Matthew 20:28

A ransom for many] lit. 'a ransom instead of many.' An important doctrinal passage showing the importance which Jesus attached to His own death. He regards it as a redemption price, which, since men cannot pay it for themselves, He pays for them, and so releases them from the bondage of sin and death. In the OT. it is the ransom price paid for slaves (Leviticus 19:20), for captives (Isaiah 45:13), and for the ransom of a life (Exodus 21:30; Numbers 35:31).

Many] either indicates all mankind, laying stress upon their multitude, or else those who actually accept redemption, as distinguished from those for whom the redemption price is paid: see Matthew 26:28.

After Matthew 20:28 the Codex Bezae introduces an interesting saying of Jesus which may possibly be authentic: 'But do you seek to become greater from what is less, and less from what is greater? Accordingly when ye have been invited to supper, and enter the house, recline not in the chief places, lest haply one more honourable than thou enter afterwards, and the host (or master of the feast) come and say to thee, “Go down yet lower,” and thou be shamed. But if thou recline in the inferior place, and one inferior to thee comes in, the host will say to thee, “Eat thy supper higher up,” and this shall be profitable to thee.' Cp. Luke 14:8.