Quotes & Notes
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John Wesley Notes:
Undoubtedly these were the very words, although the other
evangelists do not express them at large.
- Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:
* wrote. Mt 27:37; Mr 15:26; Lu 23:38
* And the.
The apparent discrepancy between the accounts of this title
given by the Evangelists, which has been urged as an objection
against their inspiration and veracity, has been most
satisfactorily accounted for by Dr. Townson; who supposes
that, as it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, it might
have slightly varied in each language; and that, as Luke and
John wrote for the Gentiles, they would prefer the Greek
inscription, that Matthew, addressing the Jews, would use the
Hebrew, and that Mark, writing to the Romans, would naturally
give the Latin.
* JESUS. Joh 19:3; 1:45,46; 18:33; Ac 3:6; 26:9
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Geneva Bible Notes:
Christ, sitting upon the throne of the cross, is publicly proclaimed
everlasting King of all people by the hand of him who condemned him for
usurping a kingdom.
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Robertson's Word Pictures:
Pilate wrote a title also (egrapsen kai titlon ho Peilatos). Only John
tells us that Pilate himself wrote it and John alone uses the technical
Latin word titlon (several times in inscriptions), for the board with
the name of the criminal and the crime in which he is condemned; Mark (Mr
15:26) and Luke (Lu 23:28) use epigraphę (superscription). Matthew (Mt
27:37) has simply aitian (accusation).
The inscription in John is the
fullest of the four and has all in any of them save the words "this is"
(houtos estin) in Mt 27:37.
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Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary:
Here are some remarkable circumstances of Jesus' death, more fully
related than before. Pilate would not gratify the chief priests by
allowing the writing to be altered; which was doubtless owing to a
secret power of God upon his heart, that this statement of our Lord's
character and authority might continue. Many things done by the Roman
soldiers were fulfilments of the prophecies of the Old Testament. All
things therein written shall be fulfilled. Christ tenderly provided for
his mother at his death. Sometimes, when God removes one comfort from
us, he raises up another for us, where we looked not for it. Christ's
example teaches all men to honour their parents in life and death; to
provide for their wants, and to promote their comfort by every means in
their power. Especially observe the dying word wherewith Jesus breathed
out his soul. It is finished; that is, the counsels of the Father
concerning his sufferings were now fulfilled. It is finished; all the
types and prophecies of the Old Testament, which pointed at the
sufferings of the Messiah, were accomplished. It is finished; the
ceremonial law is abolished; the substance is now come, and all the
shadows are done away. It is finished; an end is made of transgression
by bringing in an everlasting righteousness. His sufferings were now
finished, both those of his soul, and those of his body. It is finished;
the work of man's redemption and salvation is now completed. His life
was not taken from him by force, but freely given up.
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown:
And it was written in Hebrew--or Syro-Chaldaic, the language of the
country.
and Greek--the current language.
and Latin--the official language. These were the chief languages of the
earth, and this secured that all spectators should be able to read it.
Stung by this, the Jewish ecclesiastics entreat that it may be so
altered as to express, not His real dignity, but His false claim to it.
But Pilate thought he had yielded quite enough to them; and having
intended expressly to spite and insult them by this title, for having
got him to act against his own sense of justice, he peremptorily refused
them. And thus, amidst the conflicting passions of men, was proclaimed,
in the chief tongues of mankind, from the Cross itself and in
circumstances which threw upon it a lurid yet grand light, the truth
which drew the Magi to His manger, and will yet be owned by all the
world!
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William Burkitt's Notes:
Observe here, 1. The inscription wrote by Pilate over our suffering
Saviour: This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. It was the
manner of the Romans, when they crucified a malefactor, to publish the
cause of his death in capital letters over his head, that so the equity
of their proceedings might more clearly appear to the people.
Now it is observable how wonderfully the wisdom of God overruled the
heart and pen of Pilate to draw this title, which was truly honourable,
and fix it to his cross. Pilate, who before was his judge, and
pronounced him innocent, is now his herald to proclaim his glory.
Learn hence, that the regal dignity of Christ was openly proclaimed by
an enemy, and that in the time of his greatest reproaches and
sufferings. Pilate, without his own knowledge, did our
Saviour an
eminent piece of service; he did that for Christ, which none of his own
disciples durst do: not designedly, but from the special overruling
providence of God. No thanks to Pilate for all this; because the highest
services performed to Christ undesignedly, shall neither be accepted nor
rewarded by God.
Observe, 2. How the Jews endeavour to alter this: Write not, the king of
the Jews: but that he said, I am the King of the Jews. The Jews thought
it would be a disgrace to them, that Christ should be reported abroad to
have been their king, therefore they desire an alteration of the
writing. But Pilate, that wrote in honour of Christ, stiffly defends
what he had done: to all their importunity he returns this resolute
answer, what I have written, I have written.
Surely the constancy of Pilate, at this time, must be attributed to
special divine providence. How wonderful was it, that he who before was
as inconstant as a reed, should now be fixed as a pillar of brass!
Whence is this, but from the God of spirits moving upon his spirit to
write, and to defend what was written! The providence of God hath a
prospect beyond the understanding of all creatures.
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