Close-pressed, i.e. firm; Pilatus, a Roman
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through theConnect page. Screenshots are helpful.
G4091 names Pilate, the Roman governor who questions, judges, fears, compromises, sentences, writes the inscription, and permits Jesus' body to be removed. In John, Pilate is not merely a background official.
Reader summary
Full entry for Πιλᾶτος (G4091) · Open the biblical lexicon
G4091 names Pilate, the Roman governor who questions, judges, fears, compromises, sentences, writes the inscription, and permits Jesus' body to be removed. In John, Pilate is not merely a background official.
The BSB source-word alignment has 55 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include Pilate (50), to Pilate (4), Pilate’s (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 27:2. Its strongest book concentrations include John (20), Luke (12), Mark (10), Matthew (9).
G4091 names Pilate, the Roman governor who questions, judges, fears, compromises, sentences, writes the inscription, and permits Jesus' body to be removed. In John, Pilate is not merely a background official. He becomes a window into worldly authority under pressure from truth, fear, political calculation, and public accusation. The Gospel repeatedly shows Pilate recognizing no basis for a charge while still handing Jesus over to be crucified.
His name helps teachers speak about authority that knows more than it obeys, fear that bends judgment, and the sovereignty of Jesus in the courtroom. The entry must also handle the trial scenes without broad blame or careless speech about Jewish people, because John narrates layered responsibility under Roman power.
G4091 follows Pilate through Jesus' trial, from accusation and kingship questions to fear, political pressure, sentencing, the cross inscription, and permission for burial.
So Pilate went out to them and asked, “What accusation are you bringing against this man?”
Pilate asks what accusation is brought against Jesus. His role begins as Roman judicial authority receiving the case.
“Then You are a king!” Pilate said. “You say that I am a king,” Jesus answered. “For this reason I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.”
Pilate presses Jesus about kingship, and Jesus testifies to the truth. The courtroom becomes a stage for Jesus' mission.
“What is truth?” Pilate asked. And having said this, he went out again to the Jews and told them, “I find no basis for a charge against Him.
Pilate asks, What is truth, and says he finds no basis for a charge. Recognition of innocence does not become faithful justice.
So Pilate said to Him, “Do You refuse to speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You and authority to crucify You?”
Pilate claims authority to release or crucify Jesus. Jesus' silence exposes the limits of earthly power.
From then on, Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is defying Caesar.”
Pilate tries to release Jesus but is pressured by Caesar language. Political fear bends the pursuit of justice.
Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
Pilate refuses to alter the inscription: what he has written, he has written. Even compromised authority publishes the title John wants readers to see.
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. close-pressed, i.e. firm; Pilatus, a Roman
:--Pilate.
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 55 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Pilate
Read versePilate
Read versePilate
Read versePilate
Read versePilate
Read versePilate
Read versePilate
Read versePilate
Read versePilate
Read versePilate
Read versePilate
Read versePilate
Read versePilate
Read versePilate
Read versePilate
Read versePilate
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 this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 4 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 1 selected witness from 55 lexical occurrence verses.
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
G4091 matters because John slows the Passion narrative around Pilate's courtroom. Pilate questions Jesus, hears about kingship and truth, repeatedly says he finds no basis for a charge, fears what he hears, and still yields to pressure. His name lets teachers speak honestly about public power that recognizes truth but lacks courage to obey it. Yet John does not let Pilate become the center.
Jesus stands sovereign before him, speaks of a kingdom not from this world, and teaches that Pilate's authority is given from above. Even the inscription Pilate writes announces Jesus as King. The scene calls every authority to humility before Christ.
John.19.10
G4091 is the Greek form of Pilate's name. The name's significance in John is narrative and historical, located in the Roman trial scenes rather than in lexical etymology.
Scripture often judges rulers by whether they uphold justice under God. John presents Roman authority standing before the true King and being exposed by Him.