Jesus is threaten by Pilate with his power of crucifixion.
John 19:11 ...Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
John 19:11 You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
You don't possess authority over me, none, except is exists having been given to you from above. Because of this, the one giving me over to you has a worse mistake.
The term translated as "power" isn't the "power" of skill or energy but of authority, control, and the ability to choose. Here, it refers specifically to Pilate's authority to crucify.The Greek word translated as "at all" in the KJV and ignored in the NIV means "none." It refers specifically to the word "power/authority." Jesus uses it to reiterate his idea.
"From above" is an adverb that means "from above" and it is translated here correctly, unlike its other appearances in Jesus's words where it is mistranslated as "again" in the phrase "born again," which actually means "born for above." Notice that this makes no reference to God. Since Pilate actually worshiped Caesar, he would have heard this as referring to Caesar, which is one of the reasons Pilate decides that Jesus isn't guilty of anything.
It is easy to misconstrue who Jesus is referring to when he says, "the one handing me over to you." This does not refer not Judas. It refers to Caiaphas, the high priest. The word translated as "sin" is a form of a word that means "to fail in one's purpose", "to neglect," and "to be deprived of." It has no sense of doing malicious evil in Greek. The best English translation is "mistakes" or "failures" rather than what we commonly think of as the evils of "sin." See this article for more information and context. Here the sense is "a worse error."
We are all part of many hierarchies and all receive our authority from above, but there is One above all hierarchies.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "could" doesn't exist in the source.
- WP -- Wrongly Placed -- The word "no" doesn't appear here but before the verb "have."
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "at all" should be something more like "none."
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "were" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "therefore" is not the common word usually translated as "therefore."
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "he" is not the common pronoun usually translated as "he."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "that" doesn't exist in the source.
- WF -- Wrong Form - The "delivered" is not an active verb but a participle, "delivering."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "the" doesn't exist in the source.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "sin" does not capture the word's general meaning.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "would " doesn't exist in the source.
- WP -- Wrongly Placed -- The word "no" doesn't appear here but before the verb "have."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "none" is not shown in the English translation
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "were" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "therefore" is not the common word usually translated as "therefore."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "who " doesn't exist in the source.
- WF -- Wrong Form - The "delivered" is not an active verb but a participle, "delivering."
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "is guilty of" should be something more like "has."
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "sin" does not capture the word's general meaning.
Thou -- This is from the second-person, singular form of the verb.
couldest -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "could" in the Greek source.
have -- The word translated as "have" means to "have," "possess," "bear," "keep close," "hold in," "have means to do," "to have due to one," or "keep" and many specific uses. This verb isn't used to form past tenses as the helper verb does in English. Nor does it has the sense of "must" when used with infinitives.
no -- (WP) The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly." It makes a negative statement of fact. Adding "really" to the sentence captures the same idea. When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words. Here it appears before the verb not "power."
power -- The term translated as "power" isn't the "power" of skill or energy but of authority, control, and the ability to choose. To avoid confusing it with the other Greek word for energy power from which we get "dynamic," this word might be best translated as "authority" or "control" depending on the context.
at all --- (WW) The Greek adjective translated as "no man" also means "no one," "nothing," and other negative pronouns. It is used by Jesus more like a negative pronoun than an adjective. Here its sense is "none," referring to power.
against -- The word translated as "against" means "down from," "down into," "against," "opposite," "separately," "at a time," "towards," "in accordance with," "concerning," "corresponding with," "during the course of a period," and "severally."
me, -- "Me" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun. This pronoun follows the noun so "of mine." As a genitive object of a preposition, as here, it means movement away from something or a position away from something else.
except - Two Greek words are translated as "except." Literally, they mean "if not" but this phrase is used to mean "except," "instead," and "but."
it -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.
were -- (CW) The verb "is" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics. The word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions. This is not a helping verb in Greek creating a passive as translated here. The "were" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
given -- (WF, WT) "Given" is didomi, which means "to give," "to grant," "to hand over," "appoint," "establish," and "to describe." -- The verb translated as "given" means "to give," "to grant," "to hand over," "appoint," "establish," and "to describe." It is almost always translated as some form of "give." The form is a particple in the past, perfect, passives so "having been given."
thee -- The word for "you" is the indirect object form of the singular, second-person pronoun in the form of an indirect object, which usually requires a preposition in English, like "to you."
from above: -- This adverb is best translated as "from above," which is how Jesus uses it. It is mistranslated as "again" in the phrase "born again" but it is correctly translated here.
therefore -- (CW) This is from two Greek words meaning "through this" or "by this." The specific meaning of this phrase is "on this account" or "on account of this."
he - (CW) The word translated as "he" is the Greek definite article; without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more. This is not the pronoun "he."
that -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "that" in the Greek source. It was added because the next verb was translated as active rather than as a participle.
delivered -- (WF) "Delivered" is a compound word that literally means "to give over." It is often translated in the KJV as "betray" but it has no historical sense of denouncing someone, though it may have acquired that sense from the Gospels. . Its meaning is the idea of transmitting, and handing over. It can even be used in a positive sense, such as "bestowing" a gift. Though in this context, the sense is probably "handing one" over to authorities This is not an active verb but a participle, "delivering.".
me -- "Me" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek as the object of the verb or preposition. As the object of a preposition, an accusative object indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement.
unto -- This word "to" comes from the dative case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object.
thee - The word for "you" is the indirect object form of the singular, second-person pronoun in the form of an indirect object, which usually requires a preposition in English, like "to you."
hath -- The word translated as "have" means to "have," "possess," "bear," "keep close," "hold in," "have means to do," "to have due to one," or "keep" and many specific uses. This verb isn't used to form past tenses as the helper verb does in English. Nor does it has the sense of "must" when used with infinitives.
the -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "the" in the Greek source.
greater -- "Greater" is an adjective which is the comparative form of the word meaning "big" or "great." It means "bigger," "higher," "longer," "greater" and simply, "superior." When it is introduced by an article, it means "the greater." It is not the superlative form.
sin. -- (CW) The word translated as "sins" means "missing the mark," "failure," "fault," and "error." Only in religious uses does it become "guilt" and "sin," having no sense of doing malicious evil in Greek. The best English translation is "mistake," "fault," or "failure" rather than what we commonly think of as the evils of "sin." See this article for more information and context.
You -- This is from the second-person, singular form of the verb.
would -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "would " in the Greek source.
have -- The word translated as "have" means to "have," "possess," "bear," "keep close," "hold in," "have means to do," "to have due to one," or "keep" and many specific uses. This verb isn't used to form past tenses as the helper verb does in English. Nor does it has the sense of "must" when used with infinitives.
no -- (WP) The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly." It makes a negative statement of fact. Adding "really" to the sentence captures the same idea. When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words. Here it appears before the verb not "power."
power -- The term translated as "power" isn't the "power" of skill or energy but of authority, control, and the ability to choose. To avoid confusing it with the other Greek word for energy power from which we get "dynamic," this word might be best translated as "authority" or "control" depending on the context.
missing "none" -- (MW) The untranslated word "none" also means "no one," "nothing," and other negative pronouns. It is used by Jesus more like a negative pronoun than an adjective. Here its sense is "none," referring to power.
against -- The word translated as "against" means "down from," "down into," "against," "opposite," "separately," "at a time," "towards," "in accordance with," "concerning," "corresponding with," "during the course of a period," and "severally."
me, -- "Me" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun. This pronoun follows the noun so "of mine." As a genitive object of a preposition, as here, it means movement away from something or a position away from something else.
if - Two Greek words are translated as "if not." Literally, they mean "if not" but this phrase is used to mean "except," "instead," and "but."
it -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.
were -- (CW) The verb "is" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics. The word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions. This is not a helping verb in Greek creating a passive as translated here. The "were" does not capture the word's specific meaning. not The negative is from the contraction above. It is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, commands, and requests.
given -- (WF, WT) "Given" is didomi, which means "to give," "to grant," "to hand over," "appoint," "establish," and "to describe." -- The verb translated as "given" means "to give," "to grant," "to hand over," "appoint," "establish," and "to describe." It is almost always translated as some form of "give." The form is a particple in the past, perfect, passives so "having been given."
you -- The word for "you" is the indirect object form of the singular, second-person pronoun in the form of an indirect object, which usually requires a preposition in English, like "to you."
from above: -- This adverb is best translated as "from above," which is how Jesus uses it. It is mistranslated as "again" in the phrase "born again" but it is correctly translated here.
therefore -- (CW) This is from two Greek words meaning "through this" or "by this." The specific meaning of this phrase is "on this account" or "on account of this."
the one - The word translated as "the one" is the Greek definite article; without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
who -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "who " in the Greek source. It was added because the next verb was translated as active rather than as a participle.
handed -- (WF) "Handed...over" is a compound word that literally means "to give over." It is often translated in the KJV as "betray" but it has no historical sense of denouncing someone, though it may have acquired that sense from the Gospels. . Its meaning is the idea of transmitting, and handing over. It can even be used in a positive sense, such as "bestowing" a gift. Though in this context, the sense is probably "handing one" over to authorities This is not an active verb but a participle, "delivering.".
me -- "Me" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek as the object of the verb or preposition. As the object of a preposition, an accusative object indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement.
over -- -- This is from the prefix of the previous verb that means "over."
to -- This word "to" comes from the dative case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object.
you - The word for "you" is the indirect object form of the singular, second-person pronoun in the form of an indirect object, which usually requires a preposition in English, like "to you."
is guilty of -- (WW) -- The word translated as "is guilty of" means to "have," "possess," "bear," "keep close," "hold in," "have means to do," "to have due to one," or "keep" and many specific uses. This verb isn't used to form past tenses as the helper verb does in English. Nor does it has the sense of "must" when used with infinitives.
a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a noun doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.
greater -- "Greater" is an adjective which is the comparative form of the word meaning "big" or "great." It means "bigger," "higher," "longer," "greater" and simply, "superior." When it is introduced by an article, it means "the greater." It is not the superlative form.
sin. -- (CW) The word translated as "sins" means "missing the mark," "failure," "fault," and "error." Only in religious uses does it become "guilt" and "sin," having no sense of doing malicious evil in Greek. The best English translation is "mistake," "fault," or "failure" rather than what we commonly think of as the evils of "sin." See this article for more information and context.
Οὐκ [269 verses](partic) "Not" is ou , the negative adverb for facts and statements, negating both single words and sentences. The other negative adverb, μή applies to will and thought; οὐ denies, μή rejects; οὐ is absolute, μή relative; οὐ objective, μή subjective.
εἶχες [181 verses](verb 2nd sg imperf ind act ) "Thou coudest have" is echo, which means "to have," "to hold," "to possess," "to keep," "to have charge of," "to have due to one," "to maintain," "to hold fast," "to hold in," "to bear," "to carry," "to keep close," "to keep safe," and "to have means to do." In aorist, it can mean "acquire," or "get." The main sense when it has an object is "to have" or "to hold." It can also mean "to without" or "keep back" a thing.
ἐξουσίαν [23 verses](noun sg fem acc) "Power" is exousia which means "control," "the power of choice," "permission," "the power of authority," "the right of privilege," "abundance of means," and "abuse of power."
κατ᾽ [60 verses](prep) "Against" is kata can be a preposition or an adverb. As a preposition with the genitive, it means, means "downwards," "down from," "down into," "against," "down toward," "down (from)," and, or time, "for." With the accusative, it means "down (to)," "according to," "about," " during," of motion, "on," "over," "throughout a space," "opposite," "separately," "individually," "at a time," "towards," "in accordance with," "concerning," "corresponding with," "during the course of a period," and "severally." As an adverb, it means "according as," "just as," "in so far as," "wherefore," "like as if" and "exactly as."
ἐμοῦ [239 verses](adj sg masc gen) "Me" is from mou (emou), which means "me," and "mine." As a genitive object means movement away from something or a position away from something else.
οὐδεμίαν [69 verses](pron sg fem acc) "At all" is oudeis which means "no one," "not one," "nothing," "naught," "good for naught," and "no matter."
εἰ μὴ [14 verses](conj particle) "Except" is ei me, which is the conjunction that means "if not," "but," and "except." εἰ is the particle use with the imperative usually to express conditions "if" or indirect questions, "whether." mê (me) is the negative used in prohibitions and expressions of doubt meaning "not" and "no."
ἦν[614 verses](verb 3rd sg imperf ind act) "It were"is eimi, which means "to be," "to exist," "to be the case," of circumstance and events "to happen," and "is possible." With the genitive object, the sense is "belongs to." With the dative, it means "have" where the subject and object are reversed.
δεδομένον [147 verses](part sg perf mp neut nom ) "Given" is didomi, which means "to give," "to grant," "to hand over," "appoint," "establish," and "to describe." -- The verb translated as "give" means "to give," "to grant," "to hand over," "appoint," "establish," and "to describe." It is almost always translated as some form of "give."
σοὶ [81 verses](pron 2nd sg dat) "You" is soi which is the singular, second-person pronoun, "you," in the form of an indirect pronoun.
ἄνωθεν [4 verses] (adv) "From above" is from anothen, which means "from above," "from on high," [in a narrative] "from the beginning" or "from further back," "higher," "more universal," [NT translation] "over again," "anew," and "afresh."
διὰ τοῦτο [22 verses](prep, adj sg neut acc) "Therefore" is from two Greek words meaning "through this" or "by this." "Through" is dia, which means with the accusative, it can also be "thanks to," "because of," "by reasons of," and "for the sake of. "This" is touto, which means "this [thing] there/here." With the neuter adjective, the sense is "on this account."
ὁ [821 verses](article sg masc nom) "He that" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). -
παραδούς [43 verses]( part sg aor act masc nom ) "Delivered" is paradidomi, which means "to give over to another," "to transmit," "to hand down," "to grant," "to teach," and "to bestow."
μέ [49 verses](pron 1st sg masc acc) "Me" is eme, which is the objective first-person, objective, singular pronoun that means "me."
σοὶ [81 verses](pron 2nd sg dat) "You" is soi which is the singular, second-person pronoun, "you," in the form of an indirect pronoun. -
μείζονα [22 verses](adj sg masc/fem acccomp ) "Greater" is meizon which means "bigger," "higher," "longer," and "greater" and is the comparative form of megas, which means "big" and "great." The superlative form "greatest" is megistos, μέγιστος.
ἁμαρτίαν [28 verses](noun sg fem acc)"Sins" is hamartia, which means "missing the mark," "failure," "fault," and "error." Only in religious uses does it become "guilt" and "sin."
ἔχει. : [181 verses](3rd sg pres ind act) "He hath" is echo, which means "to have," "to hold," "to possess," "to keep," "to have charge of," "to have due to one," "to maintain," "to hold fast," "to hold in," "to bear," "to carry," "to keep close," "to keep safe," and "to have means to do." In aorist, it can mean "acquire," or "get." The main sense when it has an object is "to have" or "to hold." It can also mean "to without" or "keep back" a thing.