John 19 · Verse 8

John 19:8

When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid;

John 19:8, King James Version

John 19:8 in other translations

BSB	When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid,
WEB	When therefore Pilate heard this saying, he was more afraid.
ASV	When Pilate therefore heard this saying, he was the more afraid;
YLT	When, therefore, Pilate heard this word, he was the more afraid,
DARBY	When Pilate therefore heard this word, he was the rather afraid,
BBE	When this saying came to Pilate's ears his fear became greater;
Webster	When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid;

What does John 19:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 19:8-11

8-11. When Pilate ... heard this saying, he was the more afraid--the name "Son of God," the lofty sense evidently attached to it by His Jewish accusers, the dialogue he had already held with Him, and the dream of his wife (Mt 27:19), all working together in the breast of the wretched man.

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

Barnes' Notes

Verse 8. When Pilate therefore heard that saying. That they had accused him of blasphemy. As this was not the charge on which they had arraigned him before his bar, he had not before heard it, and it now convinced him more of their malignity and wickedness.

He was the more afraid. What was the ground of his fear is not declared by the evangelist. It was probably, however, the alarm of his conscience, and the fear of vengeance if he suffered such an act of injustice to be done as to put an innocent man to death. He was convinced of his innocence. He saw more and more clearly the design of the Jews; and it is not improbable that a heathen, who believed that the gods often manifested themselves to men, dreaded their vengeance if he suffered one who claimed to be divine, and who might be, to be put to death. It is clear that Pilate was convinced that Jesus was innocent; and in this state of agitation between the convictions of his own conscience, and the clamours of the Jews, and the fear of vengeance, and the certainty that he would do wrong if he gave him up, he was thrown into this state of alarm, and resolved again to question Jesus, that he might obtain satisfaction on the subjects that agitated his mind.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 8 He was the more afraid - While Jesus was accused only as a disturber of the peace of the nation, which accusation Pilate knew to be false, he knew he could deliver him, because the judgment in that case belonged to himself; but when the Jews brought a charge against him of the most capital nature, from their own laws, he then saw that he had every thing to fear, if he did not deliver Jesus to their will. The Sanhedrin must not be offended - the populace must not be irritated: from the former a complaint might be sent against him to Caesar; the latter might revolt, or proceed to some acts of violence, the end of which could not be foreseen. Pilate was certainly to be pitied: he saw what was right, and he wished to do it; but he had not sufficient firmness of mind. He did not attend to that important maxim, Fiat justitia: ruat caelum. Let justice be done, though the heavens should be dissolved. He had a vile people to govern, and it was not an easy matter to keep them quiet. Some suppose that Pilate's fear arose from hearing that Jesus had said he was the Son of God; because Pilate, who was a polytheist, believed that it was possible for the offspring of the gods to visit mortals; and he was afraid to condemn Jesus, for fear of offending some of the supreme deities. Perhaps the question in the succeeding verse refers to this.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 19:1-18

Little did Pilate think with what holy regard these sufferings of Christ would, in after-ages, be thought upon and spoken of by the best and greatest of men. Our Lord Jesus came forth, willing to be exposed to their scorn. It is good for every one with faith, to behold Christ Jesus in his sufferings. Behold him, and love him; be still looking unto Jesus. Did their hatred sharpen their endeavours against him? and…

Read the full comment on John 19:1-18 →

John 19:8 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.

ὍτεHoteWhenG3753

οὖνounthereforeG3767

ἤκουσενēkousenheardG191

ὁho<the>G3588

ΠιλᾶτοςPilatosPilateG4091

τοῦτονtoutonthisG3778

τὸνton<the>G3588

λόγονlogonwordG3056

μᾶλλονmallon[the] moreG3123

ἐφοβήθηephobēthēhe was afraidG5399

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

Cross references for John 19:8

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 14:11-19
And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people. Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

heard.
13; Ac 14:11-19

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

Context

John 19:7
The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.
John 19:8
When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid;
John 19:9
And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.

Read all of John 19

John 19:8 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y como Pilato oyó esta palabra, tuvo más miedo.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Quand donc Pilate entendit cette parole, il craignit davantage,
German Elberfelder 1871	Als nun Pilatus dieses Wort hörte, fürchtete er sich noch mehr;
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Cum ergo audisset Pilatus hunc sermonem, magis timuit.