John 19 · Verse 20

John 19:20

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.

John 19:20, King James Version

John 19:20 in other translations

BSB	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.
WEB	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.
ASV	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.
YLT	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.
DARBY	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.
BBE	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.
Webster	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.

What does John 19:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 19:19-22

19-22. Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross ... Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews ... 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…

Read the full comment on John 19:19-22 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 20 Hebrew,... Greek,... Latin - See on Luk 23:38 (note). On Mat 27:37 (note), 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, Ἑβραιστι. יסוע נצריא מלכא דיהודיא In Greek, ἙλληνιϚι. ΙΗΣΟΥΣ Ο ΝΑΖΩΡΕΟΣ Ο ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ ΤΩΝ ΙΟΥΔΑΙΩΝ In Latin, ῬωμαΐϚι. IEHSUS NAZARENUS REX IUDAEORUM

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 19:19-30

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…

Read the full comment on John 19:19-30 →

John 19:20 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.

τοῦτονtoutonThisG3778

οὖνounthereforeG3767

τὸνtontheG3588

τίτλονtitlontitleG5102

πολλοὶpolloimanyG4183

ἀνέγνωσανanegnōsanreadG314

τῶνtōnof theG3588

Ἰουδαίων,IoudaiōnJews,G2453

ὅτιhotiforG3754

ἐγγὺςengusnearG1451

ἦνēnwasG1510

ὁhotheG3588

τόποςtoposplaceG5117

τῆςtēsof theG3588

πόλεωςpoleōscityG4172

ὅπουhopouwhereG3699

ἐσταυρώθηestaurōthēwas crucifiedG4717

ὁho<the>G3588

Ἰησοῦς·IēsousJesus;G2424

καὶkaiandG2532

ἦνēnit wasG1510

γεγραμμένονgegrammenonwrittenG1125

Ἑβραϊστί,Hebraistiin Hebrew,G1447

Ῥωμαϊστί,Rhōmaistiin Latin,G4515

Ἑλληνιστί.¶Hellēnistiin Greek.G1676

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

Cross references for John 19:20

Acts 26:14
And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
John 5:2
Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
Acts 22:2
(And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)
Revelation 16:16
And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
John 19:13
When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.
Acts 21:40
And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,
Acts 21:37
And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek?
Revelation 9:11
And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
Hebrews 13:12
Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

in.
13; 5:2; Ac 21:40; 22:2; 26:14; Re 16:16
and Greek.
Ac 21:37; Re 9:11

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

Context

John 19:19
And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.
John 19:20
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.
John 19:21
Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.

Read all of John 19

John 19:20 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y muchos de los Judíos leyeron este título: porque el lugar donde estaba crucificado Jesús era cerca de la ciudad: y estaba escrito en hebreo, en griego, y en latín.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Plusieurs des Juifs donc lurent cet écriteau, parce que le lieu où Jésus fut crucifié était près de la ville; et il était écrit en hébreu, en grec, en latin.
German Elberfelder 1871	Diese Überschrift nun lasen viele von den Juden, denn die Stätte, wo Jesus gekreuzigt wurde, war nahe bei der Stadt; und es war geschrieben auf hebräisch, griechisch und lateinisch.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Hunc ergo titulum multi Judæorum legerunt: quia prope civitatem erat locus, ubi crucifixus est Jesus, et erat scriptum hebraice, græce, et latine.