John 19:11

Authority and leadership God's power and sovereignty God's will and calling

⁹ and he went back into the Praetorium. “Where are You from?” he asked. But Jesus gave no answer.

¹⁰ So Pilate said to Him, “Do You refuse to speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You and authority to crucify You?”

Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed Me over to you is guilty of greater sin.”

¹² From then on, Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is defying Caesar.”

¹³ When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat on the judgment seat at a place called the Stone Pavement, which in Hebrew is Gabbatha.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed Me over to you is guilty of greater sin.”
KJV: Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
WEB: Jesus answered, “You would have no power at all against me, unless it were given to you from above. Therefore he who delivered me to you has greater sin.”
ASV: Jesus answered him, Thou wouldest have no power against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath greater sin.
DARBY: Jesus answered, Thou hadst no authority whatever against me if it were not given to thee from above. On this account he that has delivered me up to thee has [the] greater sin.
BLB: Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above. Because of this, the one having delivered Me up to you has greater sin.”

ÅB: Jesus svarte: Du hadde ingen makt over meg hvis det ikke var gitt deg ovenfra; derfor har han som overgav meg til deg større synd.
OTB: Jesus svarte: «Du ville ikke ha noen myndighet over Meg hvis det ikke var gitt deg ovenfra. Derfor har den som overga Meg til deg større synd.»
B1930: Jesus svarte: Du hadde ingen makt over mig hvis det ikke var gitt dig ovenfra; derfor har han som overgav mig til dig, større synd.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Romans 13:1
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God.
Read in context
John 3:27
John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.
Read in context
Acts 2:23
He was delivered up by God’s set plan and foreknowledge, and you, by the hands of the lawless, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross.
Read in context
Daniel 4:17
This decision is the decree of the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes, setting over it the lowliest of men.’
Read in context
John 7:30
So they tried to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.
Read in context
Acts 3:13
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus. You handed Him over and rejected Him before Pilate, even though he had decided to release Him.
Read in context
Daniel 4:25
You will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field. You will feed on grass like an ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes.
Read in context
James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.
Read in context