Limitless Word
Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”
John 18:29 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Pilate therefore went out to them, and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?”
  • KJV Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man?
  • BSB So Pilate went out to them and asked, “What accusation are you bringing against this man?”
  • NASB Therefore Pilate came out to them and *said, “What accusation are you bringing against this Man?”
  • NLT So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, “What is your charge against this man?”

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

Pilate comes out and asks what charge they bring against Jesus. The Roman trial begins.

Overview

Because the Jewish leaders will not enter the Gentile residence, Pilate the Roman governor goes out to them. His question for a formal accusation begins the civil trial that will lead to crucifixion. John carefully records the legal process, showing that Jesus was condemned despite proper procedure failing to establish any real crime.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 6

  • Matt 27:23But the governor said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they cried out exceedingly, saying, “Let him be crucified!”
  • Mark 15:2–5Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered, “So you say.”
  • Matt 27:11–14Now Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said to him, “So you say.”
  • Luke 23:2–3They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man perverting the nation, forbidding paying taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”
  • Acts 23:28–30Desiring to know the cause why they accused him, I brought him down to their council.
  • Acts 25:16To whom I answered that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up any man to destruction, before the accused has met the accusers face to face, and has had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid against him.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on John 18:29YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 18:29 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

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.