19:1 scourged him. The Roman scourge, customarily used on criminals prior to crucifixion, was a whip with several thongs, each with several pieces of bone or metal attached, and its use inflicted extremely painful stripes. Pilate at first hoped to satisfy the accusers with the scourging of Jesus (Luke 23:22), but they insisted on His execution. In so doing, however, they were merely fulfilling prophecy: “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

19:3 King of the Jews. Jesus had never claimed such a title, and Pilate had tried without success to get Him to acknowledge it (John 18:33). Perhaps, however, Pilate gave him this title in a sarcastic put-down of the hated Jewish leaders in front of the multitude (John 18:39), and then the soldiers also mocked Jesus with it. The title would finally be nailed to the cross (John 19:19).

19:4 forth to you. Scourging was sometimes used to extract a confession from a criminal, but Jesus still did not acknowledge that He had assumed the role of King of the Jews, so Pilate again judged Him guiltless and tried to persuade the crowd that he should release Him. But they chose the murderer and seditionist Barabbas instead.

19:5 Behold the man. Pilate, evidently trying to show the crowd that Jesus was a pitiable shell rather than a king (thus demonstrating the absurdity of their charge), urged them to behold Him in this forlorn state and ridiculous caricature of kingly apparel, thinking thereby to displace their hatred with pity. But when he said, sarcastically, no doubt, “Behold the man,” he was unwittingly using prophetic language. Through the prophet Isaiah, God had said concerning the coming Messiah, “Behold your God!” and “Behold my Servant” (Isaiah 40:9; 42:1). Through the prophet Zechariah, God said concerning Him, “Behold the Man” and “Behold, thy King” (Zechariah 6:12; 9:9). Note how these four scenes we are urged to behold correspond to the respective pictures of Christ in the four gospels—“King” in Matthew, “Servant” in Mark, “Man” in Luke, “God” in John. Pilate sarcastically used two of these titles: “Behold the Man” in John 19:5, and “Behold your King” in John 19:14.

19:6 no fault. For the third time, Pilate insisted there was no fault in Jesus (also John 18:38; 19:4), but the Jews were determined to see Him crucified.