Behold the Man (Ecce Homo) (John 19:4–16)

The texts below are quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations; nothing is paraphrased.

---

St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)

Homilies on the Gospel of St. John, Homily 84 (on John 19:4–16) Source: trans. G. T. Stupart, in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 14. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf114.iv.lxxxvi.html

On why Pilate scourged Him and led Him forth crowned, hoping to soften the fury of the Jews:

For when he had not been able to deliver Him by his former measures, being anxious to stay the evil at this point, he scourged Him, and permitted to be done what was done, the robe and crown to be put on Him, so as to relax their anger. Wherefore also he led Him forth to them crowned ... that, seeing the insult which had been done to Him, they might recover a little from their passion, and vomit their venom.

On the inconsistency of the Jews, who now fly to their law:

How then when the judge said, "Take ye him, and judge him according to your law," did ye reply, "It is not lawful for us to put any man to death," while here ye fly to the law? And consider the charge, "He made himself the Son of God." Tell me, is this a ground of accusation, that He who performed the deeds of the Son of God should call Himself the Son of God?

On Pilate's fear, and the question "Whence art thou?":

Then Pilate is alarmed ... when he hears from them, that He made Himself the Son of God, and dreads lest the assertion may possibly be true, and he should seem to transgress; but these men who had learnt this, both by His deeds and words, did not shudder, but are putting Him to death for the very reasons for which they ought to have worshiped Him.

On "Thou wouldst have no power except it were given thee," and him that delivered Him:

When then Pilate had uttered the sentence against himself, then He saith ... He that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin. Showing that he also was guilty of sin. Then, to pull down his pride and arrogance, He saith, Thou wouldst have no power except it were given thee.

On their cry "We have no king but Caesar":

Of their own will they subjected themselves to punishment; therefore also God gave them up, because they were the first to cast themselves out from His providence and superintendence; and since with one voice they rejected His sovereignty, He allowed them to fall by their own suffrages.

---

St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376–444)

Commentary on the Gospel of St. John, Book XII (on John 19:11–15) Source: trans. T. Randell, Library of Fathers, 1885. Public domain. Full text: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/cyril_on_john_12_book12.htm

On Pilate parading his authority, met by "Except it were given thee from above":

When, then, Pilate was parading before Him his official power, and, in his folly, alleging that he could wholly determine His fate according to his mere will and pleasure, He very appropriately meets him with a declaration of His own power and might, and stops him short, as it were, as he was vaunting himself with vain and empty boasting against the glory of God.

On the sense in which power was given to Pilate from above:

And when He says, that power was given to Pilate from above, He does not mean that God the Father inflicted crucifixion upon His own Son, against His Will; but that the Only-begotten Himself gave Himself to suffer for us, and that the Father suffered the fulfilment of the mystery in Him.

On him that delivered Him, who bears the greater sin:

He accuses of the greater sin ... the traitor that brought Him to Pilate; and with great reason. For he was, as it were, the source from which the impious crime against Him sprang, and also the gate through which it passed; while the judge was but the minister to the crimes of others, and so showed himself, by his ill-timed cowardice, a partaker in the iniquity of the Jews.

On Israel's renunciation of his true King, "We have no king but Caesar":

Hereupon the well-beloved Israel spurned his God, and started aside from his allegiance, and, as Moses said, abandoned the God that was his Father, and remembered not the Lord his helper.

---

Theophylact of Ohrid (c. 1055–1107)

Explanation of the Gospel of St. John (on John 19:11–15) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on John. Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CAJohn.htm

On who it was that delivered Him up:

He that delivered Me unto thee, i.e. Judas, or the multitude.

On Pilate's word "Behold your King":

As if to say, See the kind of Man whom ye suspect of aspiring to the throne, a humble person, who cannot have any such design.

---

Blessed Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

Tractates on the Gospel of St. John, Tractate 116 (on John 19:1–16) Source: trans. John Gibb, in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 7. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf107.iii.cxvii.html

On the word "Behold the man!":

Jesus goes forth to them wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, not resplendent in kingly power, but laden with reproach; and the words are addressed to them, Behold the man! If you hate your king, spare him now when you see him sunk so low; he has been scourged, crowned with thorns, clothed with the garments of derision, jeered at with the bitterest insults, struck with the open hand; his ignominy is at the boiling point, let your ill-will sink to zero.

On the kingdom not of this world, which overcame by patient suffering:

thus the kingdom which was not of this world overcame that proud world, not by the ferocity of fighting, but by the humility of suffering; and thus the grain of corn that was yet to be multiplied was sown amid the horrors of shame, that it might come to fruition amid the wonders of glory.

On "there is no power but of God," and the greater sin of him that delivered Him:

Let us therefore set ourselves to learn what He said, what He taught also by the apostle, that "there is no power but of God;" and that he is a greater sinner who maliciously delivereth up to the power the innocent to be slain, than the power itself, if it slay him through fear of another power that is greater still.

On the words "hath the greater sin":

And therefore the truth-speaking Teacher saith not, "He that delivered me to thee," he only hath sin, as if the other had none; but He saith, "hath the greater sin," letting him understand that he himself was not exempt from blame.

---

St. Bede the Venerable (c. 673–735)

Commentary on the Gospels (on John 19:2–9) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on John. Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CAJohn.htm

On the crown of thorns and the purple robe, and their hidden meaning:

For instead of a diadem, they put upon Him a crown of thorns, and a purple robe to represent the purple robe which kings wear. Matthew says, a scarlet robe, but scarlet and purple are different names for the same colour. And though the soldiers did this in mockery, yet to us their acts have a meaning. For by the crown of thorns is signified the taking of our sins upon Him, the thorns which the earth of our body brings forth. And the purple robe signifies the flesh crucified. For our Lord is robed in purple, wherever He is glorified by the triumphs of holy martyrs.

On why Pilate was the more afraid:

It was not the law that he was afraid of, as he was a stranger: but he was more afraid, lest he should slay the Son of God.