John 19:7 "We have a law," answered the Jews, "and according to that law He must die, because He declared Himself to be the Son of God."

◄ John 19:7 ►

New International Version
The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”

New Living Translation
The Jewish leaders replied, “By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.”

English Standard Version
The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.”

Berean Standard Bible
“We have a law,” answered the Jews, “and according to that law He must die, because He declared Himself to be the Son of God.”

Berean Literal Bible
The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and according to the law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God."

King James Bible
The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

New King James Version
The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.”

New American Standard Bible
The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die, because He made Himself out to be the Son of God!”

NASB 1995
The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.”

NASB 1977
The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.”

Legacy Standard Bible
The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.”

Amplified Bible
The Jews answered him, “We have a law [regarding blasphemy], and according to that law He should die, because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.”

Christian Standard Bible
“We have a law,” the Jews replied to him, “and according to that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
We have a law,” the Jews replied to him, “and according to that law He must die, because He made Himself the Son of God.”

American Standard Version
The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

Contemporary English Version
The crowd replied, "He claimed to be the Son of God! Our law says that he must be put to death."

English Revised Version
The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The Jews answered Pilate, "We have a law, and by that law he must die because he claimed to be the Son of God."

Good News Translation
The crowd answered back, "We have a law that says he ought to die, because he claimed to be the Son of God."

International Standard Version
The Jewish leaders answered Pilate, "We have a law, and according to that Law he must die because he made himself out to be the Son of God."

Majority Standard Bible
“We have a law,” answered the Jews, “and according to our law He must die, because He declared Himself to be the Son of God.”

NET Bible
The Jewish leaders replied, "We have a law, and according to our law he ought to die, because he claimed to be the Son of God!"

New Heart English Bible
The Jewish leaders answered him, "We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God."

Webster's Bible Translation
The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

Weymouth New Testament
"We," replied the Jews, "have a Law, and in accordance with that Law he ought to die, for having claimed to be the Son of God."

World English Bible
The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.”

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
the Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, for He made Himself Son of God.”

Berean Literal Bible
The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and according to the law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God."

Young's Literal Translation
the Jews answered him, 'We have a law, and according to our law he ought to die, for he made himself Son of God.'

Smith's Literal Translation
The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, for he made himself the Son of God.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
The Jews answered him: We have a law; and according to the law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to the law, he ought to die, for he has made himself the Son of God.”

New American Bible
The Jews answered, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.”

New Revised Standard Version
The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has claimed to be the Son of God.”

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
The Jews said to him, We have a law, and according to our law he is guilty of death, because he made himself the Son of God.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
The Judeans were saying to him, “We have a law and according to that in our Written Law he is condemned to death because he made himself the Son of God.”

NT Translations

Anderson New Testament
The Jews answered: We have a law, and according to our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

Godbey New Testament
And the Jews responded, We have a law, and according to law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.

Haweis New Testament
The Jews replied to him, We have a law, and according to our law he ought to die, because he hath made himself the Son of God.

Mace New Testament
the Jews answered him, we have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he pretended to be the son of God.

Weymouth New Testament
"We," replied the Jews, "have a Law, and in accordance with that Law he ought to die, for having claimed to be the Son of God."

Worrell New Testament
The Jews, therefore, answered him, "We have a law, and according to the law He ought to die, because He made Himself God's Son."

Worsley New Testament
The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law He ought to die, because He made himself the Son of God.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Soldiers Mock Jesus
…6As soon as the chief priests and officers saw Him, they shouted, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” “You take Him and crucify Him,” Pilate replied, “for I find no basis for a charge against Him.” 7“We have a law,” answered the Jews, “and according to that law He must die, because He declared Himself to be the Son of God.” 8When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid,…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Leviticus 24:16
Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD must surely be put to death; the whole assembly must surely stone him, whether he is a foreign resident or native; if he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death.

Deuteronomy 21:22-23
If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is executed, and you hang his body on a tree, / you must not leave the body on the tree overnight, but you must be sure to bury him that day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not defile the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.

Matthew 26:63-66
But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to Him, “I charge You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.” / “You have said it yourself,” Jesus answered. “But I say to all of you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” / At this, the high priest tore his clothes and declared, “He has blasphemed! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. ...

Mark 14:61-64
But Jesus remained silent and made no reply. Again the high priest questioned Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” / “I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.” / At this, the high priest tore his clothes and declared, “Why do we need any more witnesses? ...

John 5:18
Because of this, the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him. Not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

John 10:33
“We are not stoning You for any good work,” said the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because You, who are a man, make Yourself out to be God.”

John 8:58-59
“Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!” / At this, they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple area.

Philippians 2:6
Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

Hebrews 1:3
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Isaiah 53:3
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.

Daniel 7:13-14
In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. / And He was given dominion, glory, and kingship, that the people of every nation and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Psalm 82:6
I have said, ‘You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High.’

Psalm 2:7
I will proclaim the decree spoken to Me by the LORD: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.

Matthew 27:43
He trusts in God. Let God deliver Him now if He wants Him. For He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”

Mark 15:39
When the centurion standing there in front of Jesus saw how He had breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

Treasury of Scripture

The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

We have.

Leviticus 24:16
And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.

Deuteronomy 18:20
But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.

because.

John 5:18
Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

John 8:58,59
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am…

John 10:30-33,36-38
I and my Father are one…

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John 19

1. Jesus is scourged, crowned with thorns, and beaten.
4. Pilate is desirous to release him,
15. but being overcome with the outrage of the crowd, he delivers him to be crucified.
23. They cast lots for his garments.
25. He commends his mother to John.
28. He dies.
31. His side is pierced.
38. He is buried by Joseph and Nicodemus.

Berean Study Bible

We have a law
This phrase refers to the Jewish religious laws found in the Torah, particularly those that govern blasphemy. The Jews are invoking Leviticus 24:16, which states that anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord must be put to death. The use of "law" here underscores the deep commitment of the Jewish leaders to their religious traditions and legal system. It highlights the tension between the Jewish authorities and Jesus, who they perceive as a threat to their religious order.

answered the Jews
The term "Jews" in the Gospel of John often refers to the Jewish leaders or authorities, rather than the Jewish people as a whole. This distinction is important for understanding the narrative context. The Jewish leaders are responding to Pilate, the Roman governor, who is hesitant to execute Jesus. Their answer is a legal justification for their demand, emphasizing their authority and the seriousness of the charge against Jesus.

and according to that law
This phrase reinforces the idea that the Jewish leaders are appealing to their religious legal system. It suggests a sense of inevitability or obligation, as if they are bound by their own laws to seek the death penalty for Jesus. This appeal to the law is a strategic move to pressure Pilate into complying with their wishes, as it frames the issue as a matter of legal necessity rather than personal vendetta.

He must die
The phrase "He must die" is a stark and definitive statement of the Jewish leaders' intentions. It reflects their belief that Jesus' actions and claims are not only blasphemous but also deserving of the ultimate punishment. This phrase also foreshadows the crucifixion, highlighting the gravity of the situation and the fulfillment of Jesus' own predictions about His death.

because He declared Himself to be the Son of God
This is the crux of the accusation against Jesus. The claim to be the "Son of God" is seen as blasphemous by the Jewish leaders, as it implies equality with God. In the Jewish context, such a claim was considered a direct challenge to the monotheistic belief in one God. Theologically, this statement is central to Christian belief, as it affirms Jesus' divine identity and mission. The tension between Jesus' self-identification and the Jewish leaders' rejection of it is a key theme in the Gospel of John, highlighting the conflict between divine revelation and human misunderstanding.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(7) We have a law, and by our law he ought to die.--The better reading is,. . . . and by the law He ought to die. (Comp. Leviticus 24:16.) They feel the bitter sarcasm of Pilate's taunt, and appeal to their own law, which, in accordance with the general Roman policy, was in force in all questions which did not directly affect the Government. They change the accusation then from one of treason against Caesar (John 19:12), of which Pilate claimed to be judge, to one of blasphemy against God, of which they only could be judges; and assert that Jesus is by that law guilty of a capital offence, for which He ought to die. (Comp. Matthew 26:63-66, and Luke 22:70.)

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 7. - The Jews answered him, ready with an expedient which hitherto they had not ventured to try upon the Roman official. It might have met with the kind of reception which Gallio gave to the accusers of Sosthenes in the Corinthian court. He might have driven them at point of spear or whip from the judgment-seat. "The Jews' here mentioned, rather than "the chief priests and officers" of the previous verse, for the multitude - by some other spokesmen than they - exclaim, We have a law, and according to that (the) law he ought to die; whatever you may have made of the charge of political treason. In full session of our Sanhedrin, he made himself, represented himself, as something more than Caesar, nay, more than man, as Son of God. "King of Jews" was a usurpation of the Messianic dignity; but he had claimed, in their very hearing, to be more than a national leader. He raised himself to the position of being "Jehovah's King upon his holy hill," to whom Jehovah had sworn, "Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee;" "Son of God" as well as "King of Israel." Pilate would not and could not understand this strange "testimony to the truth;" and the people were now in a more angry and excited state than ever, and appealed to the law of their own code (Leviticus 24:16), which denounced death upon the blasphemer. This charge was just unless the claim was true. If Christ had not been to his own inmost consciousness what he said he was, the Sanhedrin was in the right; and, according to law, he was guilty of death. It is here vastly interesting to see another indication of relation between the synoptic narrative and the Fourth Gospel. Though John passed ever the scenes before the Sanhedrin, and the circumstance that Christ had been actually there doomed because he had made there no secret of his Divine claims, and declared himself to be a king in a higher sense than Pilate dreamed; yet John has given clear proof that he was well aware of the confession, and records the still more striking tact that this special claim of supreme prerogative actually came to the ears and before the judgment-seat of Rome.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Greek

“We
Ἡμεῖς (Hēmeis)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

have
ἔχομεν (echomen)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

a law,”
νόμον (nomon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3551: From a primary nemo; law, genitive case, specially, (including the volume); also of the Gospel), or figuratively.

answered
Ἀπεκρίθησαν (Apekrithēsan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 611: From apo and krino; to conclude for oneself, i.e. to respond; by Hebraism to begin to speak.

the
οἱ (hoi)
Article - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Jews,
Ἰουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2453: Jewish. From Iouda; Judaean, i.e. Belonging to Jehudah.

“and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

according to
κατὰ (kata)
Preposition
Strong's 2596: A primary particle; down, in varied relations (genitive, dative or accusative) with which it is joined).

[that]
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

law
νόμον (nomon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3551: From a primary nemo; law, genitive case, specially, (including the volume); also of the Gospel), or figuratively.

He must
ὀφείλει (opheilei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3784: Or, its prolonged form opheileo probably from the base of ophelos; to owe; figuratively, to be under obligation; morally, to fail in duty.

die,
ἀποθανεῖν (apothanein)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 599: To be dying, be about to die, wither, decay. From apo and thnesko; to die off.

because
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

He declared
ἐποίησεν (epoiēsen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4160: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.

Himself {to be}
ἑαυτὸν (heauton)
Reflexive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1438: Himself, herself, itself.

[the] Son
Υἱὸν (Huion)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5207: A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.

of God.”
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

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NT Gospels: John 19:7 The Jews answered him We have (Jhn Jo Jn)