18:34
Are you saying this on your own,” Jesus asked, “or did others tell you about Me?”: This question proposes two possibilities, and asks which one was true. Did Pilate ask the question because of his own thinking, or did he repeat what others said.
Are you saying this on your own…?: Jesus asked Pilate if he himself wondered if Jesus was the King of the Jews. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
Is that your own idea…? (New International Version)
-or-
Is this your own question…? (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Are you the one who thought of this question? (TH)
Jesus asked: In some languages it is more natural to say whose question Jesus was answering. For example:
Jesus answered Pilate
or did others tell you about Me?: This clause tells the second, alternative possibility. If Pilate himself did not wonder if Jesus was the King of the Jews, someone else must have mentioned it. It is implied that Jesus’ accusers (the others) had said that Jesus claimed to be the King of the Jews. Here are other ways to translate this possibility:
did others talk to you about me? (New International Version)
-or-
have others suggested it to you? (Revised English Bible)
In some languages it may be natural to translate this possibility with Pilate as the subject:
did you hear about me from others?
-or-
is this something that you heard from others?
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