John chapter 18, verse 38 of the Gospel of John, is often referred to as "jesting Pilate" or "Truth? What is truth?", of Latin Quid est veritas?. In it, Pontius Pilate questions Jesus' claim that he is "witness to the truth" (John 18:37).[1][2]
Following this statement, Pilate proclaims to the masses (lit., "the Jews" referring to the Jewish authorities[3]) that he does not consider Jesus guilty of any crime.
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| SBLGNT 2010[4] | Nova Vulgata 1979[5] | KJV 1611[6] | NIV 2011[7] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37 εἶπεν οὖν αὐτῷ ὁ Πιλᾶτος· Οὐκοῦν βασιλεὺς εἶ σύ; ἀπεκρίθη ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Σὺ λέγεις ὅτι βασιλεύς εἰμι. ἐγὼ εἰς τοῦτο γεγέννημαι καὶ εἰς τοῦτο ἐλήλυθα εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἵνα μαρτυρήσω τῇ ἀληθείᾳ· πᾶς ὁ ὢν ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας ἀκούει μου τῆς φωνῆς. | 37 Dixit itaque ei Pilatus: “ Ergo rex es tu? ”. Respondit Iesus: “ Tu dicis quia rex sum. Ego in hoc natus sum et ad hoc veni in mundum, ut testimonium perhibeam veritati; omnis, qui est ex veritate, audit meam vocem ”. | 37 Pilate therefore ſaide unto him, Art thou a King then? Ieſus answered, Thou ſaieſt that I am a King. To this end was I borne, and for this cauſe came I into the world, that I ſhould beare witneſſe unto the trueth: euery one that is of the trueth heareth my uoice. | 37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” |
| 38 λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Πιλᾶτος· Τί ἐστιν ἀλήθεια; Καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν πάλιν ἐξῆλθεν πρὸς τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Ἐγὼ οὐδεμίαν εὑρίσκω ἐν αὐτῷ αἰτίαν· | 38 Dicit ei Pilatus: “ Quid est veritas? ”. Et cum hoc dixisset, iterum exivit ad Iudaeos et dicit eis: “ Ego nullam invenio in eo causam. ” | 38 Pilate ſaith unto him, What is trueth? And when hee had ſaid this, he went out againe unto the Iewes, and ſaith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. | 38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.” |
The exact intention of Pilate has been subject to debate among scholars, with no firm conclusion.[1] His statement may have been made in jest that the trial was a mockery, or he may have actually intended to reflect on the philosophical position that truth is hard to understand. However, regardless of his exact intention in uttering the statement, his action was to ignore the assertion of Jesus that he was the "witness to truth".[1]
This verse reflects the Christian tradition of the "guiltlessness of Jesus" in Pilate's Court.[8] The innocence of Jesus is important in the Gospel of John, given that it emphasizes Jesus as the Lamb of God.
Note that Jesus, although he does not respond to Pilate's question (perhaps because Pilate "went out again" before giving him a chance to) believes he knows the answer. During his prayer in Gethsemane, Jesus tells God, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." (John 17:17)
In addition to the guiltlessness of Jesus this verse also reflects the rejection of the truth of God: Jesus, the witness to truth was rejected, ignored and condemned.[8]
This verse has been widely quoted and alluded to in culture and literature, particularly in that of philosophical nature. While Pilate's question -- whether intended philosophically, jestfully, or of frustration from not being given a plain answer -- is by no means the first incident of someone questioning the nature of truth, it has been drawn upon many times as a significant occurrence thereof.
Francis Bacon uses this musing to open his essay "Of Truth", saying that Pilate "would not stay for an answer". He uses this to introduce his theme of truth as an affirmation of faith.
In The Antichrist (§ 46), Friedrich Nietzsche calls upon Pilate's quip. He uses it, however, as evidence of Pilate's character, saying that he is "a solitary figure worthy of honor" and that the question "What is truth" is "the only saying that has any value" in the New Testament.