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John 19:19-22 Languages on the cross
1. John 19:19-22 Languages on the cross
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. [kjv]
εγραψεν δε και τιτλον ο πιλατος και εθηκεν επι του σταυρου ην δε γεγραμμενον ιησους ο ναζωραιος ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων [gnt]
We get the English word "
title" from the Latin "
titulum" and the Greek «
τιτλον».
The term for "
Latin" in the Latin Vulgate appears in John as the language of the "
Romans". Latin was the language of the Romans. As was usual, Pilate had an inscription placed above Jesus on the cross, signifying his crime.
A written language can refer to itself or to other languages.
2. Language and self reference
Consider the following sentence.
This sentence was originally in German but was translated to the English you are now reading.
How would you translate the above sentence into, say, Spanish?
What was the original German sentence?
3. John 19:19
KJV: And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Greek: εγραψεν δε και τιτλον ο πιλατος και εθηκεν επι του σταυρου ην δε γεγραμμενον ιησους ο ναζωραιος ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων
4. John 19:20
KJV: 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.
Greek: τουτον ουν τον τιτλον πολλοι ανεγνωσαν των ιουδαιων οτι εγγυς ην της πολεως ο τοπος της πολεως οπου εσταυρωθη ο ιησους και ην γεγραμμενον εβραιστιελληνιστι ρωμαιστιελληνιστι
Latin: hunc ergo titulum multi legerunt Iudaeorum quia prope civitatem erat locus ubi crucifixus est Iesus et erat scriptum hebraice graece et latine
Wessex: Manege þare iudea raetten þis ge-writ. for-þam þe þeo stow waes ge-hende þare chestre þaer se haelend waes a-hangen. Hyt waes awriten hebreiscen stafen. & greciscon. aend laeden stafen.
Tyndale: This tytle reed many of the Iewes. For the place where Iesus was crucified was nye to the cite. And it was written in Hebrue Greke and Latyn.
5. Luke 23:38
Luke 23:38 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. [kjv]
ην δε και επιγραφη επ αυτω ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων ουτος [gnt]
… litteris … latinis … hebraicis … [v]
Note that while the Latin Vulgate says the title is in "
latinis" (i.e., Latin), the Greek uses the word «
ρωμαϊκούς» which is, literally, the "
Roman" language.
Note that the Greek does not include the word for "
letters" which would be inferred. The Greek just says that the "
inscription" was "
written" or "
inscribed".
Note here that the Greek word for "
title" as «
τίτλων» is a Latin word, "
titulum". From the Latin word "
titlon" comes the English word "
title".
Again, the Greek word for "
Latin" here is «
ρωμαϊστή» or, literally, the language of the "
Romans".
The Latin word
"litterae" ≈ "letter" from which we get the English word "
literally" as in the phrase "
the letter of the law" and the word "
literate", "
literature", etc.
6. Luke 23:38
KJV: And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Greek: ην δε και επιγραφη γεγραμμενη επ αυτω γραμμασιν ελληνικοις και ρωμαικοις και εβραικοις ουτος εστιν ο ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων ουτος
Latin: erat autem et superscriptio inscripta super illum litteris graecis et latinis et hebraicis hic est rex Iudaeorum
Wessex: Ða waes his ofer-ge-writ ofer hine awriten. grekiscen stafen & hebreiscen. þis is judea kyning.
Wycliffe: And the superscripcioun was writun ouer hym with Greke lettris, and of Latyn, and of Ebreu, This is the kyng of Jewis.
Tyndale: And his superscripcio was writte over him in greke in latine and Ebreu: This is the kynge of the Iewes.
7. Revelation 9:11
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. [kjv]
εχουσιν επ αυτων βασιλεα τον αγγελον της αβυσσου ονομα αυτω εβραιστι αβαδδων και εν τη ελληνικη ονομα εχει απολλυων [gnt]
… hebraice … graece … latine … Exterminans [v]
The word "
Latin" appears once more in the Latin Vulgate, in Revelation.
Interestingly, the Latin Vulgate
"adds" the Latin term "
Exterminans" in addition to the Greek word «
Απολλυων» which is translated in the
KJV (King James Version) as "
Appollyon". So here the Latin Vulgate is
"adding" to the book of Revelation, which brings to mind the warning at the end of Revelation - which was also translated by Jerome.
8. Revelation 9:11
KJV: 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.
Greek: και εχουσιν εφ επ αυτων βασιλεα τον αγγελον της αβυσσου ονομα αυτω εβραιστι αβαδδων και εν τη ελληνικη ονομα εχει απολλυων
Latin: et habebant super se regem angelum abyssi cui nomen hebraice Abaddon graece autem Apollyon et latine habet nomen Exterminans
9. Revelation 22:18
Revelation 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: [kjv]
μαρτυρω εγω παντι τω ακουοντι τους λογους της προφητειας του βιβλιου τουτου εαν τις επιθησει ο θεος επ αυτον τας πληγας τας γεγραμμενας εν τω βιβλιω τουτω [gnt]
Does what Jerome
"added" to the Latin translation fall under this warning?
10. Revelation 22:18
KJV: For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Greek: συμμαρτυρουμαι γαρ μαρτυρω εγω παντι τω ακουοντι τους λογους της προφητειας του βιβλιου τουτου εαν τις επιτιθη προς ταυτα επιθη επ αυτα επιθησει ο θεος επ αυτον τας πληγας τας γεγραμμενας εν τω βιβλιω τουτω
11. John 19:21-22
12. John 19:21
KJV: 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.
Greek: ελεγον ουν τω πιλατω οι αρχιερεις των ιουδαιων μη γραφε ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων αλλ οτι εκεινος ειπεν βασιλευς ειμι των ιουδαιων ειμι
13. John 19:22
KJV: Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.
Greek: απεκριθη ο πιλατος ο γεγραφα γεγραφα
Latin: respondit Pilatus quod scripsi scripsi
14. Writing sounds
The Greek word for "
I write", today as in Bible times, is «
γράφω» (gra-fo), from which we get words such as "
graph", "
graphic", "
photograph", etc.
Many Greek linguistics books describe the word «
γράφω» is onomatopoeic in that it sounds like what it describes. That is, in ancient times.
Whenever, in ancient times, scribes would create a scripts (both "
scribe" and "
script" are from the Latin "
scriba" and "
scriptor") they would use sharp tools to inscribe the letters onto stones or clay tablets.
Listening to all those tools inscribing one would hear the sound of "
grph", "
grph", "
grph", from which came the Greek word «
γράφω» (gra-fo).
15. Carving
16. Diagram
17. Unpronounceable name of God
It has been conjectured that Pilate might have written something like the following.
ישוע = Jesus (yeshua)
הנצרי = of Nazareth (na nazarei)
ומלך = King (ve melech)
היהודים = of the Jews (na ye hudim)
Hebrew is written and read right to left. Take the first (rightmost) letter of each word (bottom to top) to get the following.
יהוה = Yahweh
Would this have upset the Jewish leaders? Note: The Jewish leaders could read Hebrew, but most other people only knew Aramaic.
18. Objections
Some argue that the Hebrew in this conjecture is not precise Hebrew, but when one makes puns, one often stretches or breaks the rules of the language being used.
So, if you are upset at this crucifixion example for not being true, maybe I have "crossed the lying"! (not proper English, but you get the idea)
So this is an interesting conjecture.
19. End of page
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. [kjv]
ελεγον ουν τω πιλατω οι αρχιερεις των ιουδαιων μη γραφε ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων αλλ οτι εκεινος ειπεν βασιλευς των ιουδαιων ειμι [gnt]
19:22 Pilate answered, What I have written I have written. [kjv]
απεκριθη ο πιλατος ο γεγραφα γεγραφα [gnt]
