37. τὴν αἰτίαν κ.τ.λ. It was the Roman custom to place on the cross over the criminal’s head, a titulus, or placard, stating the crime for which he suffered. St John records Pilate’s refusal to alter the inscription, and mentions that the title was written in Hebrew and Greek and Latin.
ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων. See note ch. Mat 2:2.
The inscription is given with slight variations by the four Evangelists. ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων (Mar 15:26). ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων οὗτος (Luk 23:38). Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ιουδαίων (Joh 19:19). This variation points to the independence of the different Gospels, and also indicates that a real though not a verbal accuracy should be looked for in the records of the Evangelists.