In brief
Pilate’s wife appears in only one verse of Matthew’s Gospel. While her husband, the Roman governor, sits in judgment on Jesus, she sends him this message: “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of him.” Her warning, from a Gentile, proclaims Jesus’ innocence at the very moment the religious leaders demand his death. Pilate will not listen and hands Jesus over to be crucified, washing his hands.
What does the name Pilate's Wife mean?
The Bible does not give her name; Matthew calls her simply “his wife,” Pilate’s (Matthew 27:19). The name Claudia Procula, or Procla, comes from late writings and traditions outside the Bible and should not be presented as a biblical fact.
The story of Pilate's Wife
Jesus before the governor
Matthew 27:11-14Jesus stands before Pilate, who asks whether he is the King of the Jews. Jesus answers, “So you say,” then gives no reply to the accusations of the chief priests and elders. His silence greatly astonishes the governor. It is in the middle of this trial that Pilate’s wife steps in.
Barabbas or Jesus
Matthew 27:15-18By the custom of the feast, Pilate offers to release one prisoner: Barabbas, a notable prisoner, or Jesus, “who is called Christ.” Matthew notes that Pilate knew “because of envy they had delivered him up.” The governor looks for a way out that spares him from condemning an innocent man.
A dream and a warning
Matthew 27:19As Pilate sits on the judgment seat, his wife sends him word: “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of him.” A Roman woman, a stranger to Israel, calls Jesus righteous and begs her husband to have no part in his condemnation.
Pilate washes his hands
Matthew 27:20-26The chief priests and elders persuade the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to destroy Jesus. Pilate asks what evil Jesus has done; the crowd cries out all the louder. Seeing the disturbance, he washes his hands and says, “I am innocent of the blood of this righteous person.” He echoes his wife’s word, yet delivers Jesus to be crucified.
What Pilate's Wife teaches us
- God can warn through unexpected means, even through a person outside the faith; be attentive to the signals he places on your path.
- Knowing that Jesus is righteous is not enough: Pilate knew it and still handed him over. Knowledge calls for a decision.
- You can speak courageously to those in power, as this woman did with her husband, even if you are not heard.
- Washing your hands does not make you innocent: refusing to choose for Jesus is already choosing against him.
Key verses
The only verse devoted to Pilate’s wife. Her message fits in one sentence: Jesus is a righteous man, and her husband must have nothing to do with his condemnation.
Pilate takes up his wife’s word, “righteous,” and declares himself innocent of Jesus’ blood. But his washed hands do not change the decision he has just made.
Pilate knew Jesus had been handed over out of envy. His wife’s warning teaches him nothing he did not already know: it confirms what his conscience was already telling him.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Pilate’s wife in the Bible?
She is the wife of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. During Jesus’ trial, she sends word to her husband to have nothing to do with that righteous man, because she suffered many things in a dream because of him (Matthew 27:19). She is mentioned nowhere else in the Bible.
Was Pilate’s wife named Claudia Procula?
This name does not appear in the Bible. It comes from apocryphal writings and later traditions, which also imagined her conversion. Matthew gives neither her name nor the rest of her story. The tradition can be mentioned, but it must be clearly distinguished from what the biblical text says.
Where is Pilate’s wife in the Bible?
She appears only in Matthew 27:19, in the middle of the account of Jesus’ trial before Pilate (Matthew 27:11-26). The other Gospels tell of the trial without mentioning her dream. To understand the scene, read the choice between Barabbas and Jesus and Pilate’s gesture of washing his hands.