Did Jesus receive thirty-nine (39) lashes from the Romans?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Old Testament limited lashes to forty, so the Jews often gave no more than thirty-nine to avoid breaking the law. Leading up to His crucifixion, Jesus was flogged by the Romans, but the Bible does not specify how many lashes He received, and Roman punishment did not follow the Jewish tradition. The scourging was meant to torture, not kill, Jesus preceding His crucifixion. Jesus’ suffering was part of His purpose to provide salvation, bearing the iniquity of all people. Ultimately, the exact number of lashes is less important than the fact that His suffering secured forgiveness, redemption, and eternal life for all who believe in Him.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Looking back to the Old Testament, Deuteronomy 25:3 instructs the Israelites that a criminal should receive a maximum of forty lashes as punishment, "not more, lest, if one should go on to beat him with more stripes than these, your brother be degraded in your sight." Over time, the Jews customarily gave a criminal no more than thirty-nine lashes, so that they may not risk breaking this commandment.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Leading up to His crucifixion, Jesus was beaten and flogged by the Romans (Matthew 27:24–31; John 19:1). However, we cannot say for a fact how many lashes He received because it is not explicitly stated in the Bible. In fact, the concept of giving someone no more than thirty-nine lashes is Jewish in origin, not Roman.
• We know that in New Testament days, giving thirty-nine lashes was still common practice among the Jews, because the apostle Paul accounts being given thirty-nine lashes by the Jews multiple times. He writes: "Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one" (2 Corinthians 11:24).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Jesus was crucified by the Romans, so there is no reason to believe they would follow a Jewish disciplinary tradition just because Jesus was Jewish. The Jewish leaders and Pilate knew that Jesus was an innocent man; yet they agreed to sentence Him to death. Pontius Pilate ordered Jesus to be flogged but didn't specify a certain number of lashes. We do know that Jesus was not to be killed by the beatings He received because His ultimate death was to come by crucifixion. So, the scourging was a precursor to the crucifixion. It was not supposed to kill Jesus but to torture Him.

Jesus came to the earth with a purpose: to provide salvation to the whole world. Through Jesus' suffering and crucifixion, "the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6; see also John 14:6; Titus 2:11). First John 2:2 says that Jesus "is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." Jesus gave His life willingly so that we might be saved (John 10:11, 15, 17–18). We thank God for His grace and mercy, and the sacrifice of Jesus that provided our atonement: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Ultimately, the exact number of lashes Jesus received is unknown and secondary to the greater truth: He endured immense suffering out of love for us. What matters most is that through His sinless life, suffering, death, and resurrection, He secured forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life for all who believe in Him.

UNDERSTAND

• The Bible doesn’t specify how many lashes Jesus received.
• The Mosaic law instructed for no more than forty lashes, and Jews often stopped at thirty-nine to not cross that threshold.
• Jesus’ suffering secured forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life.

REFLECT

• How does knowing that Jesus endured immense suffering for your salvation affect your gratitude and faith?
• How does Jesus’ willingness to suffer for the forgiveness of others inspire you to show love and sacrifice in your own relationships?
• How does it change your perspective on suffering when you remember that Jesus faced pain willingly for the sake of others?

ENGAGE

• Why is the exact number of lashes Jesus received less important than the purpose of His suffering?
• How does understanding Jewish and Roman punishment help us better grasp the context and significance of Jesus’ scourging?
• What does Jesus’ willingness to endure suffering teach us about His character and mission?