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John 19 General Notes
Structure and formatting
Some translations prefer to set apart quotations of the Old Testament. The ULB and many other English translations indent the lines of 19:24, which is a quotation from the Old Testament.
Special concepts in this chapter
"Purple garment"
The color purple was a sign of royalty in the ancient Near East. Jesus was mockingly dressed to look like a king.
"You are not Caesar's friend"
Pilate did not want to sentence Jesus to death, but the Jews forced him. They did this to make it seem as if allowing Jesus to live would betray the Roman government.
Important figures of speech in this chapter
Sarcasm
The following phrases are intended to be taken sarcastically: "Hail, King of the Jews," "Should I crucify your king?" and "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." Sarcasm is the use of irony to insult someone. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-irony)
Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter
Gabbatha, Golgotha
This is a phrase in Hebrew. John does not "translate" this phrase into Greek but chooses to "transliterate" or transfer it into Greek by substituting Greek letters for Hebrew letters. The translators of the ULB and UDB have not translated this phrase either. The translator should try to form the sounds of this phrase without translating its meaning.