Luke 23:3 Meaning and Explanation
“And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Pilate asks Jesus directly whether he is the King of the Jews, and Jesus answers, “Thou sayest it.”
What Does Luke 23:3 Mean?
Roman procedure cuts to the one charge Rome cares about: kingship. Pilate's question is almost incredulous — the bound prisoner before him looks nothing like a threat to Caesar. Jesus answers with a measured affirmation that neither denies the title nor accepts Pilate's meaning of it.
He is a King, but not the kind Pilate fears; his kingdom, as he told the governor, “is not of this world” (John 18:36). Jesus will not save himself with a convenient no, and he will not spark a revolt with a defiant yes. He simply lets the truth stand, and lets every hearer — Pilate first, then us — decide what to do with a King like this.
Luke 23:3 in the Original Language
su legeis (σὺ λέγεις), 'thou sayest' -- a spare affirmation: the truth stands in the questioner's own words.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 23:3
What does Luke 23:3 mean?
Pilate asks Jesus directly whether he is the King of the Jews, and Jesus answers, “Thou sayest it.”