19:11a–b

You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above: This sentence suggests a situation that is not true: that God had not given Pilate power. If that situation were true, Pilate would have no power to decide Jesus’ fate. But God had in fact given Pilate power over Jesus. This was the only reason why Pilate had this power. Consider how it is natural to translate in your language a suggested situation that is not true. See the General Comment on 19:11a–b for examples where the clauses are rearranged.

In some languages it is more natural to use a positive statement. For example:

The only power you have over me is the power given to you by God. (New Century Version)
-or-
You have authority over me only because it was given to you by God. (Good News Translation)
-or-
You could only do like that because God has given you that authority. (Tagbanwa Back Translation)

19:11a

You would have no authority over Me: This clause describes a situation that is not true. Pilate did in fact have power over Jesus.

You: This pronoun is singular and refers to Pilate.

authority over Me: This phrase refers to Pilate’s power or authority to crucify or to free Jesus. As governor, he had the authority to judge people and decide what would happen to them. And as Jesus said in 19:11b, God is really the one who gave him that authority. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

authority ⌊to judge⌋ me
-or-
power to be in charge of me (Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)

19:11b

if it were not given to you from above: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates the Greek phrase literally as if…not. There is a condition here: “if the power had not been given you from above.” This was a condition that was not fulfilled, because God had given Pilate power. That was the only reason why Pilate did have power over Jesus. Translate this condition that was not fulfilled in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

if it were not given to you from above (New International Version)
-or-
if it had not been given you from above (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
You have authority over me only because it was given to you by God (Good News Translation)

were not given: This verb phrase is passive, and there are at least two ways to translate it:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

given to you by God (Good News Translation)

• Use an active verb. For example:

unless you had received it from above/God
-or-
if God had not given authority to you

General Comment on 19:11a–b

In some languages it may be natural to reverse the order of the information in 19:11a–b. For example:

11b If God had not given you the power, 11a you couldn’t do anything at all to me. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-

11b As for your power to be in charge of me, if it were not given you by God, 11a you wouldn’t be able to do anything. (Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)

19:11c

Therefore: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Therefore introduces a logical result or conclusion. Introduce this result in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

That’s why (God’s Word)
-or-
And for that reason (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
So (New Living Translation (2004))

the one who handed Me over to you: This clause refers to the person who brought Jesus to Pilate so Pilate could judge him. The clause probably refers to the high priest, Caiaphas, who sent Jesus to Pilate. However, you should not make that explicit in your translation.

you: This pronoun is singular and refers to Pilate.

is guilty of greater sin: This phrase indicates that this man, probably Caiaphas, had done something worse than Pilate had done. Both had done wrong, and were responsible for doing it, but Caiaphas had done the worse wrong. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

is even more guilty than you are (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
did something even worse (Contemporary English Version)

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