Matthew 27:37
New International Version
Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.

New Living Translation
A sign was fastened above Jesus’ head, announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

English Standard Version
And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

Berean Standard Bible
Above His head they posted the written charge against Him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Berean Literal Bible
And they put up over His head the written accusation against Him: this is Jesus, the King of the Jews.

King James Bible
And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

New King James Version
And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

New American Standard Bible
And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

NASB 1995
And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

NASB 1977
And they put up above His head the charge against Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

Amplified Bible
And above His head they put the accusation against Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

Christian Standard Bible
Above his head they put up the charge against him in writing: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Above His head they put up the charge against Him in writing: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

American Standard Version
And they set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And they placed over his head the cause of his death in writing: “This is Yeshua the King of the Judeans.”

Contemporary English Version
Above his head they put a sign that told why he was nailed there. It read, "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they put over his head his cause written: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

English Revised Version
And they set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They placed a written accusation above his head. It read, "This is Jesus, the king of the Jews."

Good News Translation
Above his head they put the written notice of the accusation against him: "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews."

International Standard Version
Above his head they placed the charge against him. It read, "This is Jesus, the king of the Jews."

Literal Standard Version
and they put up over His head, His accusation written: “THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

Majority Standard Bible
Above His head they posted the written charge against Him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

New American Bible
And they placed over his head the written charge against him: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.

NET Bible
Above his head they put the charge against him, which read: "This is Jesus, the king of the Jews."

New Revised Standard Version
Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

New Heart English Bible
They set up over his head the accusation against him written, "THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS."

Webster's Bible Translation
And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Weymouth New Testament
Over His head they placed a written statement of the charge against Him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

World English Bible
They set up over his head the accusation against him written, “THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

Young's Literal Translation
and they put up over his head, his accusation written, 'This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Crucifixion
36And sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. 37Above His head they posted the written charge against Him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38Two robbers were crucified with Him, one on His right hand and the other on His left.…

Cross References
Matthew 27:38
Two robbers were crucified with Him, one on His right hand and the other on His left.

Matthew 27:42
"He saved others, but He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him.

Mark 15:26
And the charge inscribed against Him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Luke 23:38
Above Him was posted an inscription: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

John 19:19
Pilate also had a notice posted on the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.


Treasury of Scripture

And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

his accusation.

Mark 15:26
And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Luke 23:38
And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

John 19:19-22
And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS…

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Accusation Charge Crime Head JESUS JEWS Placed Read Statement Writing Written
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Accusation Charge Crime Head JESUS JEWS Placed Read Statement Writing Written
Matthew 27
1. Jesus is delivered bound to Pilate.
3. Judas hangs himself.
19. Pilate, admonished of his wife,
20. and being urged by the multitude, washes his hands, and releases Barabbas.
27. Jesus is mocked and crowned with thorns;
33. crucified;
39. reviled;
50. dies, and is buried;
62. his tomb is sealed and watched.














(37) THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.--This was what was technically known as the titulus--the bill, or placard, showing who the condemned person was, and why he was punished. Each Gospel gives it in a slightly different form--Mark (Mark 15:26), "The King of the Jews;" Luke (Luke 23:38), "This is the King of the Jews;" John (John 19:19), "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." The variations are, perhaps, in part, explicable on the assumption of corresponding differences in the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin forms of the inscription, which reproduced themselves in the reports upon which the Gospel narratives were based. But in part also they may reasonably be ascribed to the natural variations sure to arise even among eye-witnesses, and a fortiori among those who were not eye witnesses, as to the circumstantial details of events which they record in common. On grounds of ordinary likelihood St. John's record, as that of the only disciple whom we know to have been present at the crucifixion (John 19:25), may claim to be the most accurate.

There was, apparently, a kind of rough tenderness towards the Man whom he had condemned in the form which Pilate had ordered. He would at least recognise His claims to be in some sense a King. The priests obviously felt it to imply such a recognition, a declaration, as it were, to them and to the people that One who had a right to be their King, who was the only kind of King they were ever likely to have, had died the death of a malefactor, and therefore they clamoured for a change, which Pilate refused to make (John 19:20). . . .

Verse 37. - Set up over his head his accusation written. This was the titulus. A wooden tablet smeared with gypsum, had on it, written in black letters, the charge on which the prisoner was condemned. This, which had been hung round the criminal's neck or carried before him on the way to execution, was now affixed to the upper portion of the cross over his head. THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. The title had been prepared by Pilate (John 19:19, 22), and was conceived in terms studiously offensive to the Jews, with whom he was deeply indignant. It was written in three languages, so that all of whatever nationality might read it - in Hebrew and in Latin and in Greek (for the order, see Westcott on John 19:20); i.e. the national Aramaic, familiar to all Jews; the official Latin,understood by the soldiers and Romans; the current Greek, the dialect of Hellenistic Jews, and largely used by all classes. "These three languages gathered up the results of the religious, the social, the intellectual preparation for Christ, and in each witness was given to his office" (Westcott). The title is given by the four evangelists with some verbal variations, which are owing in part to the actual differences existing in the three versions of the inscription. They run thus: "'This is Jesus the King of the Jews" (Matthew); "The King of the Jews" (Mark); "This is the King of the Jews" (Luke); "Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews" (John). Of these titles, those given by Mark and Luke probably represent the Latin; that of Matthew, the Greek; while that of John was intended for the national population, who alone would understand the veiled sneer contained in the addition, "of Nazareth." The legend of the finding of the cross and its inscription is given by Butler, 'Lives of the Saints,' on 'The Invention of the Holy Cross.' A supposed fragment of the title is preserved at Rome, in the Church of the Holy Cross, and declared by a papal bull to be authentic. In this case infallibility has rather overstepped its limits.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Above
ἐπάνω (epanō)
Preposition
Strong's 1883: From epi and ano; up above, i.e. Over or on.

His
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

head
κεφαλῆς (kephalēs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 2776: From the primary kapto; the head, literally or figuratively.

they posted
ἐπέθηκαν (epethēkan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2007: To put, place upon, lay on; I add, give in addition. From epi and tithemi; to impose.

the
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

written
γεγραμμένην (gegrammenēn)
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1125: A primary verb; to 'grave', especially to write; figuratively, to describe.

charge
αἰτίαν (aitian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 156: From the same as aiteo; a cause, i.e. reason, crime.

against Him:
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

This
ΟΥΤΟΣ (HOUTOS)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

is
ΕΣΤΙΝ (ESTIN)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

Jesus,
ΙΗΣΟΥΣ (IĒSOUS)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424: Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.

the
Ο (HO)
Article - Nominative 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.

King
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ (BASILEUS)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 935: A king, ruler, but in some passages clearly to be translated: emperor. Probably from basis; a sovereign.

of the
ΤΩΝ (TŌN)
Article - Genitive 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.
ΙΟΥΔΑΙΩΝ (IOUDAIŌN)
Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 2453: Jewish. From Iouda; Judaean, i.e. Belonging to Jehudah.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 27:37 They set up over his head (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 27:36
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