Bible Commentaries
Matthew 27

Verse 3

Repented himself [μεταμεληθεις] . See on Matthew 21:29.

What is that to us? They ignore the question of Christ 's innocence. As to Judas ' sin or conscience, that is his matter. Thou wilt see to that.

Verse 5

In the temple. But the best reading is eijv ton naon, into the sanctuary. He cast the pieces over the barrier of the enclosure which surrounded the sanctuary, or temple proper, and within which only the priests were allowed, and therefore into the sanctuary.

Verse 6

It is not lawful. In such cases the Jewish law provided that the money was to be restored to the donor; and if he insisted on giving it, that he should be induced to spend it for something for the public weal. This explains the apparent discrepancy between Matthew's account and that in the book of Acts (i. 18). By a fiction of the law the money was still considered to be Judas ', and to have been applied by him to the purchase of the potter 's field.

Scarlet [κοκκινην] . From kokkov, cochineal, which grew in several parts of Greece. Garments of this color would seem to have been rare among the orientals. Herodotus relates that the admiration of Darius, then an officer in the army, was excited by the scarlet cloak of a Samian exile, who, on his offering to purchase it, presented it to him, and was afterward richly rewarded when Darius came to the throne (iii. 139).

Verse 28

Robe [χλαμυδα] . The short military cloak which kings and emperors as well as soldiers wore.

Verse 32

Compelled to go [ηγγαρευσαν] . See on Matthew 5:41. Rev., has impressed in margin.

Verse 33

Golgotha. An Aramaic word, Gulgoltha, = the Hebrew, Gulgoleth, and translated skull in Jude 1:9:53; 2 Kings 9:35. The word Calvary comes through the Latin calvaria, meaning skull, and used in the Vulgate. The New Testament narrative does not mention a mount or hill. The place was probably a rounded elevation. The meaning is not, as Tynd., a place of dead men's skulls, but simply skull.

Verse 34

Wine [οινον] . The older texts read oxov, vinegar. The compound of wine and gall was intended as a stupefying draught.

Verse 36

Watched [ετηρουν] . Or, to give the force of the imperfect tense, kept watch. This was to prevent the infliction of wanton cruelties, and also to prevent what sometimes happened, the taking down and restoring of the victim.

Verse 37

Accusation [αιτιαν] . Lit., cause, and so rendered by Wyc. Tynd., cause of his death. The word accusation is compounded with the Latin causa, a cause. It is the cause of his condemnation and suffering.

Verse 38

Thieves [λησται] . Rev., robbers. See on Matthew 26:55.

Verse 42

He saved others, etc. The Greek order is, Others he saved; himself he cannot save.

Verse 43

If he will have him [ει θελει αυτον] . Rev., correctly, If he desireth him : i e., If he likes him. Compare Ps. xviii. (Sept. 17) 19; because he delighted in me [ηθελησε με] , Ps. xli. (Sept. 40) 11 [τεθεληκας με] .

Verse 46

Ninth hour. "Early on Friday afternoon the new course of priests, of Levites, and of the 'stationary men' who were to be the representatives of all Israel, arrived Jerusalem, and having prepared themselves for the festive season went up to the temple. The approach of the Sabbath, and then its actual commencement, were announced by threefold blasts from the priests ' trumpets. The first three blasts were blown when one - third of the evening - sacrifice service was over, or about the ninth hour; that it, about 3 P. M. on Friday" (Edersheim, " The Temple ").

Verse 48

Vinegar [οξους] . Sour wine; the posca or ordinary drink of the Roman soldiers.

Gave him to drink [εποτιζεν] . The imperfect tense implies was in the act of giving, or about to give. At this point the Jews standing near interposed, saying Let be [αφες] ! "Stop! Do not give him the drink. Let us see if Elijah will come to his aid."

Verse 50

Yielded up the ghost [αφηκε το πνευμα] . Lit., dismissed his spirit. Rev., yielded up his spirit. The fact that the evangelists, in describing our Lord 's death, do not use the neuter verb, eqanen, he died, but he breathed out his life (ejxepneuse, Mark 14:37), he gave up his spirit (paredwke to pneuma, John 19:30), seems to imply a voluntary yielding up of his life. Compare John 10:18. Augustine says, "He gave up his life because he willed it, when he willed it, and as he willed it."

Verse 51

The veil of the temple. According to the Rabbis this was a handbreadth in thickness, and woven of seventy - two twisted plaits, each plait consisting of twenty - four threads. It was sixty feet long and thirty wide. Two of them were made every year, and according to the exaggerated language of the time it needed three hundred priests to manipulate it. This veil was the one which covered the entrance to the holy of holies, and not, as has been asserted, the veil which hung before the main entrance to the sanctuary. The holy of holies contained only a large stone, on which the high - priest sprinkled the blood on the day of atonement, occupying the place where the ark with the mercy - seat had stood.

Verse 54

The Son of God. But there is no article. The words must not be construed as a recognition of Christ 's divine sonship. They were uttered by a pagan soldier in his own sense of a demigod or hero. Yet they may have taken color from the fact that the soldiers had heard from the chief priests and others that Christ had claimed to be God 's son.

Verse 55

Which had followed [αιτινες] . Denoting a class : who were of the body of women that had followed him.

Verse 56

Magdalene [η μαγδαληνη] . Neither Mary of Bethany (Matthew 26:6-13) nor the woman who had been a sinner (Luke 7:37-48). The word denotes merely her town : She of Magdala.

Verse 57

When even was come. The Hebrews reckoned two evenings, an earlier and a later. The former began midway between noon and sunset, or at three o'clock in the afternoon. The latter began at sunset, six o'clock. The reference here is to the earlier evening, though the time may have been well on toward the beginning of the later. The preparations had to be hurried because the Sabbath would begin at sunset.

Verse 60

New tomb [καινω] . See on Matthew 26:29. Not newly hewn, but fresh, undefiled by anybody.

A great stone. Though in the Jews ' sepulchres in general there were doors hung on hinges, the grooves and perforations for which may still be seen. Joseph 's tomb may have been differently constructed, or else was in an unfinished state.

Verse 63

We remember [εμνησθημεν] . Lit., we remembered : i e., it occurred to us : we have just remembered, and have come to tell you before it shall be too late.

That deceiver [εκεινος ο πλανος] . The pronoun that is very picturesque; being used of distant objects, and therefore here as pointing to one who is out of the way and far removed. Planov, deceiver, is akin to planaw, to wander; and hence a vagabond imposter.

Verse 64

Error [πλανη] . Not, as many render, deceit or imposture, referring to planov above; but error on the people's part. The last error, namely, the false impression that he has risen from the dead, will be worse than the first error - the impression made by his impostures that he was the Messiah.

Verse 65

Ye have [εχετε] . Or, as some render, imperatively : Have a guard ! Rev., in margin, take.

Verse 66

Sealing the stone and setting a watch [σφραγισαντες τον λιθον, μετα της κουστωδιας] . Lit., having sealed the stone with the watch. Rev., Sealing the stone, the guard being with them. This is rather awkward, but the rendering rightly corrects the A. V. The idea is that they sealed the stone in the presence of the guard, and then left them to keep watch. It would be important that the guard should witness the sealing. The sealing was performed by stretching a cord across the stone and fastening it to the rock at either end by means of sealing clay. Or, if the stone at the door happened to be fastened with a cross beam, this latter was sealed to the rock.