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It was the day of Preparation for the Passover, about the sixth hour. And Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is your King!”
John 19:14 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, at about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!”
  • KJV And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
  • NKJV Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”
  • NASB Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he *said to the Jews, “Look, your King!”
  • NLT It was now about noon on the day of preparation for the Passover. And Pilate said to the people, “Look, here is your king!”

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

On Passover Preparation Day, Pilate presents Jesus as 'your King.' The timing links Jesus to the Passover lamb.

Overview

John notes it is the Preparation Day of the Passover, about the time lambs were being readied for sacrifice, framing Jesus as the true Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). Pilate's 'Behold, your King!' mixes mockery and genuine truth. John's interest in the hour and day heightens the theological significance: the Lamb of God is being delivered up at Passover.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 10

  • Matt 27:62The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and Pharisees assembled before Pilate.
  • John 19:5When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”
  • Mark 15:25It was the third hour when they crucified Him.
  • John 19:42And because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby, they placed Jesus there.
  • Mark 15:42Now it was already evening. Since it was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath),
  • Mark 15:33–34From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.
  • John 19:3And they went up to Him again and again, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and slapping Him in the face.
  • John 19:19–22Pilate also had a notice posted on the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
  • Luke 23:54It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was beginning.
  • John 19:31–32It was the day of Preparation, and the next day was a High Sabbath. In order that the bodies would not remain on the cross during the Sabbath, the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies removed.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

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 19:14YouTube · 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 19:14 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.