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And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:
John 19:17 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB He went out, bearing his cross, to the place called “The Place of a Skull”, which is called in Hebrew, “Golgotha”,
  • BSB Carrying His own cross, He went out to The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha.
  • NKJV And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha,
  • NASB They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, carrying His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which in Hebrew is called, Golgotha.
  • NLT Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha).

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

Jesus carries his own cross to Golgotha, the Place of a Skull. He goes to the place of execution as the sin-bearer.

Overview

Condemned criminals carried the crossbeam to the execution site outside the city. John notes Jesus bearing his own cross, emphasizing his willing obedience, though Simon of Cyrene later helps (Mark 15:21). Golgotha, outside the gate, fits Hebrews 13:12, where Jesus suffers 'outside the camp' to sanctify the people by his own blood.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 20

  • Luke 23:33And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
  • Luke 14:27And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
  • Luke 23:26And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.
  • Mark 15:32Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
  • Acts 7:58And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.
  • Heb 13:11–13For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.
  • Mark 15:26And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
  • Matt 10:38And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
  • Matt 16:24Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
  • Num 15:35–36And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.
  • Mark 15:21–23And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.
  • Luke 9:23And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
  • Lev 24:14Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him.
  • 1 Kgs 21:13And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.
  • Matt 27:31–34And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.
  • Matt 27:37And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
  • Lev 16:21–22And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
  • Mark 8:34And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
  • Mark 10:21Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
  • Luke 23:38And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

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 19:17YouTube · 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 19:17 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.