John 18:33

“Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, etc.] Where he went at first, but the Jews refusing to come in thither to him, he came out to them; and now they speaking out more plainly, that he was guilty of a crime deserving of death; as that he set up himself as a king, in opposition to Caesar, and taught the people not to pay tribute to him; he goes into the “praetorium” again, and called Jesus; beckoned, or sent for him; or ordered him to come in thither to him, that he might alone, and the more freely, converse with him; which Jesus did, paying no regard to the superstitious observances of the Jews: and said unto him, art thou the king of the Jews? This he might say, from a rumour…”

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

“Art thou the King of the Jews? - This was after they had accused him of perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, Luke 23:2-3. return to 'Top of Page'”

“18:33 Pilate was personally responsible for capital crimes in which the interests and security of the Roman Empire were at stake, so he began his formal legal inquiry. • Are you the king of the Jews? To get the governor’s attention, Caiaphas had charged that Jesus had urged people not to pay their taxes to the Roman government and had claimed to be a king (Luke 23:2). To Pilate, Jesus might have been just another Jewish terrorist–revolutionary (see Luke 23:18-19; Acts 5:36-37) with a head full of messianic notions and a band of well-armed followers.”

“and said: Joh 18:37; Mat 27:11; Mar 15:2; Luk 23:3, Luk 23:4; Ti1 6:13 the king: Joh 1:49, Joh 12:13, Joh 12:15, Joh 19:3, Joh 19:19-22; Psa 2:6-12; Isa 9:6, Isa 9:7; Jer 23:5; Zep 3:15; Zac 9:9; Luk 19:38-40; Act 2:34-36 John 18:34”