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That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die.
John 18:32 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spoke, signifying by what kind of death he should die.
  • BSB This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to indicate the kind of death He was going to die.
  • NKJV that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.
  • NASB This happened so that the word of Jesus which He said, indicating what kind of death He was going to die, would be fulfilled.
  • NLT (This fulfilled Jesus’ prediction about the way he would die.)

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

This fulfills Jesus' words foretelling the kind of death he would die. His crucifixion was foreseen.

Overview

Because execution fell to the Romans, Jesus would die by crucifixion rather than Jewish stoning. John sees this as fulfilling Jesus' earlier sayings about being 'lifted up' (3:14; 12:32-33). Even the manner of his death unfolds according to his own word and God's plan, displaying divine sovereignty over the events of the passion.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 14

  • Matt 26:2Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.
  • Matt 20:19And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.
  • John 3:14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
  • John 12:32–33And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
  • Luke 18:32–33For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:
  • Deut 21:23His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
  • Mark 10:33Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:
  • John 8:28Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
  • Luke 24:7–8Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
  • Ps 22:16For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
  • Gal 3:13Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
  • Acts 7:59And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
  • John 10:31Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
  • John 10:33The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

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 18:32YouTube · 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 18:32 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.