19:19a

Pilate also had a notice posted on the cross: The Greek text here is more literally “And Pilate also wrote an inscription and placed it on the cross.” However, the sense is that Pilate told someone to write an inscription (notice) and fasten it to Jesus’ cross. The Berean Standard Bible makes it explicit that Pilate told someone to do these things with the word had. He probably ordered the soldiers or a servant to do them. Other translations are less explicit about that and translate the Greek more literally. Translate this clause so that your readers can understand that Pilate did not do these things himself. For example:

Pilate ordered the charge against Jesus to be written on a board and put above the cross. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Pilate wrote a notice and had it put on the cross. (Good News Translation)
-or-
Pilate ⌊told his men⌋ to write a notice and attach it to the cross.
-or-
Pilate ⌊told the soldiers,⌋ “Write a sign and fasten it to the cross.”

a notice: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as notice here refers to something written for the public to read. It was probably written on a wooden board. The notice, which sometimes hung around the prisoner’s neck, told the crime of the person being crucified. Pilate told the soldiers to put this inscription on Jesus’ cross. Here are other ways to translate this Greek word:

an inscription (Good News Translation)
-or-
a sign (New Century Version)

19:19b

It read: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as It read is more literally “it was written.” This phrase introduces the content of the inscription. Introduce what the inscription said in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

a board/sign…reading
-or-
The notice read (NET Bible)
-or-
which/it said

JESUS OF NAZARETH: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as JESUS OF NAZARETH is more literally “Jesus the Nazarene” and means “Jesus from the village of Nazareth.” See how you translated this phrase in 18:5 and 18:7.

THE KING OF THE JEWS: The Jews had accused Jesus of rebelling against Roman rule by saying that he was the king of the Jews. Pilate ordered that they write this phrase to indicate that Jesus was being killed because he said that. See the note on 18:33 for suggestions on how to translate the phrase “King of the Jews.” Also see how you translated the phrase there.

THE JEWS: This phrase here means “the Jewish people” or “the tribe called Jews.”

General Comment on 19:19b

In some languages it may be natural to put the inscription first. For example:

“Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews,” is what he wrote. (Good News Translation)

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