Bible Strands
John 19:14
It was the day of Preparation for the Passover, about the sixth hour. And Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is your King!”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Pilate speaks to the Jewish leaders and crowd from the judgment seat at Gabbatha, declaring Jesus to be their King on the day of Preparation for the Passover at about the sixth hour.
The words — παρασκευὴ (paraskeuē) literally means the Day of Preparation, the time when Passover provisions were readied. ὥρα (hōra) specifies the sixth hour, anchoring Pilate's pronouncement to a precise moment in the trial narrative.
The thread — The Preparation Day reference appears again in Matthew 27:62 regarding the tomb's security, while Pilate's "Here is" formula mirrors John 19:5. The crucifixion timing in Mark 15:25 records the third hour, creating a chronological contrast with John's sixth-hour notation.
Why it lands — The text records Pilate's ironic proclamation immediately followed by the chief priests' rejection of any king but Caesar in John 19:15. It demands the reader examine how earthly authority attempts to define kingship while the narrative points to a crucified figure who subverts those political categories.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
Cross-references
- Matthew 27:62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and Pharisees assembled before Pilate.
- John 19:5 When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”
- Mark 15:25 It was the third hour when they crucified Him.
- John 19:42 And because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby, they placed Jesus there.
- Mark 15:33 From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.
- Mark 15:42 Now it was already evening. Since it was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath),
- Luke 23:54 It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was beginning.
- John 19:3 And they went up to Him again and again, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and slapping Him in the face.
- John 19:19 Pilate also had a notice posted on the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
- John 19:31 It 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.