John 19:24
What does John 19:24 mean?
A plain-English look at John 19:24 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What John 19:24 means
Rather than tearing the seamless coat, the soldiers decide to cast lots for it to determine who would have it. John explicitly states that this seemingly minor act fulfilled a specific scripture: "They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots" (from Psalm 22:18). This demonstrates the meticulous way in which Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah's suffering were fulfilled in Jesus, even down to the smallest details of His crucifixion, proving Him to be the Christ.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000They said therefore one to another, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my garments among them, And upon my vesture did they cast lots.
KJV
King James Version · 1611They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901They said therefore one to another, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my garments among them, And upon my vesture did they cast lots.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949So they said among themselves, Let this not be cut up, but let us put it to the decision of chance and see who gets it. (They did this so that the Writings might come true, which say, They made a distribution of my clothing among them, and my coat they put to the decision of chance.) This was what the men of the army did.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862they said, therefore, to one another, `We may not rend it, but cast a lot for it, whose it shall be;' that the Writing might be fulfilled, that is saying, `They divided my garments to themselves, and upon my raiment they did cast a lot;' the soldiers, therefore, indeed, did these things.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752They said then one to another: Let us not cut it but let us cast lots for it, whose it shall be; that the scripture might be fulfilled, saying: They have parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture they have cast lots. And the soldiers indeed did these things.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890They said therefore to one another, Let us not rend it, but let us cast lots for it, whose it shall be; that the scripture might be fulfilled which says, They parted my garments among themselves, and on my vesture they cast lots. The soldiers therefore did these things.
Context
This verse reveals the soldiers' decision regarding Jesus' seamless coat and explicitly links their actions to the fulfillment of Psalm 22:18. It immediately follows the description of the soldiers dividing Jesus' outer garments. This moment of prophetic fulfillment transitions the narrative from the actions of the Roman soldiers to the emotional scene at the foot of the cross, involving Jesus' mother and the beloved disciple.
v.23The soldiers therefore, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also the coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
v.24This passage
v.25These things therefore the soldiers did. But there were standing by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- John 19:36
For these things came to pass, that the scripture might be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
- John 19:28
After this Jesus, knowing that all things are now finished, that the scripture might be accomplished, saith, I thirst.
- Psalms 22:18
They part my garments among them, And upon my vesture do they cast lots.
- Acts 13:27
For they that dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him.
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