Bible Synapse

Was Jesus silent before Pilate, or did he answer him?

Hard question · The death and resurrection of Jesus · raised by 1 of the lists sceptics circulate

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The passages

Matthew 27:11–14

Jesus answered Pilate “Thou sayest”, but to the accusations of the chief priests and elders “he answered nothing”.

And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.

Mark 15:2–5

He answered Pilate “Thou sayest it”, then made no answer to the many accusations, so that Pilate marvelled.

And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it. And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing. And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee. But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled.

John 18:33–38

Inside the judgment hall Jesus spoke with Pilate about his kingdom and about the truth.

Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews? Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.

The objection

Matthew and Mark say that Jesus answered nothing, so that Pilate marvelled. John records a conversation in which Jesus answers Pilate’s questions about his kingdom and the truth. Critics ask whether Jesus was silent at his trial or not.

The answer

Matthew and Mark do not say that Jesus said nothing at all to Pilate. Both first record his reply to Pilate’s question, “Art thou the King of the Jews?”: “Thou sayest” (Matthew 27:11; Mark 15:2). His silence was towards the accusations: “when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing” (Matthew 27:12). What amazed Pilate was that a man facing so many charges would not defend himself against any of them (Mark 15:4–5). Matthew’s “to never a word” (27:14) uses the Greek rhēma, which can mean a thing said or a matter as well as a single word; the BSB translates it “not even to a single charge”.

John fills in the conversation that the other Gospels sum up in “Thou sayest”. It took place inside the judgment hall, which the accusers would not enter for fear of defilement (John 18:28, 33), and it was about the one question Pilate needed answered: what kind of king Jesus claimed to be. John too records a silence later that morning. When Pilate asked “Whence art thou?”, “Jesus gave him no answer” (John 19:9). So the accounts agree: Jesus answered Pilate’s question about his kingship, and would not answer the charges brought against him, as Isaiah had foreseen: “yet he opened not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). Luke adds that before Herod he answered nothing at all (Luke 23:9).

From the classic commentators

He answered nothing - He was conscious of his innocence. He knew that they could not prove these charges. They offered no testimony to prove them, and, in conscious innocence, he was silent.Albert Barnes, Notes on the Bible, on Matthew 27:12 (1832)

Sources

Further reading

Raised by: The Skeptic’s Annotated Bible. Only the verse references come from these lists.

Checked 2026-10-22. All hard questions