John 18 · Verse 34

John 18:34

Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
John 18:34, King James Version

John 18:34 in other translations

BSB“Are you saying this on your own,” Jesus asked, “or did others tell you about Me?”
WEBJesus answered him, “Do you say this by yourself, or did others tell you about me?”
ASVJesus answered, Sayest thou this of thyself, or did others tell it thee concerning me?
YLTJesus answered him, ‘From thyself dost thou say this? or did others say it to thee about me?'
DARBYJesus answered him, Dost thou say this of thyself, or have others said it to thee concerning me?
BBEJesus made answer, Do you say this of yourself, or did others say it about me?
WebsterJesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing from thyself, or did others tell it thee concerning me?

What does John 18:34 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 18:33-38

33-38. Pilate ... called Jesus, and said ... Art thou the King of the Jews?--In Lu 23:2 they charge our Lord before Pilate with "perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar, saying that He Himself is Christ a king." Perhaps this was what occasioned Pilate's question.

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Barnes' Notes
Verse 34. Of thyself. From any conviction of your own mind, or any apprehension of danger. During all the time in which you have been praetor, have you seen anything in me that has led you to apprehend sedition or danger to the Roman power? This evidently was intended to remind Pilate that nothing was proved against him, and to caution him against being influenced by the malicious accusations of others. Jesus demanded a just trial, and claimed that Pilate should not be influenced by any reports that he might have heard of him.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 34 Sayest thou this thing of thyself - That is, Is it because my enemies thus accuse me, or because thou hast any suspicion of me, that thou askest this question?

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 18:33-40

Art thou the King of the Jews? that King of the Jews who has been so long expected? Messiah the Prince; art thou he? Dost thou call thyself so, and wouldest thou be thought so? Christ answered this question with another; not for evasion, but that Pilate might consider what he did. He never took upon him any earthly power, never were any traitorous principles or practices laid to him. Christ gave an account of the…

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John 18:34 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.

ἀπεκρίθηapekrithēAnsweredG611
Ἰησοῦς·IēsousJesus;G2424
ἀπὸapoOfG575
σεαυτοῦseautouyourselfG4771
σὺsuyou yourselfG4771
τοῦτοtoutothisG3778
λέγειςlegeissayG3004
ἢēorG2228
ἄλλοιalloiothersG243
εἶπόνeipondid say [it]G2036
σοιsoito youG4771
περὶpericoncerningG4012
ἐμοῦ;emouMe?G1473

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Sayest.
36

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

Context

  • 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 18:34

    Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?

  • John 18:35

    Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?

Read all of John 18

John 18:34 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Respondióle Jesús: ¿Dices tú esto de ti mismo, ó te lo han dicho otros de mí?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Jésus lui répondit: Dis-tu ceci de toi-même, ou d’autres te l’ont-ils dit de moi?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Jesus antwortete ihm: Sagst du dies von dir selbst, oder haben dir andere von mir gesagt?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Respondit Jesus: A temetipso hoc dicis, an alii dixerunt tibi de me?