Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary John 18:33

"Pilate therefore entered again into the Praetorium, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?" — John 18:33 (ASV)

Puzzled by the Jewish attitude, Pilate withdrew to the audience chamber within the building and summoned Jesus. His question to Jesus was emphatic: “Are you the king of the Jews?”, as if he were asking for a straightforward answer because he did not trust the priests. Pilate may also have been expressing his surprise that Jesus did not look like a pretender to the vacant throne of Judaism. He had expected to meet a sullen or belligerent rebel and met instead the calm majesty of confident superiority. He could not reconcile the character of the prisoner with the charge brought against him.