John 19:13

that saying The better reading gives, these words. Pilate's mind seems to be made up at once.

brought Jesus forth Sentence must be pronounced in public. Thus we find that Pilate, in giving judgment about the standards, which had been brought into Jerusalem, has his tribunal in the great circus at Caesarea, and Florus erects his in front of the palace (Josephus, B. J. ii. ix. 3, xiv. 8).

sat down The Greek verb (kathizo) may be either transitive, as in 1 Corinthians 6:4; Ephesians 1:20, or intransitive, as in Matthew 19:28; Matthew 25:31. If it is transitive here, the meaning will be, -placed him on a seat," as an illustration of his mocking exclamation, -Behold your King!" i.e. -There He sits enthroned! But [John 8:2;] John 12:14; Revelation 3:21; Revelation 20:4, the only places where S. John uses the word, and Acts 12:21; Acts 25:6; Acts 25:17, where we have the same phrase as here, are against the transitive meaning in this place.

in the judgment seat In the true text there is no article, which may mean that it was not the usual Bemabut a temporary one. Every where else in N.T. -judgment seat" has the definite article.

Pavement Literally, stone-paved. Josephus (Ant.v. John 19:2) says that the Temple-mount, on part of which the fortress of Antonia stood, was covered with a tesselated pavement.

in the Hebrew, Gabbatha Omit -the," as in John 19:20, and see on John 20:16. It was, we may conclude "from its having a Hebrew name, a fixed spot, and not the portable mosaic work which Roman generals sometimes carried about with them." S. p. 250. The fact that there was a fixed pavement supports this view; but Gabbatha (Gab Baitha) means -the ridge of the House" i.e. -the Temple-mound," and refers to the shape of the ground (like a back), not to the pavement upon it.