19:3a

And they went up to Him again and again: The soldiers came up to (approached) Jesus, mocking him as if they were greeting a king.

went up to Him again and again: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as went up…again and again means “kept approaching.” The action was done repeatedly and by different soldiers. Indicate this action in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

they came to him many times (New Century Version)
-or-
repeatedly approached him
-or-
They kept coming up to him (New Revised Standard Version)

saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”: The soldiers mocked Jesus by imitating the way Romans greeted the Roman emperor. They did not believe that Jesus was really the king of the Jews. It is important that your readers understand that the soldiers were not sincere. They did not truly honor Jesus. It may be natural to make this explicit. For example:

“Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
They ⌊scorned⌋ him and said, “Greetings, O king of the Jews!”
-or-
They ⌊laughed⌋ at him, saying, “Long live the king of the Jews!”

Hail: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Hail is a greeting used to honor someone. The soldiers mocked Jesus by pretending to honor him. Consider how a chief or a king is greeted in your culture. It is good to use an expression that is an exaggeration and that your readers will understand is not sincere. For example:

We (excl.) greet/honor you (sing.) !
-or-
May you be successful!

King of the Jews!: See how you translated the phase King of the Jews in 18:39. Here Jesus is being addressed directly, and so there is no definite article. In some languages there may be a way to show that respect is an exaggeration or is not sincere. For example:

O ⌊mighty⌋ king of the Jews!
-or-
you king of the Jews! (Contemporary English Version)

General Comment on 19:3a

In some languages it may be more natural to translate 19:3a as indirect speech. Here are some ways to translate this clause as indirect speech:

They came up to him again and again, mocking him as they greeted him as the king of the Jews.
-or-
They repeatedly approached him and ⌊pretended⌋ to honor him as the king of the Jews.

19:3b

and slapping Him in the face: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as slapping Him in the face refers to hitting or slapping someone. See 18:22, where the same expression is used with a singular subject. Here the Greek tense indicates that the soldiers struck (hit) Jesus repeatedly, probably with their open hands. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

And they struck him repeatedly in the face. (NET Bible)
-or-
and slapped his face (God’s Word)
-or-
and struck him with their hands (English Standard Version)

General Comment on 19:3a–b

The soldiers struck Jesus while they were mocking him with their words. Connect the verbs in a way that indicates this. For example:

“Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across the face. (New Living Translation (2004))

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