They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
When Pilate sarcastically asks if he should crucify "your King," the chief priests' desperate reply, "We have no king but Caesar," is more than just a political statement. It's a radical, self-imposed exile from their own identity and God's covenant, formally trading their Messiah for worldly security and power. This moment marks their profound spiritual abdication, as they explicitly reject the very kingship they, as religious leaders, should have championed.
They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Pilate, attempting to appease the crowd and perhaps seeking Jesus' release, presents him as the "King of the Jews" to the furious mob. In a stunning and treasonous rejection of their own heritage and messianic hopes, the chief priests, driven by their hatred for Jesus and fear of Roman reprisal, declare their allegiance not to God or their prophesied king, but to Caesar, thereby compelling Pilate to condemn Jesus to crucifixion.
This isn't just a shouting match; it's a visceral rejection. What's behind such a desperate plea to get rid of Jesus?
The phrase 'Away with him!' (or 'Take him away!') captures a fierce desire for Jesus to be removed, to be gone. It's not simply about execution, but about erasing him from their presence and their concerns. This cry reveals the depth of their rejection – they want him out of their sight, out of their minds, and ultimately, out of their history. It shows a powerful, emotional opposition that overrides any logical consideration or even the fear of God.
The chief priests, representing the religious establishment, are the primary voices here. Their desperation to see Jesus crucified, even over Pilate's questioning, highlights their fear of his influence and their determination to maintain their own power and position.
Pilate, the Roman governor, uses Jesus' title with a sarcastic bite. What does this reveal about the political and religious tension of the moment?
Pilate's question, 'Shall I crucify your King?' is loaded with irony. He's holding up Jesus' claim to kingship, knowing the Jewish leaders are caught between their national hope for a Messiah-King and their allegiance to Rome.
By emphasizing 'your King,' Pilate is essentially mocking them. He's pointing out the absurdity: are they really going to crucify the one they might have hoped was their liberator, their true king? This taunt forces them to confront the implications of their actions and the title they publicly reject.
This also shows Pilate's own struggle. He recognizes Jesus as a king, perhaps even sensing something beyond a political threat, but he's trapped by his own fear of political fallout from Rome.
Ask a follow-up
In a shocking declaration, the chief priests renounce their own heritage. What does this extreme statement truly signify?
The chief priests' response, 'We have no king but Caesar,' is a devastating betrayal. It's an explicit renunciation of their theocracy – the divinely ordained rule of God through their Messiah – and an embrace of pagan imperial power.
This isn't just a political convenience; it's a spiritual abdication. They are trading their Messianic hope, their identity as God's chosen people looking for a divinely appointed king, for the stability and protection offered by the Roman Emperor. Their fear of losing their position and facing Roman reprisal over Jesus' claim to kingship drives them to this ultimate denial.
By declaring Caesar their king, they sever themselves from their unique covenant relationship with God and choose allegiance to a foreign, idolatrous power. It's a moment where their pursuit of earthly security completely eclipses their faith in God's promises.
Understand the original words
stauroo · Greek Verb
The act of execution by fastening a person to a cross, used by the Romans as a severe punishment for rebels and criminals. It is central to the Christian faith as the instrument of Christ's atonement.
archiereus · Greek Noun
The spiritual and religious leaders of Israel, responsible for the temple service and upholding the Mosaic Law. In the Gospels, they frequently opposed Jesus' authority.
The chief priests' desperate cry, 'We have no king but Caesar,' was a profound political and religious betrayal. It signifies their abandonment of the hope for a Davidic king who would deliver them from Roman rule, choosing instead to appease the pagan emperor for the sake of their own power and to suppress Jesus, whom they saw as a threat to the established order.
c. 6 BC - AD 4
Herod the Great's Reign
Herod the Great, a client king of Rome, ruled Judea. His reign was marked by brutality and extensive building projects, but also by simmering discontent among the Jewish population.
AD 6
Direct Roman Rule Begins
Following Herod the Great's death and a period of unrest, Judea was placed under direct Roman administration, with a Roman prefect or procurator as the governor.
AD 26 - AD 36— this verse
Pontius Pilate's Governorship
Pontius Pilate served as the Roman prefect (later procurator) of Judea. His tenure was characterized by insensitivity to Jewish religious customs and a tendency towards harsh measures, leading to frequent clashes with the Jewish leadership and populace.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' Ministry and Trial
During Pilate's governorship, Jesus' ministry culminated in his arrest, trial, and crucifixion in Jerusalem. The Jewish chief priests, fearing Jesus' growing influence and potential to incite a revolt that would provoke Roman intervention, sought his condemnation.
c. AD 70
Destruction of Jerusalem
The First Jewish-Roman War led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple. This event dramatically altered the religious and political landscape of Judaism, ending the authority of the Temple-based priesthood.
This passage highlights a new Pharaoh who 'knew not Joseph,' symbolizing a shift in leadership that leads to oppression, mirroring how the chief priests' allegiance shifted from God's promised king to Caesar, an oppressive foreign ruler.
1 Samuel 8:7Here, Samuel tells Israel that by asking for a king, they are rejecting the Lord who has always been their king, echoing the chief priests' profound rejection of Jesus as king and their embrace of Caesar.
John 18:36Jesus states, 'My kingdom is not of this world,' directly contrasting the spiritual, eternal kingdom He represents with the earthly, political kingdom the chief priests now claim allegiance to with Caesar.
Acts 17:7This passage describes how Jason and his companions were accused of acting contrary to Caesar's decrees by saying there is another king, one Jesus, showing how proclaiming Jesus as king was a direct political threat in that era.
vincentJohn 19:15: "But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar."
They (οἱ)The best texts read ἐκεῖνοι, those (people). The pronoun of remote reference isolates and sharply distinguishes them from Jesus. See on John 13:27.Away with him (ἆρον)Literally, take away.We have no king but CaesarThese words, uttered by the chief priests, are very significant. These chief representa…
henryJohn 19:1-18: "Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him."
19:1-18 Little did Pilate think with what holy regard these sufferings of Christ would, in after-ages, be thought upon and spoken of by the best and greatest of men. Our Lord Jesus came forth, willing to be exposed to their scorn. It is good for every one with faith, to behold Christ Jesus in his sufferings. Behold him, and love him; be still looking unto Jesus. Did their hatred sharpen their endeavours against him? and shall n…
When Pilate sarcastically asks if he should crucify "your King," the chief priests' desperate reply, "We have no king but Caesar," is more than just a political statement. It's a radical, self-imposed exile from their own identity and God's covenant, formally trading their Messiah for worldly security and power. This moment marks their profound spiritual abdication, as they explicitly reject the very kingship they, as religious leaders, should have championed.
Pilate, attempting to appease the crowd and perhaps seeking Jesus' release, presents him as the "King of the Jews" to the furious mob. In a stunning and treasonous rejection of their own heritage and messianic hopes, the chief priests, driven by their hatred for Jesus and fear of Roman reprisal, declare their allegiance not to God or their prophesied king, but to Caesar, thereby compelling Pilate to condemn Jesus to crucifixion.
Pilate, attempting to appease the crowd and perhaps seeking Jesus' release, presents him as the "King of the Jews" to the furious mob. In a stunning and treasonous rejection of their own heritage and messianic hopes, the chief priests, driven by their hatred for Jesus and fear of Roman reprisal, declare their allegiance not to God or their prophesied king, but to Caesar, thereby compelling Pilate to condemn Jesus to crucifixion.
"They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”" — When Pilate sarcastically asks if he should crucify "your King," the chief priests' desperate reply, "We have no king but Caesar," is more than just a political statement. It's a radical, self-impose…
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Last reviewed October 2026