In the morning — As the sanhedrim used to meet in one of the courts of the temple, which was never opened in the night, they were forced to stay till the morning before they could proceed regularly, in the resolution they had taken to put him to death. Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66; Luke 23:1; John 18:28.... [ Continue Reading ]
Having bound him — They had bound him when he was first apprehended. But they did it now afresh, to secure him from any danger of an escape, as he passed through the streets of Jerusalem.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Judas seeing that he was condemned — Which probably he thought Christ would have prevented by a miracle.... [ Continue Reading ]
They said, what is that to us? — How easily could they digest innocent blood! And yet they had a conscience! It is not lawful (say they) to put it into the treasury — But very lawful to slay the innocent!... [ Continue Reading ]
In that part of the temple where the sanhedrim met.... [ Continue Reading ]
They bought with them the potter's field — Well known, it seems, by that name. This was a small price for a field so near Jerusalem. But the earth had probably been digged for potters' vessels, so that it was now neither fit for tillage nor pasture, and consequently of small value. Foreigners — Heat... [ Continue Reading ]
Then was fulfilled — What was figuratively represented of old, was now really accomplished. What was spoken by the prophet — The word Jeremy, which was added to the text in latter copies, and thence received into many translations, is evidently a mistake: for he who spoke what St. Matthew here cites... [ Continue Reading ]
As the Lord commanded me — To write, to record.... [ Continue Reading ]
Art thou the king of the Jews? — Jesus before Caiaphas avows himself to be the Christ, before Pilate to be a king; clearly showing thereby, that his answering no more, was not owing to any fear.... [ Continue Reading ]
At every feast — Every year, at the feast of the passover. Mark 15:6; Luke 23:17; John 18:39.... [ Continue Reading ]
He knew that for envy they had delivered him — As well as from malice and revenge; they envied him, because the people magnified him.... [ Continue Reading ]
They all say, Let him be crucified — The punishment which Barabbas had deserved: and this probably made them think of it. But in their malice they forgot with how dangerous a precedent they furnished the Roman governor. And indeed within the compass of a few years it turned dreadfully upon themselve... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Pilate took water and washed his hands — This was a custom frequently used among the heathens as well as among the Jews, in token of innocency.... [ Continue Reading ]
His blood be on us and on our children — As this imprecation was dread. fully answered in the ruin so quickly brought on the Jewish nation, and the calamities which have ever since pursued that wretched people, so it was peculiarly fulfilled by Titus the Roman general, on the Jews whom he took durin... [ Continue Reading ]
He delivered him to be crucified — The person crucified was nailed to the cross as it lay on the ground, through each hand extended to the utmost stretch, and through both the feet together. Then the cross was raised up, and the foot of it thrust with a violent shock into a hole in the ground prepar... [ Continue Reading ]
The whole troop — or cohort. This was a body of foot commanded by the governor, which was appointed to prevent disorders and tumults, especially on solemn occasions. Mark 15:16; John 19:2.... [ Continue Reading ]
They put on him a scarlet robe — Such as kings and generals wore; probably an old tattered one.... [ Continue Reading ]
Him they compelled to bear his cross — He bore it himself, till he sunk under it, John 19:17.... [ Continue Reading ]
A place called Golgotha, that is, the place of a skull — Golgotha in Syriacts signifies a skull or head: it was probably called so from this time; being an eminence upon Mount Calvary, not far from the king's gardens. Mark 15:22; Luke 23:33; John 19:17... [ Continue Reading ]
They gave him vinegar mingled with gall — Out of derision: which, however nauseous, he received and tasted of. St. Mark mentions also a different mixture which was given him, Wine mingled with myrrh: such as it was customary to give to dying criminals, to make them less sensible of their sufferings:... [ Continue Reading ]
They parted his garments — This was the custom of the Romans. The soldiers performed the office of executioners, and divided among them the spoils of the criminals. My vesture — That is, my inner garment. Psalms 22:18.... [ Continue Reading ]
Mark 15:27; Luke 23:32.... [ Continue Reading ]
Mark 15:32; Luke 23:33.... [ Continue Reading ]
From the sixth hour, there was darkness over all the earth unto the ninth hour — Insomuch, that even a heathen philosopher seeing it, and knowing it could not be a natural eclipse, because it was at the time of the full moon, and continued three hours together, cried out, "Either the God of nature s... [ Continue Reading ]
About the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice — Our Lord's great agony probably continued these three whole hours, at the conclusion of which be thus cried out, while he suffered from God himself what was unutterable. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? — Our Lord hereby at once express... [ Continue Reading ]
One taking a sponge, filled it with vinegar — Vinegar and water was the usual drink of the Roman soldiers. It does not appear, that this was given him in derision, but rather with a friendly design, that he might not die before Elijah came. John 19:28.... [ Continue Reading ]
After he had cried with a loud voice — To show that his life was still whole in him. He dismissed his spirit — So the original expression may be literally translated: an expression admirably suited to our Lord's words, John 10:18 No man taketh my life from me, but I lay it down of myself. He died by... [ Continue Reading ]
Immediately upon his death, while the sun was still darkened, the veil of the temple, which separated the holy of holies from the court of the priests, though made of the richest and strongest tapestry, was rent in two from the top to the bottom: so that while the priest was ministering at the golde... [ Continue Reading ]
Some of the tombs were shattered and laid open by the earthquake, and while they continued unclosed (and they must have stood open all the Sabbath, seeing the law would not allow any attempt to close them) many bodies of holy men were raised, (perhaps Simeon, Zacharias, John the Baptist, and others... [ Continue Reading ]
The centurion — The officer who commanded the guard; and they that were with him feared, saying, Truly this was the Son of God — Referring to the words of the chief priests and scribes, Matthew 27:43 He said, I am the Son of God.... [ Continue Reading ]
James — The less: he was so called, to distinguish him from the other James, the brother of John; probably because he was less in stature.... [ Continue Reading ]
When the evening was come — That is, after three o'clock; the time from three to six they termed the evening. Mark 15:42; Luke 23:50; John 19:38.... [ Continue Reading ]
On the morrow, the day that followed the day of the preparation — The day of preparation was the day before the Sabbath, whereon they were to prepare for the celebration of it. The next day then was the Sabbath according to the Jews. But the evangelist seems to express it by this circumlocution, to... [ Continue Reading ]
That impostor said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again — We do not find that he had ever said this to them, unless when he spoke of the temple of his body, John 2:19, John 2:21. And if they here refer to what he then said, how perverse and iniquitous was their construction on... [ Continue Reading ]
Ye have a guard — Of your own, in the tower of Antonia, which was stationed there for the service of the temple.... [ Continue Reading ]
They went and secured the sepulchre, sealing the stone, and setting a guard — They set Pilate's signet, or the public seal of the sanhedrim upon a fastening which they had put on the stone. And all this uncommon caution was overruled by the providence of God, to give the strongest proofs of Christ's... [ Continue Reading ]