CHAPTER XXIII. _Christ is led to Pilate, and accused by the Jews_, 1, 2. _Pilate examines, and pronounces him innocent_, 3, 4. _The Jews virulently accuse him_, 5. _Pilate, understanding that he was of Galilee, sends him to_ _Herod, by whom he is examined_, 6-9. _The chief priests and scribes... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 23:2. _PERVERTING THE NATION_] The Greek word διαστρεφοντα, signifies _stirring up to disaffection_ and _rebellion_. Many MSS. and _versions_ add ημων, OUR _nation_. They intimated that he not only preached corrupt doctrine, but that he endeavoured to make them disaffected towards the Rom... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 23:4. _I FIND NO FAULT IN THIS MAN._] According to John 18:36; John 18:38, Pilate did not say this till after our Lord had declared to him that his _kingdom_ was _not of this world_; and probably not till after he had found, on examining witnesses, (Luke 23:14,) that all their evidence am... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 23:5. _SAYING, HE STIRRETH UP THE PEOPLE_, c.] In the _Codex_ _Colbertinus_, a copy of the ancient _Itala_ or _Antehieronymian_ version, this verse stands thus: _He stirreth up the people,_ _beginning from Galilee, and teaching through all Judea unto this_ _place our wives and our childre... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 23:7. _HEROD'S JURISDICTION_] The city of _Nazareth_, in which Christ had continued till he was thirty years of age, and that of _Capernaum_, in which he principally resided the last years of his life, were both in _Lower Galilee_, of which _Herod Antipas_ was tetrarch. Pilate was probabl... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 23:10. _THE CHIEF PRIESTS - VEHEMENTLY ACCUSED HIM._] Corrupt priests and teachers are generally the most implacable enemies of Christ and his truth. Evil passions betray those who are slaves to them. An affected moderation would have rendered these accusers less suspected, their accusati... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 23:11. _A GORGEOUS ROBE_] εσθητα λαμπραν. It probably means _a_ _white robe_, for it was the custom of the Jewish nobility to wear such. Hence, in Revelation 3:4, it is said of the saints, _They shall walk with me in WHITE_ (garments,) _because they are_ _WORTHY_. In such a robe, Herod,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 23:12. _PILATE AND HEROD WERE MADE FRIENDS_] I do not find any account of the cause of the enmity which subsisted between Herod and Pilate given by ancient authors; and the conjectures of the moderns on the subject should be considered as mere guesses. It is generally supposed that this... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 23:15. _NO, NOR YET HEROD: FOR I SENT YOU TO HIM_] That is, to see whether he could find that Christ had ever attempted to raise any disaffection or sedition among the Galileans, among whom he had spent the principal part of his life; and yet Herod has not been able to find out any evil i... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 23:17. _FOR OF NECESSITY HE MUST RELEASE ONE_] That is, _he was_ _under the necessity_ of releasing one at this feast. The custom, however it originated, had now been so completely established that Pilate was obliged to attend to it. Matthew 27:15, Matthew 27:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 23:18. _AWAY WITH THIS MAN_] That is, _Put him to death _- αιρε τουτον, literally, _Take this one away_, i.e. to punishment - to death.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 23:22. _I HAVE FOUND NO CAUSE OF DEATH IN HIM_] _I find no crime_ worthy _of death in him_. There is nothing proved against him that can at all justify me in putting him to death, So here our blessed Lord was in the most _formal manner_ justified by his judge. Now as this decision was pub... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 26. _SIMON, A CYRENIAN_] Matthew 27:32, Matthew 27:32.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 27. _BEWAILED AND LAMENTED HIM._] εκοπτοντο, _Beat their_ _breasts_. Matthew 11:17, Matthew 11:17.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 28. _WEEP NOT FOR ME_] Many pious persons have been greatly distressed in their minds, because they could not weep on reading or hearing of the _sufferings of Christ_. For the relief of all such, let it be for ever known that no human spirit can possibly take any part in the passion of the Mes... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 30. _MOUNTAINS, FALL ON US_] As this refers to the destruction of Jerusalem, and as the same expressions are used, Revelation 6:16, Dr. Lightfoot conjectures that the whole of that chapter may relate to the same event.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 31. _IF THEY DO THESE THINGS IN A GREEN TREE_] This seems to be a proverbial expression, the sense of which is: If they spare not a tree which, by the beauty of its foliage, abundance and excellence of its fruits, deserves to be preserved, then the tree which is dry and withered will surely be... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 32. _TWO OTHER MALEFACTORS_] Ἑτεροι δυο κακουργοι, should certainly be translated _two others, malefactors_, as in the Bibles published by the King's printer, Edinburgh. As it now stands in the text, it seems to intimate that our blessed Lord was also a _malefactor_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 33. _THE PLACE - CALLED CALVARY_] Matthew 27:33. _THEY CRUCIFIED HIM_] See the nature of this punishment explained Matthew 27:35.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 34. _THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO._] If ignorance do not excuse a crime, it at least diminishes the atrocity of it. However, these persons well knew that they were crucifying an _innocent_ man; but they did not know that, by this act of theirs, they were bringing down on themselves and on their... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 35. _DERIDED_ HIM] _Treated him with the utmost contempt_, εξεμυκτηριζον, in the most infamous manner. See the meaning of this word explained, Luke 16:14.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 36. _OFFERING HIM VINEGAR_] Matthew 27:34, Matthew 27:34. Vinegar or small sour wine, was a common drink of the Roman soldiers; and it is supposed that wherever they were on duty they had a vessel of this liquor standing by. It appears that at least _two_ cups were given to our Lord; one befor... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 38. _A SUPERSCRIPTION_] See Matthew 27:37. _LN LETTERS OF GREEK, AND LATIN AND HEBREW_] The inscription was written in all these languages, which were the most common, that all might see the reason why he was put to death. The inscription was written in _Greek_, on account of the _Hellenisti... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 39. _ONE OF THE MALEFACTORS WHICH WERE HANGED._] It is likely that the two robbers were not _nailed_ to their crosses, but only _tied_ to them by cords, and thus they are represented in ancient paintings. If not nailed, they could not have suffered much, and therefore they were found still ali... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 40. _DOST NOT THOU FEAR GOD_] The sufferings of this person had been sanctified to him, so that his heart was open to receive help from the hand of the Lord: he is a genuine penitent, and gives the fullest proof he can give of it, viz. the acknowledgment of the justice of his sentence. He had... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 42. _LORD, REMEMBER ME_, c.] It is worthy of remark, that this man appears to have been the first who believed in the _intercession_ of Christ.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 43. _TO-DAY SHALT THOU BE WITH ME IN PARADISE._] _Marcion_ and the _Manichees_ are reported to have left this verse out of their copies of this evangelist. This saying of our Lord is justly considered as a strong proof of the immateriality of the soul; and it is no wonder that those who have e... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 44. _DARKNESS OVER ALL THE EARTH_] Matthew 27:45, Matthew 27:45. The darkness began at the _sixth_ hour, about our _twelve_ o'clock at _noon_, and lasted till the _ninth_ hour, which answered to our _three_ o'clock in the _afternoon_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 45. _THE SUN WAS DARKENED_] See an examination of the accounts of _Phlegon, Thallus_, and _Dionysius_, on Matthew 27:45. _THE VEIL - WAS RENT_] See Matthew 27:51.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 46. _INTO THY HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT_] Or, _I will commit _ _my spirit - I deposit my soul in thy hands_. Another proof of the _immateriality_ of the soul, and of its _separate_ existence when the body is dead.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 48. _AND ALL THE PEOPLE_] All were deeply affected except the priests, and those whom they had employed to serve their base purposes. The darkness, earthquake, c., had brought terror and consternation into every heart. How dreadful is the state of those who, in consequence of their long opposi... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 23:50. _JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA_] See the notes on Matthew 27:57-40, and those especially on Mark 15:43.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 23:54. _AND THE SABBATH DREW ON._] Or, _The Sabbath was lighting_ _up_, επεφωσκε, i.e. with the _candles_ which the _Jews_ light just before six in the evening, when the _Sabbath_ commences. The same word is used for the dawning of the day, Matthew 28:1. _Wakefield_. The Jews always light... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 23:55. _THE WOMEN ALSO, WHICH CAME_] These were Mary of Magdala, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, Luke 24:10. To these three, Mark, in Mark 16:1, adds, _Salome_; but some think that this was only a surname of one of these Marys.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 23:56. _PREPARED SPICES AND OINTMENTS_] This was in order to embalm him; which sufficiently proves that they had no hope of his resurrection the third day. _AND RESTED THE SABBATH DAY_] For though the Jewish canons allowed all works, necessary for the dead, to be done, even on the Sabbat... [ Continue Reading ]