What Does John 19:9 Mean in the King James?
And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The question asks Jesus to locate himself inside Pilate’s frame, but his silence leaves his origin beyond Pilate’s grasp.
THE MEANING
A demand to explain where you come from can sound as though the asker already owns the answer. Jesus gives Pilate no answer, and the silence leaves the question unable to define him or make his origin available on command. The verse shows that a question from authority does not automatically produce disclosure.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that a question from someone in authority automatically deserves a complete answer.
THE ROOT
ἀπόκρισιν
apókrisin
GROWS FROM
κρίνω
κρίνω (krínō) means to separate, distinguish, decide, or judge. The word rendered “answer” belongs to the ἀποκρίνομαι (apokrínomai) family built on this root.
The Greek word for “answer” carries a connection to deciding and judging. Jesus gives no response for Pilate to weigh or use to place him; the silence leaves the question without that kind of verbal decision.
ALSO GROWS
apokrínomai: to answer, respond
ἀποκρίνομαι
This verb belongs to the same family as the verse’s noun for “answer,” showing that Jesus gives no response.
krísis: judgment, decision
κρίσις
This related noun names a judgment or decision; Jesus’ silence gives Pilate no verbal decision to weigh.
kritḗs: judge
κριτής
This word for a judge comes from the same family, bringing the language of response near the language of weighing a case.
THE PATTERN
When accusation or pressure demands a reply, silence can remain an active part of the encounter.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:THE THREAD
And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.John names the withheld response with ἀπόκρισις (apókrisis); Matthew uses the related verb ἀποκρίνομαι (apokrínomai) for Jesus’ silence before Pilate. The shared word family makes the silence a recurring feature of the exchange, not a quirk of English wording.
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