450	of me
voice	φωνῆς.¶ phōnēs	G5456	a tone (articulate · noun — genitive singular feminine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

John 8:47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
1 John 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of e…
John 8:14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye…
John 10:26-27 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
1 John 3:19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Isaiah 55:4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
John 7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on John 18:28–end

We have here an account of Christ's arraignment before Pilate, the Roman governor, in the praetorium (a Latin word made Greek), the praetor's house, or hall of judgment; thither they hurried him, to get him condemned in the Roman court, and executed by the Roman power. Being resolved on his death, they took this course, 1. That he might be put to death the more legally and regularly, according to the present constitution of their government, since they became a province of the empire; not stoned in a popular tumult, as Stephen, but put to death with the present formalities of justice. Thus he was treated as a malefactor, being made sin for us. 2. That he might be put to death the more safely…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 18:37

Art thou a king then?--There was no sarcasm or disdain in this question (as THOLUCK, ALFORD, and others, allege), else our Lord's answer would have been different. Putting emphasis upon "thou," his question betrays a mixture of surprise and uneasiness, partly at the possibility of there being, after all, something dangerous under the claim, and partly from a certain awe which our Lord's demeanor probably struck into him. Thou sayest that I am a king--It is even so. To this end was I--"have I been." born and for this cause came I--am I come. into the world, that I may bear witness to the truth--His birth expresses His manhood; His coming into the world, His existence before assuming h…

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Adam Clarke on John 18:37

Thou sayest - A common form of expression for, yes, it is so. I was born into the world that I might set up and maintain a spiritual government: but this government is established in and by truth. All that love truth, hear my voice and attend to the spiritual doctrines I preach. It is by truth alone that I influence the minds and govern the manners of my subjects.

John Gill on John 18:37

Pilate therefore said unto him,.... Upon this free and full declaration of Christ, concerning his kingly office, and the nature of his kingdom: art thou a king then? or thou art a king then: for, from his having a kingdom, it might be very justly inferred that he was a king: Jesus answered, thou sayest that I am a king; and which was very rightly said; and Christ by these words owns and confesses, that he was one: adding, to this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. The end of Christ's being born, which was of a virgin, in a very miraculous manner, and of his coming into the world, which was by the assumption of human nature,…

The Church Fathers

The throne of the kingdom conferred on Jesus is nothing mortal or temporal. Rather, it truly extended throughout the whole world like light shining as the moon established forever, enlightening understanding souls through his divine and heavenly teaching.
— Eusebius of Caesarea, TO STEPHANUS 15.4

His kingdom and throne were not human. They were not of this world. Therefore he said before Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world." And when he was asked by him if he were a king, Jesus answered, "For this also I have been born." So if he has been born for this, he will remain for this … for the kingdom of this world is not able to endure forever, nor is it endless as if extended indefinitely.
— Eusebius of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON PSALM 88 [89].39-46

He makes use of Christ's truth-speaking to charge Him withal. When he heard Him say: My Kingdom is not from hence, he was indeed quit of his fear of an insurrection; but he still compels Him to openly profess this thing, and defines as a charge His mere assertion that He had a kingdom, though He asserted that it was not of this world. He drives Jesus, as it were, to make this profession; and says, Thou hast confessed already that Thou art a King.
— Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book 12

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Christ, The King · Declared by himself — Declared by himself
Pilate, Pontius · Tries Jesus and or — Tries Jesus and or
Prisoners · Jesus — Jesus
Prophecies Respecting Christ · Fulfilled — Fulfilled
Truth · Christ bear witness to — Christ bear witness to

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

John 18:37

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on John 18:28–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 18:37

Adam Clarke on John 18:37

John Gill on John 18:37

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John 18:37

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on John 18:28–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 18:37

Adam Clarke on John 18:37

John Gill on John 18:37

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on John 18:37–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on John 18:36-37