John 18:33-37
The kingdom of Christ
18:33Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
18:34Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?”
18:35Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?”
18:36Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom belonged to this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”
18:37Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
[33]Εἰσῆλθεν οὖν εἰς τὸ πραιτώριον πάλιν ὁ Πιλᾶτος καὶ ἐφώνησε τὸν ᾿Ιησοῦν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· σὺ εἶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων;
[34]ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς· ἀφ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ σὺ τοῦτο λέγεις ἢ ἄλλοι σοι εἶπον περὶ ἐμοῦ;
[35]ἀπεκρίθη ὁ Πιλᾶτος· μήτι ἐγὼ ᾿Ιουδαῖός εἰμι; τὸ ἔθνος τὸ σὸν καὶ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς παρέδωκάν σε ἐμοί· τί ἐποίησας;
[36]ἀπεκρίθη ᾿Ιησοῦς· ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου· εἰ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἦν ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμή, οἱ ὑπηρέται ἂν οἱ ἐμοὶ ἠγωνίζοντο, ἵνα μὴ παραδοθῶ τοῖς ᾿Ιουδαίοις· νῦν δὲ ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐντεῦθεν.
[37]εἶπεν οὖν αὐτῷ ὁ Πιλᾶτος· οὐκοῦν βασιλεὺς εἶ σύ; ἀπεκρίθη ᾿Ιησοῦς· σὺ λέγεις ὅτι βασιλεύς εἰμι ἐγώ. ἐγὼ εἰς τοῦτο γεγέννημαι καὶ εἰς τοῦτο ἐλήλυθα εἰς τὸν κόσμον, ἵνα μαρτυρήσω τῇ ἀληθείᾳ. πᾶς ὁ ὢν ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας ἀκούει μου τῆς φωνῆς.
Comments
Certain key personal pronouns and possessive pronomial adjectives lay emphasis on ‘ownership’ and identity in vv. 34-37. The most striking emphasis occurs in ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμὴ (v. 36), ‘MY kingdom’, i.e. as opposed to that of the world.
[33] ἐφώνησε τὸν ᾿Ιησοῦν: φωνέω c. acc. pers., ‘call someone by name’ (cl. Gk poetry: LSJ s.v. II.1); invite in’ (LXX: Muraoka s.v.2). Pilate loudly called Jesus by name. Cf. φωνή =’sound’.
[34] σὺ τοῦτο λέγεις;: the inclusion of σὺ (2nd pers. sg. ‘you’), which is not necessary in Greek, lends emphasis: ‘Is it YOU who says this?’ Cf. on v. 37.
[35] τὸ ἔθνος τὸ σὸν: the possessive pronomial adj. σὸν lends emphasis: ‘YOUR nation’.
[36] ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμὴ: ἐμὴ is another possessive pronomial adj. Jesus could have used the unemphatic possessive μου. The effect is ‘MY kingdom’.
[37] βασιλεὺς εἶ σύ: σύ (‘you’) is not needed as the question βασιλεὺς εἶ; would have also been possible. The inclusion of ‘you’ lends emphasis: ‘Then are YOU king? Is it YOU who is king?’
σὺ λέγεις ὅτι βασιλεύς εἰμι ἐγώ: σὺ in σὺ λέγεις is forceful: ‘YOU say that…’ So also ἐγώ in βασιλεύς εἰμι ἐγώ (‘that I am king’). Likewise the pronoun ἐγὼ (‘I’) in ἐγὼ εἰς τοῦτο γεγέννημαι is emphatic.
Insights into Biblical Greek Grammar and Syntax 