Paragraph 19:8–11
Pilate and Jesus spoke together. Jesus showed that he was not afraid of Pilate. He said that it was God who gave Pilate his power.
19:8
The Greek begins this verse with a conjunction that is often translated as “So” indicating a result. In this context it introduces the result of what the Jewish leaders just said. The word “When” also indicates a result here, so many English translations, like the Berean Standard Bible, leave this word implicit. Introduce the result (Pilate’s reaction) in a way that is natural in your language. For example:
Therefore when Pilate heard this statement (New American Standard Bible)
When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid: What the Jews said caused Pilate to be afraid. He did not know before that Jesus said that he was the Son of God. Here are other ways to translate these clauses:
Hearing this, Pilate felt even more fear.
-or-
These words caused Pilate to become even more frightened.
-or-
This made Pilate even more afraid.
-or-
Pilate was more afraid when he heard what the Jews said.
When Pilate heard this statement: The pronoun this refers to what the Jewish high priests just told Pilate, that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. Here is another way to translate this clause:
When Pilate heard what they said (NET Bible)
he was even more afraid: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as even more here probably implies that Pilate was already afraid. For example:
he was more afraid than ever (New Revised Standard Version)
In some languages it is natural to say what Pilate was afraid of. Apparently he was afraid to condemn Jesus to death, but he was also afraid to reject the Jewish leaders’ demand. So he delayed making a decision and talked to Jesus again. If you must indicate what Pilate was afraid of, it is best to say something general. For example:
he was even more afraid ⌊to judge/act/decide⌋
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