Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary John 19:9

"and he entered into the Praetorium again, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer." — John 19:9 (ASV)

To the Jews, Jesus’ claim was the height of sacrilege. For Pilate, however, it had a different meaning. In pagan mythology the Olympian deities frequently consorted with men and women, and their semi-divine offspring, such as Hercules, had appeared on the earth and performed miraculous deeds. Hardened as he was, Pilate feared lest he should offend one of these visitors. Thus he questioned Jesus further, in an attempt to ascertain who Jesus was. If he really was a supernatural being, Pilate did not wish to be responsible for mistreating him, for that would make him liable to divine judgment. The silence of Jesus, like his silence in the presence of Herod , meant that he could accomplish nothing with a trifler. Pilate had already pronounced Jesus innocent; so the case resolved itself to the alternative of release or a gross perversion of justice.