OET interlinear YHN (JHN) 19:31

19:31a–e

19:31 is long and complex, and includes a great deal of implicit information about Jewish customs. For a suggestion of a way to rearrange this verse, see the General Comment following 19:31e.

In some languages it may be natural to translate this as two or more sentences. For example:

It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was the Passover). So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down. (NLT)

Since it was Friday and the next day was an especially important day of worship, the Jews didn’t want the bodies to stay on the crosses. So they asked Pilate to have the men’s legs broken and their bodies removed. (GW)

It was the day that the Jews prepared for the Sabbath, their day of worship. And the next day was a very important Sabbath. So the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies to stay on the crosses after the Sabbath began at sunset. So they asked Pilate to order the soldiers to break the men’s legs and remove their bodies.

19:31a

The Greek begins this verse with a connector that means “because.” It indicates that this clause is the cause of the following clause. The Jews did not want Jesus’ body left on the cross because it was the day before the Sabbath. For example:

because it was the day of preparation (NET)

the day of Preparation: This phrase refers to Friday. This was the day that the Jews prepared for the Sabbath, their day of rest. Because the Jewish day began at sunset, the Sabbath would begin at sunset on Friday. See how you translated this phrase in 19:14. For example:

Friday (GW)

Friday, the day of preparation for the Sabbath

the day when the Jewish people prepared for their holy/rest day

19:31b

and the next day was a High Sabbath: The next day was one of the most important Sabbaths of the year because it was during Passover week. All Sabbaths were considered holy, set apart to show honor, but this one particularly deserved honor. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

and the next day was an especially important day of worship (GW)

and the next day was to be a special Sabbath (NIV)

the coming Sabbath was especially holy (GNT)

and: The Greek word that the BSB translates as and is more literally “because.” It introduces an additional, greater reason why the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses. Not only was the next day a Sabbath, but it was also a special Sabbath.

a High Sabbath: The Greek word that the BSB translates as High means “great” or “important.” It was important because it came during Passover week. Use a word or phrase that indicates a religious holiday is particularly important. For example:

that sabbath was a day of great solemnity (NRSV)

for that Sabbath was an especially important one (NET)

a special Sabbath (NIV)

a very special Sabbath, because it was Passover week (NLT)

the coming Sabbath was especially holy (GNT)

19:31c

In order that the bodies would not remain on the cross during the Sabbath: The Jewish leaders wanted the crucified men to die on Friday so that they could take them off the crosses before the Sabbath began. In Jewish thinking, the Sabbath day begin at sunset on Friday evening.

Here are some other ways to translate 19:31b:

the Jews did not want the bodies to stay on the cross on the Sabbath day, (NCV)

the Jews wanted to avoid the bodies being left on the crosses over the Sabbath (JBP)

the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (NLT)

the bodies would not remain on the cross: The Greek verb that the BSB translates literally as remain indicates that the Jews did not want the bodies to remain hanging on the crosses during the Sabbath. For example:

the bodies to stay on the cross (NCV)

on the cross: There were three crosses, with one man on each cross. In some languages it may be natural to make that clear. For example:

on the crosses (GNT)

the Sabbath: The Jewish Sabbath was Saturday. It was their day of rest and worship. It began at sunset the evening before, Friday evening, and lasted until sunset on Saturday. See how you translated the word Sabbath in John 5:9–10.

19:31d

the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken: People who were crucified needed to push up on the nails that held their legs to be able to breathe. If soldiers broke their legs, they could not push up on the nails to breathe, so then they died quickly. The Jewish leaders wanted Pilate to order the soldiers to break the crucified men’s legs. That way the bodies could be taken down before sunset, when the Sabbath day began. In some languages it may be natural to make explicit that they broke their legs in order to hasten (hurry) their death. For example:

So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. (NLT)

the Jews asked Pilate: The Romans usually left people on the cross until they died. Sometimes that took two or three days. So the Jews asked Pilate to tell the soldiers to break the crucified men’s legs. If they did that, the men would die quickly.

the Jews: This phrase here refers to the leaders of the Jews. For example:

the Jewish authorities (GNT)

the Jewish leaders (NET)

to have the legs broken: The Jewish leaders wanted Pilate to command the soldiers to break the legs of the dying men. Roman soldiers broke legs by hitting the lower part of the legs with a heavy iron mallet (large hammer or club). So use the term in your language that would include breaking something by hitting it. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

to allow them to break the legs of the men who had been crucified (GNT)

to order that the legs of the men be broken (NCV)

to have the legs broken: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as to have the legs broken is “that their legs might be broken,” which is passive. It does not indicate who would break the men’s legs, but it implies that it was the soldiers. The English word have indicates that the Jewish leaders asked Pilate to order his soldiers to do this. There are at least two ways to translate this verb:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

  that their legs might be broken (ESV)

  ordering that their legs be broken (NLT)

• Use an active verb. For example:

  to break the men’s legs (CEV)

  to order the soldiers to break the men’s legs

the legs: Use a term that includes the knees and lower part of the legs.

19:31e

and the bodies removed: This phrase indicates the second thing that the Jewish leaders asked Pilate. They asked Pilate to order the bodies removed from the crosses. Where the soldiers would remove the men’s bodies from is implied. In some languages you may need to make that information explicit. For example:

and remove their bodies from the crosses

and take their bodies down from there

The Greek verb that the BSB translates as removed here is passive. It is not stated who would remove the bodies. Perhaps they expected the soldiers to do it, but perhaps not, so it is good to leave this ambiguous. There are at least two ways to translate this verb:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

  and the bodies taken away (NJB)

• Use an active verb. For example:

  and take their bodies down (CEV)

the bodies: In many languages there is a special word for the body of a dead person. You may want to use a term like that here. For example:

the corpses