John 18 · Verse 28

John 18:28

Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.
John 18:28, King James Version

John 18:28 in other translations

BSBThen they led Jesus away from Caiaphas into the Praetorium. By now it was early morning, and the Jews did not enter the Praetorium, to avoid being defiled and unable to eat the Passover.
WEBThey led Jesus therefore from Caiaphas into the Praetorium. It was early, and they themselves didn’t enter into the Praetorium, that they might not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.
ASVThey lead Jesus therefore from Caiaphas into the Prætorium: and it was early; and they themselves entered not into the Prætorium, that they might not be defiled, but might eat the passover.
YLTThey led, therefore, Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium, and it was early, and they themselves did not enter into the praetorium, that they might not be defiled, but that they might eat the passover;
DARBYThey lead therefore Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium; and it was early morn. And they entered not into the praetorium, that they might not be defiled, but eat the passover.
BBESo they took Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the Praetorium. It was early. They themselves did not go into the Praetorium, so that they might not become unclean, but might take the Passover.
WebsterThen they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment-hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.

What does John 18:28 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
28. Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas to the hall of judgment--but not till "in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council against Him to put Him to death, and bound Him" (Mt 27:1; and see on Mr 15:1). The word here rendered "hall of judgment" is from the Latin, and denotes "the palace of the governor of a Roman province." they themselves went not into the judgment hall lest they should be defiled--by contact with ceremonially unclean Gentiles. but that they might eat the passover--If this refer to the principal part of the festival, the eating of the lamb, the question is, how our Lord and His disciples came to eat it the night before; and, as it was an evening meal, how ceremonial defilement contracted in the morning would unfit them for partaking of it, as after six o'clock it was reckoned a new day. These are questions which have occasioned immense research and learned treatises. But as the usages of the Jews appear to have somewhat varied at different times, and our present knowledge of them is not sufficient to clear up all difficulties, they are among the not very important questions which probably will never be entirely solved.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 28. See Mt 27:1,2.

Hall of judgment. The praetorium--the same word that in Mt 27:27, is translated common hall. Mt 27:27. It was the place where the Roman praetor, or governor, heard and decided cases brought before him. Jesus had been condemned by the Sanhedrim, and pronounced guilty of death (Mt 26:66); but they had not power to carry their sentence into execution (Jn 18:31), and they therefore sought that he might be condemned and executed by Pilate.

Lest they should be defiled. They considered the touch of a Gentile to be a defilement, and on this occasion, at least, seemed to regard it as a pollution to enter the house of a Gentile. They took care, therefore, to guard themselves against what they considered ceremonial pollution, while they were wholly unconcerned at the enormous crime of putting the innocent Saviour to death, and imbruing their hands in their Messiah's blood. Probably there is not anywhere to be found among men another such instance of petty regard to the mere ceremonies of the law and attempting to keep from pollution, at the same time that their hearts were filled with malice, and they were meditating the most enormous of all crimes. But it shows us how much more concerned men will be at the violation of the mere forms and ceremonies of religion than at real crime, and how they endeavour to keep their consciences at ease amid their deeds of wickedness by the observance of some of the outward ceremonies of religion--by mere sanctimoniousness.

That they might eat the passover. Mt 26:2, Mt 26:17. This defilement, produced by contact with a Gentile, they considered as equivalent to that of the contact of a dead body (Lev 22:4-6; Nu 5:2), and as disqualifying them to partake of the passover in a proper manner. The word translated passover means properly the paschal lamb which was slain and eaten on the observance of this feast. This rite Jesus had observed with his disciples the day before this. It has been supposed by many that he anticipated the usual time of observing it one day, and was crucified on the day on which the Jews observed it; but this opinion is improbable. The very day of keeping the ordinance was specified in the law of Moses, and it is not probable that the Saviour departed from the commandment. All the circumstances, also, lead us to suppose that he observed it at the usual time and manner, Mt 26:17,19. The only passage which has led to a contrary opinion is this in John; but here the word passover does not, of necessity, mean the paschal lamb. It probably refers to the feast which followed the sacrifice of the lamb, and which continued seven days. Comp. Nu 28:16,17. The whole feast was called the Passover, and they were unwilling to defile themselves, even though the paschal lamb had been killed, because it would disqualify them for participating in the remainder of the ceremonies (Lightfoot).

(s) "Then led they Jesus" Mt 27:2, Mk 15:1, Lk 23:1 (4) "the hall of judgment" or, "Pilate's house" (t) "lest they should be defiled" Acts 10:28

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 28 The hall of judgment - Εις το πραιτωριον, To the praetorium. This was the house where Pilate lodged; hence called in our margin, Pilate's house. The praetorium is so called from being the dwelling-place of the praetor, or chief of the province. It was also the place where he held his court, and tried causes. St. John has omitted all that passed in the house of Caiaphas - the accusations brought against Christ - the false witnesses - the insults which he received in the house of the high priest - and the assembling of the grand council, or Sanhedrin. These he found amply detailed by the other three evangelists; and for this reason it appears that he omitted them. John's is properly a supplementary Gospel. Lest they should be defiled - The Jews considered even the touch of a Gentile as a legal defilement; and therefore would not venture into the praetorium, for fear of contracting some impurity, which would have obliged them to separate themselves from all religious ordinances till the evening, Lev 15:10, Lev 15:11, Lev 15:19, Lev 15:20. That they might eat the passover - Some maintain that το πασχα here does not mean the paschal lamb, but the other sacrifices which were offered during the paschal solemnity - for this had been eaten the evening before; and that our Lord was crucified the day after the passover. Others have maintained that the paschal lamb is here meant; that this was the proper day for sacrificing it; that it was on the very hour in which it was offered that Christ expired on the cross; and that therefore our Lord did not eat the Paschal lamb this year, or that he ate it some hours before the common time. Bishop Pearce supposes that it was lawful for the Jews to eat the paschal lamb any time between the evening of Thursday and that of Friday. He conjectures too that this permission was necessary on account of the immense number of lambs which were to be killed for that purpose. When Cestius desired to know the number of the Jews, he asked the priests how he might accomplish his wish? They informed him that this might be known by the number of the lambs slain at the passover, as never less than ten partook of one lamb, though twenty might feast on it. On this mode of computation he found the lambs to be 256,500; εικοσι πεντε μυριαδας ηριθμησαν, προς δε ἑξακισχιλια και πεντακοσια. See Josephus, War, b. vi. c. 9. s. 3. That Jesus ate a passover this last year of his life is sufficiently evident from Mat 26:17-19; Mar 14:12-18; Luk 22:8-15; and that he ate this passover some hours before the ordinary time, and was himself slain at that hour in which the paschal lamb was ordered by the law to be sacrificed, is highly probable, if not absolutely certain. See the note on Mat 26:20, and at the conclusion of the chapter, where the subject, and the different opinions on it, are largely considered.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 18:28-32
It was unjust to put one to death who had done so much good, therefore the Jews were willing to save themselves from reproach. Many fear the scandal of an ill thing, more than the sin of it. Christ had said he should be delivered to the Gentiles, and they should put him to death; hereby that saying was fulfilled. He had said that he should be crucified, lifted up. If the Jews had judged him by their law, he had been stoned; crucifying never was used among the Jews. It is determined concerning us, though not discovered to us, what death we shall die: this should free us from disquiet about that matter. Lord, what, when, and how, thou hast appointed.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

John 18:28 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἌγουσινAgousinThey are leadingG71
οὖνounthenG3767
τὸνton<the>G3588
ἸησοῦνIēsounJesusG2424
ἀπὸapofromG575
τοῦtou<the>G3588
ΚαϊάφαKaiaphaCaiaphasG2533
εἰςeisintoG1519
τὸtotheG3588
πραιτώριον·praitōrionPraetorium;G4232
ἦνēnIt wasG1510
δὲdenowG1161
πρωΐ.prōiearly.G4404
καὶkaiandG2532
αὐτοὶautoithey themselvesG846
οὐκouknotG3756
εἰσῆλθονeisēlthonenteredG1525
εἰςeisintoG1519
τὸtotheG3588
πραιτώριον,praitōrionPraetoriumG4232
ἵναinaso thatG2443
μὴmēnotG3361
μιανθῶσινmianthōsinthey may be defiledG3392
ἀλλὰallabutG235
ἵναinaso thatG2443
φάγωσινphagōsinmay eatG5315
τὸtotheG3588
πάσχα.paschaPassover.G3957

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for John 18:28

  • John 18:33

    Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?

  • John 19:9

    And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.

  • John 19:14

    And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!

  • Mark 15:1-5

    And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it. And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing. And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee. …

  • Matthew 27:27

    Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.

  • Luke 23:1-5

    And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King. And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it. Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man. …

  • Isaiah 1:10-15

    Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. …

  • John 11:55

    And the Jews’ passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.

  • Acts 3:13

    The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.

  • Matthew 27:1-10

    When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. …

  • Acts 11:3

    Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them.

  • John 18:39

    But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
led.
Mt 27:1,2-10; Mr 15:1-5; Lu 23:1-5; Ac 3:13
unto.
33; 19:9; Mt 27:27; Mr 15:16; *Gr:
hall of judgment. or, Pilate's house. early.
Pr 1:16; 4:16; Mic 2:1; Lu 22:66
and they.
Ps 35:16; Isa 1:10-15; Jer 7:8-11; Am 5:21-23; Mic 3:10-12
Mt 23:23-28; 27:6; Ac 10:28; 11:3
eat.
39; 19:14; De 16:2; 2Ch 30:21-24; 35:8-14,17,18; Eze 45:21

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • John 18:27

    Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew.

  • John 18:28

    Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.

  • John 18:29

    Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man?

Read all of John 18

John 18:28 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y llevaron á Jesús de Caifás al pretorio: y era por la mañana: y ellos no entraron en el pretorio por no ser contaminados, sino que comiesen la pascua.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ils mènent donc Jésus de chez Caïphe au prétoire (or c’était le matin); et eux-mêmes, ils n’entrèrent pas au prétoire, afin qu’ils ne soient pas souillés; mais qu’ils puissent manger la pâque.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Sie führen nun Jesum von Kajaphas in das Prätorium; es war aber frühmorgens. Und sie gingen nicht hinein in das Prätorium, auf daß sie sich nicht verunreinigten, sondern das Passah essen möchten.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Adducunt ergo Jesum a Caipha in prætorium. Erat autem mane: et ipsi non introierunt in prætorium, ut non contaminarentur, sed ut manducarent Pascha.