To flog (literally or figuratively)
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μαστιγόω means to flog or scourge, to strike repeatedly with a whip. ' John does not linger on the brutality of Roman scourging, a punishment that could itself prove fatal, but the single verb carries the full historical weight of what it names.
Reader summary
Full entry for μαστιγόω (G3146) · Open the biblical lexicon
μαστιγόω means to flog or scourge, to strike repeatedly with a whip. ' John does not linger on the brutality of Roman scourging, a punishment that could itself prove fatal, but the single verb carries the full historical weight of what it names.
The BSB source-word alignment has 7 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include flog (1), flog [Him] (1), flogged (1), had [Him] flogged (1), He chastises (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 10:17. Its strongest book concentrations include Matthew (3), Hebrews (1), John (1), Luke (1).
μαστιγόω means to flog or scourge, to strike repeatedly with a whip. John 19:1 states the fact plainly and without elaboration: 'Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged.' John does not linger on the brutality of Roman scourging, a punishment that could itself prove fatal, but the single verb carries the full historical weight of what it names. Pilate's action follows his own repeated statements that he finds no basis for a charge against Jesus (John 18:38; 19:4, 6), meaning the flogging is not presented as deserved punishment but as an attempt, ultimately unsuccessful, to satisfy the crowd's demand for blood short of full execution.
Teachers should let the verse's restraint do its own work; the brevity of the statement does not minimize the violence, it assumes the reader understands what Roman scourging involved.
John 19:1 reports one of the most physically brutal moments in the Gospel with almost clinical restraint. The verse follows Pilate's own repeated verdict that he finds no legal basis to condemn Jesus, which makes the flogging a strategic, not judicial, act, an attempt to appease the crowd's hostility with severe but non-capital punishment.
Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged.
John 19:1 states plainly, 'Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged,' following Pilate's own repeated declarations that he finds no basis for a charge against Jesus.
When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”
John 19:4-5 shows Pilate presenting the flogged and mocked Jesus to the crowd with the words 'Behold the man,' apparently hoping the punishment already inflicted would satisfy the demand for his death.
But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5 declares that 'by His stripes we are healed,' a prophetic statement widely read alongside the Gospel scourging accounts as part of the Servant's suffering on behalf of others.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Greek word. Divine discipline through suffering; literal flogging or metaphorical correction signifying God's paternal correction.
Divine discipline through suffering; literal flogging or metaphorical correction signifying God's paternal correction.
(μάστιξ) [in LXX chiefly for נָכָה hi. ;] to scourge: with accusative, Mat.10:17 20:19 23:34, Mrk.10:34, Luk.18:33, Jhn.19:1; metaphorically, Heb.12:6 (cf. Pro.3:12, Jer.5:3, Jdth.8:27).
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
7 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
I flog, scourge
Read verseI flog, scourge
Read verseI flog, scourge
Read verseI flog, scourge
Read verseI flog, scourge
Read verseI flog, scourge
Read verseI flog, scourge
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
How this verb appears across 7 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 7 lexical occurrence verses.
μαστιγόω is built from this root:
John 19:1 reports one of the most physically brutal moments in the Gospel with almost clinical restraint. The verse follows Pilate's own repeated verdict that he finds no legal basis to condemn Jesus, which makes the flogging a strategic, not judicial, act, an attempt to appease the crowd's hostility with severe but non-capital punishment. That attempt fails; the crowd continues to demand crucifixion.
Preachers can use this word to describe both the real physical suffering Jesus endured and the irony of a governor inflicting brutal punishment on a man he has just declared innocent, in a failed effort to avoid inflicting worse. This word opens a teaching doorway on the concrete, physical cost of the Passion: Jesus is flogged by a governor who has already declared him innocent, showing that his suffering was not a punishment fitting a crime but an unjust act absorbed on behalf of others.
It connects directly to Isaiah 53:5's prophecy of a Servant wounded for others' healing. It corrects readings that treat the scourging as deserved judicial punishment; John's own narrative places it after Pilate's repeated declarations of Jesus' innocence. Frame μαστιγόω as a real, severe act of violence inflicted on a man Pilate himself has declared innocent, not as an incidental detail on the way to the crucifixion.
John.19.1
Frame μαστιγόω as a real, severe act of violence inflicted on a man Pilate himself has declared innocent, not as an incidental detail on the way to the crucifixion. Linguistically, μαστιγόω should be allowed to name to flog, scourge without carrying claims the cited passages do not make.
Isaiah 53:5's prophecy of a Servant wounded and struck for others' healing stands behind the church's reading of Jesus' scourging in John 19:1, understood as part of the suffering the Servant songs anticipate, though John himself does not quote Isaiah 53 at this specific verse.
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