John 19:20 - Clarke's commentary and critical notes on the Bible

Bible Comments

This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. Hebrew,... Greek,... Latin - See on Luke 23:38 (note).

On Matthew 27:37 (note), I have given this title in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, as mentioned by this evangelist. The reader, however, will not be displeased to find the same title repeated here in a character which was written in the fourth century, and is probably nearly resembling that used in the earliest ages of Christianity. The Greek and Latin character, which is inserted here, is an exact fac-simile of that in the Codex Bezae, cut and cast at the expense of the University of Cambridge, for Dr. Kipling's edition of that most venerable MS. which contains the Greek text of the four evangelists and Acts; and the Latin text of the same, as it existed before the time of St. Jerome. Having examined the MS. myself, I can say that these types are a very faithful representation of the original.

In Hebrew, Ἑβραιστι.

יסוע נצריא מלכא דיהודיא

In Greek, ἙλληνιϚι.

ΙΗΣΟΥΣ Ο ΝΑΖΩΡΕΟΣ Ο ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ ΤΩΝ ΙΟΥΔΑΙΩΝ

In Latin, ῬωμαΐϚι.

IEHSUS NAZARENUS REX IUDAEORUM

John 19:20

20 This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.