John 19:20

Contemporary English Version

The words were written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. The place where Jesus was taken wasn't far from the city, and many of the Jewish people read the charge against him.

Parallel Translations

Simplified Cowboy Version
The killing spot was near the city, and many people saw the sign. It was even posted in three languages: Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and in Greek.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin and in Greek.

Bible in Basic English
The writing was seen by a number of the Jews, for the place where Jesus was put to death on the cross was near the town; and the writing was in Hebrew and Latin and Greek.

Darby Translation
This title therefore many of the Jews read, for the place of the city where Jesus was crucified was near; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, Latin.

New King James Version
Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.

Christian Standard Bible®
Many of the Jews read this sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.

World English Bible
Therefore many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Many of the Jews read this inscription; for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.

Weymouth's New Testament
Many of the Jews read this notice, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the notice was in three languages--Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.

King James Version (1611)
This title then read many of the Iewes: for the place where Iesus was crucified, was nigh to the citie, and it was written in Hebrewe, and Greeke, and Latine.

Literal Translation
Therefore, many of the Jews read this title, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city. And it had been written in Hebrew, in Greek, in Latin.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
This superscripcion red many of the Iewes. For ye place where Iesus was crucifyed, was nye vnto the cite. And it was wrytten in Hebrue, Greke & Latyn.

Mace New Testament (1729)
now this inscription was read by many of the Jews: for Jesus was crucified nigh the city: and it was written in Syriac, Greek, and Latin.

THE MESSAGE
Many of the Jews read the sign because the place where Jesus was crucified was right next to the city. It was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. The Jewish high priests objected. "Don't write," they said to Pilate, "‘The King of the Jews.' Make it, ‘This man said, "I am the King of the Jews."'"

Amplified Bible
And many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek.

American Standard Version
This title therefore read many of the Jews, for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city; and it was written in Hebrew, and in Latin, and in Greek.

Revised Standard Version
Many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
This tytle reed many of the Iewes. For the place where Iesus was crucified was nye to the cite. And it was written in Hebrue Greke and Latyn.

Update Bible Version
This title therefore read many of the Jews, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near to the city; and it was written in Hebrew, [and] in Latin, [and] in Greek.

Webster's Bible Translation
Many of the Jews then read this title: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, [and] Latin.

Young's Literal Translation
this title, therefore, read many of the Jews, because the place was nigh to the city where Jesus was crucified, and it was having been written in Hebrew, in Greek, in Roman.

New Century Version
The sign was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. Many of the people read the sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city.

New English Translation
Thus many of the Jewish residents of Jerusalem read this notice, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the notice was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek.

Complete Jewish Bible
Many of the Judeans read this notice, because the place where Yeshua was put on the stake was close to the city; and it had been written in Hebrew, in Latin and in Greek.

English Standard Version
Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek.

Geneva Bible (1587)
This title then read many of the Iewes: for the place where Iesus was crucified, was neere to the citie: and it was written in Hebrewe, Greeke and Latine.

George Lamsa Translation
And a great many Jews read this tablet, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew* and in Greek and in Roman.

Hebrew Names Version
Therefore many of the Yehudim read this title, for the place where Yeshua was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Yevanit.

International Standard Version
Many Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city. It was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.

Etheridge Translation
And this title many of the Jihudoyee read; for nigh to the city was the place where Jeshu was crucified; and the writing was in Hebrew and Greek and Roman.

Murdock Translation
And many of the Jews read this label; because the place where Jesus was crucified, was near to Jerusalem; and it was written in Hebrew and Greek and Latin.

New Living Translation
The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it.

New Life Bible
This was read by many of the Jews. The place where Jesus was nailed to the cross was near the city. The writing was written in the Hebrew and the Latin and the Greek languages.

English Revised Version
This title therefore read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and in Latin, and in Greek.

Berean Standard Bible
Many of the Jews read this sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek.

New Revised Standard
Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
This title, therefore, read many of the Jews, because, near, was the place to the city where Jesus was crucified; ad it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, in Greek.

Douay-Rheims Bible
This title therefore many of the Jews did read: because the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city. And it was written in Hebrew, in Greek, and in Latin.

King James Version
This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.

Lexham English Bible
So many of the Jews read this notice, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city. And it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
This title read many of the Iewes: For the place where Iesus was crucified, was nye to ye citie. And it was written in Hebrue, and Greke, and Latine.

Easy-to-Read Version
The sign was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. Many of the Jews read this sign, because the place where Jesus was nailed to the cross was near the city.

New American Standard Bible
Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and in Greek.

Good News Translation
Many people read it, because the place where Jesus was crucified was not far from the city. The notice was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor manye of the Jewis redden this title, for the place where Jhesus was crucified, was niy the citee, and it was writun in Ebreu, Greek, and Latyn.

Contextual Overview

¹⁹ Pilate ordered the charge against Jesus to be written on a board and put above the cross. It read, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." ²⁰ The words were written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. The place where Jesus was taken wasn't far from the city, and many of the Jewish people read the charge against him. ²¹ So the chief priests went to Pilate and said, "Why did you write that he is King of the Jews? You should have written, ‘He claimed to be King of the Jews.'" ²² But Pilate told them, "What is written will not be changed!" ²³ After the soldiers had nailed Jesus to the cross, they divided up his clothes into four parts, one for each of them. But his outer garment was made from a single piece of cloth, and it did not have any seams. ²⁴ The soldiers said to each other, "Let's not rip it apart. We will gamble to see who gets it." This happened so that the Scriptures would come true, which say, "They divided up my clothes and gambled for my garments." The soldiers then did what they had decided. ²⁵ Jesus' mother stood beside his cross with her sister and Mary the wife of Clopas. Mary Magdalene was standing there too. ²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother and his favorite disciple with her, he said to his mother, "This man is now your son." ²⁷ Then he said to the disciple, "She is now your mother." From then on, that disciple took her into his own home. ²⁸ Jesus knew that he had now finished his work. And in order to make the Scriptures come true, he said, "I am thirsty!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

in: John 19:13, John 5:2, Acts 21:40, Acts 22:2, Acts 26:14, Revelation 16:16

and Greek: Acts 21:37, Revelation 9:11

Reciprocal: Mark 16:6 - Jesus

Cross-References

Genesis 12:13
Please save my life by saying that you are my sister."

Genesis 19:5
and started shouting, "Where are your visitors? Send them out, so we can have sex with them!"

Genesis 19:7
Then he said, "Friends, please don't do such a terrible thing!

Genesis 19:30
Lot was afraid to stay on in Zoar. So he took his two daughters and moved to a cave in the hill country.

Psalms 119:175
Keep me alive, so I can praise you, and let me find help in your teachings.

Isaiah 55:3
Pay close attention! Come to me and live. I will promise you the eternal love and loyalty that I promised David.

Amos 3:6
Isn't the whole city frightened when the trumpet signals an attack? Isn't it the Lord who brings disaster on a city?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

This title then read many of the Jews,.... Who were in great numbers, at the place of execution, rejoicing at his crucifixion, and insulting him as he hung on the cross:

for the place where Jesus was crucified, was nigh unto the city; Golgotha, the place of Christ's crucifixion, was not more than two furlongs, or a quarter of a mile from the city of Jerusalem: so that multitudes were continually going from thence to see this sight; the city also being then very full of people, by reason of the feast of the passover; to which may be added, that the cross stood by the wayside, where persons were continually passing to and fro, as appears from Matthew 27:39 and where it was usual to erect crosses to make public examples or malefactors, and to deter others from committing the like crimes: so Alexander, the emperor, ordered an eunuch to be crucified by the wayside, in which his servants used commonly to go to his suburb s or country house: Cicero says t the Mamertines, according to their own usage and custom, crucified behind the city, in the Pompeian way; and Quinctilian observes u, as often as we crucify criminals, the most noted ways are chosen, where most may behold, and most may be moved with fear: and now Christ being crucified by a public road side, the inscription on the cross was doubtless read by more than otherwise it would:

and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin; that it might be read by all, Jews, Greeks, and Romans; and to show that he is the Saviour of some of all nations; and that he is King over all. These words were written in Hebrew letters in the Syriac dialect, which was used by the Jews, and is called the Hebrew language, John 19:13 and in which it is most likely Pilate should write these words, or order them to be written; and which, according to the Syriac version we now have, were thus put, ישוע נצריא מלכא דיהודיא; in Greek the words stood as in the original text, thus, Ιησους ο

Ναζωραιος ο βασιλευς των Ιουδαιων: and in the Latin tongue, as may be supposed, after this manner, "Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judaeorum". These three languages may be very well thought to be understood by Pilate; at least so much of them as to qualify him to write such an inscription as this. The Latin tongue was his mother tongue, which he must be supposed well to understand; and the Greek tongue was very much used by the Romans, since their conquest of the Grecian monarchy; and the emperors' edicts were generally published in Greek, which it was therefore necessary for Pilate to understand; and as he was a governor of Judea, and had been so for some time, he must have acquired some knowledge of the Hebrew language; and these being the principal languages in the world, he chose to write this title in them, that persons coming from all quarters might be able to read it, and understand it in some one of them.

s Lipsius de Crucc, l. 3. c. 13. p. 158. t Orat. 10. in Veriem. l. 5. p. 604. u Declamat. 275.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the notes at Matthew 27:32-37.

John 19:22

What I have written ... - This declaration implied that he would make no change. He was impatient, and weary of their solicitations. He had yielded to them contrary to the convictions of his own conscience, and he now declared his purpose to yield no further.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 19:20. Hebrew, - Greek, - Latin. — Luke 23:38.

On Matthew 27:37, I have given this title in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, as mentioned by this evangelist. The reader, however, will not be displeased to find the same title repeated here in a character which was written in the fourth century, and is probably nearly resembling that used in the earliest ages of Christianity. The Greek and Latin character, which is inserted here, is an exact fac-simile of that in the Codex Bezae, cut and cast at the expense of the University of Cambridge, for Dr. Kipling's edition of that most venerable MS. which contains the Greek text of the four evangelists and Acts; and the Latin text of the same, as it existed before the time of St. Jerome. Having examined the MS. myself, I can say that these types are a very faithful representation of the original.

In Hebrew, εβραιστι.

יסוע נצריא מלכא דיהודיא

In Greek, ελληνιστι.

ΙΗΣΟΥΣ Ο ΝΑΖΩΡΕΟΣ Ο ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ ΤΩΝ ΙΟΥΔΑΙΩΝ

In Latin, ρωμαιστι.

IEHSUS NAZARENUS REX IUDAEORUM