Of Latin origin; close-pressed, i.e. Firm; Pilatus, a Roman -- Pilate.

STRONGS NT 4091: ΠιλᾶτοςΠιλᾶτος (L) Tr better Πιλᾶτος ((on the accent in manuscripts see Tdf. Proleg., p. 103; cf. Chandler § 326; Buttmann, p. 6 n.); Winers Grammar, § 6, 1 m.), T WH incorrectly Πειλᾶτος (but see Tdf. Proleg., p. 84f; WHs Appendix, p. 155; and cf. εἰ, ἰ) (a Latin name, equivalent to 'armed with a pilum or javelin,' like Torquatus equivalent to 'adorned with the collar or neck-chain'; (so generally; but some would contract it from pileatus i. e. 'wearing the felt cap' (pileus), the badge of a manumitted slave; cf. Leyrer in Herzog as below; Plumptre in B. D. under the word (note))), Πιλάτου, ὁ (on the use of the article with the name cf. Winers Grammar, 113 (107) n.), Pontius Pilate, the fifth procurator of the Roman emperor in Judaea and Samaria (having had as predecessors Coponius, Marcus Ambivius, Annius Rufus, and Valerius Gratus). (Some writers (e. g. BB. DD., under the word) call Pilate the sixth procurator, reckoning Subinus as the first, he having had charge for a time, during the absence of Archelaus at Rome, shortly after the death of Herod; cf. Josephus, Antiquities 17, 9, 3.) He was sent into Judaea in the year , and remained in office ten years; (cf. Keim, Jesus von Naz. iii., p. 485f. (English translation, vi. 226f)). Although he saw that Jesus was innocent, yet, fearing that the Jews would bring an accusation against him before Caesar for the wrongs he had done them, and dreading the emperor's displeasure, he delivered up Jesus to their bloodthirsty demands and ordered him to be crucified. At length, in consequence of his having ordered the slaughter of the Samaritans assembled at Matt. Gerizim, Vitellius, the governor of Syria and father of the Vitellius who was afterward emperor, removed him from office and ordered him to go to Rome and answer their accusations; but before his arrival Tiberius died. Cf. Josephus, Antiquities 18, 2-4 and chapter 6, 5; b. j. 2, 9, 2 and 4; Philo, leg. ad Gaium § 38; Tacitus, ann. 15, 44. Eusebius (h. e. 2, 7, and Chron. ad ann. I. Gaii) reports that he died by his own hand. Various stories about his death are related in the Evangelia apocr. edition Tischendorf, p. 426ff (English translation, p. 231ff). He is mentioned in the N. T. in Matthew 27:2ff; Mark 15:1ff; Luke 3:1; Luke 13:1; Luke 23:1ff; John 18:29ff; ff; Acts 3:13; Acts 4:27; Acts 13:28; 1 Timothy 6:18. A full account of him is given in Winers RWB, under the word Pilatus; (BB. DD. ibid.); Ewald, Geschichte Christus' u. seiner Zeit, edition 3, p. 82ff; Leyrer in Herzog xi., p. 663ff (2nd edition, p. 685ff); Renan, Vie de Jesus, 14me edition, p. 413ff (English translation, (N. Y. 1865), p. 333ff); Klöpper in Schenkel iv., p. 581f; Schürer, Neutest. Zeitgesch. § 17 c., p. 252ff; (Warneck, Pont. Pilatus as above with (pp. 210. Gotha, 1867)).