And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so?
Parallel translations
- WEB When he had said this, one of the officers standing by slapped Jesus with his hand, saying, “Do you answer the high priest like that?”
- BSB When Jesus had said this, one of the officers standing nearby slapped Him in the face and said, “Is this how You answer the high priest?”
- NKJV And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?”
- NASB But when He said this, one of the officers, who was standing nearby, struck Jesus, saying, “Is that the way You answer the high priest?”
- NLT Then one of the Temple guards standing nearby slapped Jesus across the face. “Is that the way to answer the high priest?” he demanded.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
An officer slaps Jesus, rebuking him for how he answered the high priest. Jesus suffers unjust violence.
Overview
Jesus' lawful and truthful reply is met not with refutation but with a blow, a sign of the injustice of the whole proceeding. The officer accuses Jesus of disrespect, yet it is the court that acts wrongly. This mistreatment of the innocent one fulfills the pattern of the suffering Servant who is struck and despised (Isaiah 50:6).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Luke 22:63–64And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him.
- John 19:3And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.
- Isa 50:5–7The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.
- Matt 26:67–68Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,
- Mark 14:65And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.
- Mic 5:1Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.
- Job 16:10They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.
- Acts 23:2–5And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.
- Jer 20:2Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD.
- John 18:3Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.
- Job 30:10–12They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face.
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 18:22 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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