19:13a
When Pilate heard these words: The phrase these words refers to what the people just said to Pilate.
19:13b
he brought Jesus out: This clause implies that Pilate told the soldiers to take Jesus outside. They took him from the court in Pilate’s house to the courtyard in front of the house. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
he led Jesus outside (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
he caused Jesus to be brought/led outside
19:13c
and sat on the judgment seat: Pilate sat down on the judge’s seat in the courtyard. That was a sign that he would soon announce his final decision about the case.
There are two ways to understand the Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sat :
(1) It means that Pilate sat down himself on the judge’s bench. For example:
Pilate sat down on the judgment seat (New Living Translation (2004))
(Berean Standard Bible, New Revised Standard Version, Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version, New International Version, NET Bible, Good News Translation, New Living Translation (2004), Revised English Bible, God’s Word, New American Standard Bible, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, King James Version)
(2) It means that Pilate seated Jesus (caused him to sit) on the judge’s bench, perhaps to mock him. For example:
Pilate…seated him on the chair of judgment (New Jerusalem Bible)
(New Jerusalem Bible)
It is strongly recommended that you follow interpretation (1) with the great majority of translations and scholars.
the judgment seat: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the judgment seat refers to a raised platform with a seat. The governor, acting as judge, sat on this seat to announce his decisions. For example:
the judge’s seat (Good News Translation)
In translating this expression, avoid implying that Pilate sat on someone else’s seat. This seat was used by the governor to announce judgments and decisions. It may therefore be natural to say:
his judgment bench
-or-
the seat of the governor when giving judgment (Tagbanwa Back Translation)
19:13d
at a place: The place where Pilate took his seat was an outdoor pavement in the governor’s courtyard.
called the Stone Pavement: The phrase the Stone Pavement is the name of this area in the courtyard. It indicates that it was paved (covered) with large flat rocks to form a solid floor.
which in Hebrew is Gabbatha: The expression which in Hebrew is Gabbatha is short for “in the Hebrew language (Aramaic) this place is called Gabbatha.” The Hebrew people (Jews) called this pavement Gabbatha. This does not mean that the word Gabbatha meant “Stone Pavement.” The meaning of the Aramaic word Gabbatha is uncertain.
Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
(In the Jewish language the name is Gabbatha) (New Century Version)
-or-
the Jewish people call it Gabbatha
in Hebrew: Hebrew refers to the language that the Jewish people in Jesus’ day spoke, which was Aramaic. See 5:2, where the same expression is used. Here are some other ways this phrase can be translated:
in Aramaic (English Standard Version)
-or-
in the language of the Jews
-or-
in the language that the Jews speak
Because the author of this book, John, is also a Jew, in some languages it is more natural to say:
in our (excl.) language
-or-
in the language that we (excl.) Jews speak
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