cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. 38 Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. MATT. XXVII. 12 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered 13 nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? 14 And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. [See § 148.] MARK XV. 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered 4 nothing. And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things 5 they witness against thee. But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled. LUKE XXIII. 4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in 5 this man. And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place. 6 § 147. JESUS BEFORE HEROD. Jerusalem. Sixth Day of the Week. LUKE XXIII. 6—12. When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Gali7 lean. And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. 8 And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; 9 and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. Then he questioned 10 with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. And the chief 11 priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a 12 gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves. 1 Isa. 53. 7. 2 Luke 9. 9. 3 Gorgeous robe. The Greek (λaurpáv) favours the idea that the robe was white, which was the royal colour among the Hebrews. Comp. Matt. 6. 28, 29. But the imperial colour among the I 2 Romans was purple, and hence that was the colour of the robe in which the soldiers of Pilate arrayed Jesus in their mockery of him. See John 19. 2, § 149. 13 148. PILATE SEEKS TO RELEASE JESUS. THE JEWS DEMAND BARABBAS. Jerusalem. Sixth Day of the Week. LUKE XXIII. 13—25. And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers 14 and the people, said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye 15 accuse him: no, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing 16 worthy of death is done unto him. I will therefore chastise him, and release him. Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that Í release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which 18 is called Christ? For 10 he knew that for envy they had delivered 19 him. When he was set down on the judg 7 And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the in8 surrection. And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them. MARK XV. But Pilate answered ment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. MATT. XXVII. 20 But the chief 11 The go vernor answer ed and said unto them, Whether MARK XV. But the chief 18 LUKE XXIII. JOHN XVIII. -Will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? And they cried 40 1 Acts 3. 14. JOHN XVIII. Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.1 2 MATT. XXVII. of the twain will ye that I release unto unto you? They said, MARK XV. 22 Barabbas. Pilate saith 12 And Pilate answered 21 unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. 23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. 13 14 22 LUKE XXIII. 20 prison.) Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. and said again unto MATT. XXVII. 24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed' his hands before the multitude, 25 saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on 15 26 our children. Then released he Barabbas unto them. MARK XV. And so Pilate, willing 24 LUKE XXIII. And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will. § 149. PILATE DELIVERS UP JESUS TO DEATH. HE IS SCOURGED AND MOCKED. MATT. XXVII. 26-30. 26 And when he had 15 diers of the governor 1 Comp. Deut. 21. 6, 7; Psa. 26. 6. 2 Acts 5. 28. 3 Acts 3. 14. 4 The scarlet robe (xλaμus Kokkívη) of Matt. 27. 28, and the purple robe (iuáτIOν Toppuρouν) of John 19. 2, are put for the paludamentum or military cloak worn by officers; see Adam's Rom, 2 JOHN XIX. 1-3. Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,* Antiqq. p. 371. The terms KÓKKIVOS, coccus-dyed, crimson, and Toppupoūs, purple, seem to be nearly synonymous; just as in English purple-red and crimson are often interchanged. Comp. Note 3, $147. MATT. XXVII. when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the 30 Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.1 4 150. PILATE, AFTER AGAIN SEEKING TO RELEASE JESUS, DELIVERS HIM TO BE CRUCIFIED.-Jerusalem. Sixth Day of the Week. JOHN XIX. 4-16. Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring 5 him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And 6 Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault 7 in him. The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought 8 to die, because he made himself the Son of God. When Pilate therefore 9 heard that saying, he was the more afraid; and went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no 10 answer. Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? 11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath 12 the greater sin. And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Cæsar's 13 friend whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Cæsar. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the He14 brew, Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of the passover,* and about 1 Comp. Mic. 5. 1. 2 Isa. 53. 7. 3 Gabbatha, (i. e. literally the back,) or the pavement, was a space between the castle of Antonia and the western corner of the temple, where the ridge of the rock or hill was paved with smooth stones (Josephus, Bell. Jud. 5. 5, 8). Here, in full view of the temple and before the Jewish multitudes, Pilate took his place on the judgment seat, to deliver to death Jesus, though he held him to be innocent. 4 On the phrase, preparation of the passover, ver. 14, see the Introductory Note, p. 146.-In the same verse the expression, about the sixth hour, does not accord with the third hour of Mark 15. 25; see in § 153. But the third hour of Mark, as the hour of the crucifixion, is sustained by the whole course of the transactions and circumstances; as also by the fact stated by Matthew, Mark, and Luke, that the darkness commenced at the sixth hour, after Jesus had already for some time hung upon the cross; see § 155, init. The reading, sixth (EKTn), in John is therefore probably an early error of transcription for third, Tpíτn (5′ for f'). Indeed, this last reading is found in two of the best manuscripts (Cod. Beze and Cod. Reg. 62), as well as several other authorities; so that its external weight is marked by Griesbach as nearly or quite equal to that of the common reading; while the internal evidence in its favour is certainly far greater; see Griesbach and Wetstein in loc.-The suggestion of Greswell and many other commentators, that John here computes the sixth hour from midnight, is, however, worthy of regard, as Wieseler in particular has shown (Chron. Synopsis, pp. 410-414). JOHN XIX. 15 the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have 16 no king but Cæsar. Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. § 151. JUDAS REPENTS AND HANGS HIMSELF.-Jerusalem. Sixth Day of the Week. MATT. XXVII. 3-10. 3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to 4 the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. 5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, ACTS I. 18, 19. and went and hanged himself. 18 Now this man purchased a field 6 And the chief priests took the silver with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of 10 Israel did value; and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me. 31 § 152. JESUS IS LED AWAY TO BE CRUCIFIED.3-Jerusalem. MATT. XXVII. 31-34. And after that they 20 had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own Sixth Day of the Week. And when they had 16 1 Judas repented, it would seem, as soon as he saw that Jesus was delivered over to be crucified. Till then he had hoped, perhaps, to enjoy the reward of his treachery, without involving himself in the guilt of his Master's blood. According to Matthew (ver. 5), Judas "strangled," i. e. hanged, himself (annyaто). Luke says, in Acts 1. 18, "falling headlong (pnvns YEVÓμEVOS) he burst asunder." These two accounts are not inconsistent with each other; the rope breaking, the fall might easily be such as to cause the bursting of the abdomen. In Acts 1. 18, purchased (exτnaαTо) is to be rendered, he gave occasion to purchase, was the occasion of purchasing. For such a usage, see Heb. 2. 10; Matt. 27. 60; John 3. 22, coll. 4. 1, 2; Rom. 14. 15; 1 Cor. 7. 16; 1 Tim. 4. 16, &c. The quotation in Matt. 27. 9, 10, is found, not JOHN XIX. 16, 17. And they took Jesus, and led him away. And he bearing his cross in Jeremiah, but in Zech. 11. 12, sq. The reading (Jeremiah) is therefore most probably an early error of a transcriber, misled by a reminiscence of Jer. 18. 1, sq. The Syriac version, the earliest of all, as also several other versions and manuscripts, have simply by the prophet, which is apparently the true reading. Other later authorities read Zachariah. 2 Zech. 11. 12, sq. Comp. Jer. 32. 6, sq. 3 Jesus bore his cross at first; but he being probably faint from exhaustion, Simon was compelled to bear it after him. The vinegar mingled with gall of Matthew 27. 34, is the same with the wine mingled with myrrh of Mark 15. 23, viz. cheap acid wine mingled with myrrh. Such a drink was given to persons about to be executed, in order to stupify them. See Lightfoot, Hor. Heb. on Matt. 27. 34. |