John Chapter 19 verse 21 Holy Bible

ASV John 19:21

The chief priests of the Jews therefore said to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.
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BBE John 19:21

Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, Do not put, The King of the Jews, but, He said, I am the King of the Jews.
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DARBY John 19:21

The chief priests of the Jews therefore said to Pilate, Do not write, The king of the Jews, but that *he* said, I am king of the Jews.
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KJV John 19:21

Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.
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WBT John 19:21


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WEB John 19:21

The chief priests of the Jews therefore said to Pilate, "Don't write, 'The King of the Jews,' but, 'he said, I am King of the Jews.'"
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YLT John 19:21

The chief priests of the Jews said, therefore, to Pilate, `Write not -- The king of the Jews, but that one said, I am king of the Jews;'
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Pulpit Commentary

Pulpit CommentaryVerse 21. - Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate. They must have hurried back to him with petulant resentment of his intentional scorn. Observe the very unusual phrase, "the chief priests of the Jews," as though the priesthood felt the connection between the priesthood and kingship of the theocratic people, and it gave additional sting to the sarcastic reproach involved in the inscription. Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. They resented the association of the theocratic or Messianic symbol with the spiritual Being whom they had condemned. Had they not already declared that they had no king but Caesar? Doubtless he said, "I am the King of the Jews;" he made the claim, not in a sense which could be rationally entertained in a Roman court, but in the true Messianic and prophetic sense. The priests knew perfectly well that because Jesus had altogether refused, Heir of David though he was, to entertain the Kingship in the only sense in which they desired to proclaim it, they had rebelled against him and rejected his claims. For Pilate to have given any color to the purely spiritual prerogative of their Victim roused their remonstrance, but that it might be treated as identification of the national cause with a convicted and crucified felon exasperated them.

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(21) Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate.--Better, Therefore said . . ., i.e., because the inscription could be read by all comers, and the Messianic title, "King of the Jews," would be exposed to scorn. Yet these are the men who said, in order to accomplish the death of Jesus, "We have no king but Caesar."The expression, "chief priests of the Jews," occurs only here in the New Testament, perhaps in contrast to the title, "King of the Jews," to indicate that their anxiety about the title came from them as representatives of the national honour.What I have written I have written.--The words are a formula to signify that the thing was done and could not be undone. There are frequent instances of similar expressions in the Rabbinical writings.