Matius 2:2

2:2 saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose ¹  and have come to worship him.”

Matius 27:11

Jesus and Pilate

27:11 Then ²  Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, ³  “Are you the king ⁴  of the Jews?” Jesus ⁵  said, “You say so.” ⁶ 

Matius 27:29

27:29 and after braiding ⁷  a crown of thorns, ⁸  they put it on his head. They ⁹  put a staff ¹⁰  in his right hand, and kneeling down before him, they mocked him: ¹¹  “Hail, king of the Jews!” ¹² 

Matius 27:37

27:37 Above ¹³  his head they put the charge against him, ¹⁴  which read: ¹⁵  “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.”

[2:2]  ¹ tn Or “in its rising,” referring to the astrological significance of a star in a particular portion of the sky. The term used for the “East” in v. 1 is ἀνατολαί (anatolai, a plural form that is used typically of the rising of the sun), while in vv. 2 and 9 the singular ἀνατολή (anatolh) is used. The singular is typically used of the rising of a star and as such should not normally be translated “in the east” (cf. BDAG 74 s.v. 1: “because of the sg. and the article in contrast to ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν, vs. 1, [it is] prob. not a geograph. expr. like the latter, but rather astronomical…likew. vs. 9”).

[27:11]  ² tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[27:11]  ³ tn Grk “asked him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[27:11]  ⁴ sn “Are you the king of the Jews?” Pilate was interested in this charge because of its political implications of sedition against Rome.

[27:11]  ⁵ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[27:11]  ⁶ sn The reply “You say so” is somewhat enigmatic, like Jesus’ earlier reply to the Jewish leadership in 26:64.

[27:29]  ⁷ tn Or “weaving.”

[27:29]  ⁸ sn The crown may have been made from palm spines or some other thorny plant common in Israel. In placing the crown of thorns on his head, the soldiers were unwittingly symbolizing God’s curse on humanity (cf. Gen 3:18) being placed on Jesus. Their purpose would have been to mock Jesus’ claim to be a king; the crown of thorns would have represented the “radiant corona” portrayed on the heads of rulers on coins and other artifacts in the 1st century.

[27:29]  ⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[27:29]  ¹⁰ tn Or “a reed.” The Greek term can mean either “staff” or “reed.” See BDAG 502 s.v. κάλαμος 2.

[27:29]  ¹¹ tn Grk “they mocked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated.

[27:29]  ¹² tn Or “Long live the King of the Jews!”

[27:29]  sn The statement Hail, King of the Jews! is a mockery patterned after the Romans’ cry of Ave, Caesar (“Hail, Caesar!”).

[27:37]  ¹³ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[27:37]  ¹⁴ sn Mention of the inscription is an important detail, because the inscription would normally give the reason for the execution. It shows that Jesus was executed for claiming to be a king. It was also probably written with irony from the executioners’ point of view.

[27:37]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “was written.”