Luke 23:3

23:3 So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He replied, “You say so.”

Luke 23:38

23:38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the king of the Jews.”


tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the charges brought in the previous verse.

tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

snAre you the king of the Jews?” Pilate was interested only in the third charge, because of its political implications of sedition against Rome.

sn The reply “You say so” is somewhat enigmatic, like Jesus’ earlier reply to the Jewish leadership in 22:70.

sn Mention of the inscription is an important detail, because the inscription would normally give the reason for the execution. It shows that Jesus was executed for claiming to be a king. It was also probably written with irony from the executioners’ point of view.