know not the man. 73 A little after some of the standers by coming forward, said to Peter; certainly, you also were one of these people: for your speech discovers you. 74 Then began he to make imprecations, and to swear, saying; I know not the man; presently after the cock crowed. 75 And Peter called to mind what JESUS had said to him; before the cock has crowed, shall deny me three times; and after he was gone out, he wept bitterly.

you

ver. 73. Luke xxii. 59. v. 74. Mark xiv. 71. V. 34. Luke xxii. 61.

v. 75. See above,

v. 73. Your speech.] We are told by the Jews that the Galileans had a clownish and uncouth way of speaking, for which they were ridiculed by the inhabitants of Judea. The people of the several provinces of one and the same country, are commonly known to have a different accent and dialect. See Judges xii. 6.

v. 74. Crowed.] The second time, Mark xiv. 72.

v. 75. Called to mind.] St. Luke observes that Jesus Christ who, in all likelihood, was not yet carried back before the Sanhedrim, looked upon Peter, when the cock crowed, which made the Apostle call to mind what his master had foretold him. See the note on ver. 34. and Luke xxii. 61.

CHAPTER XXVII

Jesus is carried before Pilute, 1, 2. Judas repenting, or rather being struck with despair for what he had done, carries back the money he had received from the high-priests, and goes and hangs himself. What use the high-priests put this money to, 3—10. After Jesus had plainly declared that he was the king of the Jews, he would no more answer to any accusation that was brought against him, 11—14. Pilate is advised by his wife, not to have any thing to do with Jesus. In the mean time the people having, at the instigation of the priests, desired of Pilate, that he would release Barabbas; he complied with their request, and after having declared that Christ was innocent, he delivered him up to them to be crucified, after he had caused him to be scourged, 15-26. He is put into the hands of the soldiers, by whom he is insulted several ways. They compel Simon the Cyrenian, to carry his cross, 27-32. He comes to Calvary, where they give him wine mixed with gall, which he refuses to drink, 33, 34. They crucify him between two thieves. And set over his head the cause of his condemnation. They divide his garments. He is insulted by those that go by, by the high-priests, and even by the thieves. They give him vinegar to drink, 35-49. Jesus gives up the ghost. Several miracles are performed at his death. The centurion is converted, 49-54. Some pious women that had followed Jesus from Galilee, do not forsake him. Joseph of Arimathea begs leave to have the body of Jesus, which is granted him. He buries it. A watch is set before the sepulchre, 54-66.

1 As soon as it was day, all the chief priests and the elders of the people, held a consultation against JESUS, how they might put him to death. 2 They caused him then to be bound, and went and delivered him to Pontius Pilate, governor of Judea.

3 At the same time Judas, who had betrayed JESUS, finding that he was condemned, repented, and carried back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying; 4 I have sinned in betraying the innocent blood; but they said to him, What is that to us? Look you to that. 5 Then Judas threw down the pieces of silver in the temple, and withdrawing, went

ver. 1. Mark xv. 1. Luke xxii. 66. xxiii. 1. John xviii. 28. Ps. ii. 2. Compare Acts iv. 26. v. 2. John xviii. 12, 28. Acts iii. 13. v. 3. Matt. xxvi. 66. v. 4. Matt. xxvii. 24. Acts xviii. 15. v. 5. Acts i. 18, 19. Tobit iii. 10. 2 Sam. xvii. 23.

v. 1. As soon as it was day.] As the Sanhedrim was wont to meet in one of the courts of the temple, ver. 5.(See Introduction, p. 61.) which was never opened in the night, they were forced to stay till the morning, that they might more regularly proceed in the resolution they had taken the night before, in the house of Caiaphas, of putting Jesus to death.

v. 2. To be bound.]

Undoubtedly for the second time, for he had been bound once before. See John xviii. 12.

Governor.] Pilate was properly speaking, no more than procurator of Judea, but he was called governor because this name was better known, and that besides Pilate discharged all the functions of a governor, namely, in taking cognizance of the criminal causes as his predecessors had done, and as the procurators were wont to do in the smaller provinces of the empire, where there were no proconsuls. See Joseph. de Bello Jud. 1. ii. and Tacitus.

v. 4. Betraying.] Or, In delivering.

V. 5. In the temple.] In that part of the temple where the Sanhedrim assembled, and where it was at that time.

He went and hanged himself.] Gr. Going away he hanged himself. The original άπńуžαто may also signify, that Judas was so overpowered with melancholy, and the despair in which the remorse of his guilt threw him, as to be choaked. In such a case it may be supposed, that all the vessels of his body being stopped, he burst in the middle, as is related Acts i. 18. But after all, the most natural and common signification of the word dπάyxoμai is to be hanged, or to hang one's self.

and hanged himself. 6 But the chief priests, having taken up the money, said; It is not lawful to put it into the holy treasury, because it is the price of blood. 7 So after having consulted together about the matter, they purchased the potter's field with it for a buryingplace for strangers. 8 This is the reason that the field is still called at this day, The field of blood. 9 Then was accomplished what had been said by the prophet Jeremiah; They received thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued by the children of Israel; 10 And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord had commanded me.

ver. 8. Acts i. 19. v. 9. Zech. xi. 19. Jer. xxxii. 9.

v. 6. Treasury.] Gr. Corbanan. The place where the gifts that were set apart for the service of the temple, and other pious uses, were laid, 2 Kings xii. 10. Mark xii. 41, 42.

Price of blood.] Such an offering would have been as much an abomination to the Lord, as the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, Deut. xxiii. 18.

v. 7. Strangers.] Those Jews that were not inhabitants of Jerusalem, or proselytes, and even heathens, of whom there were consider. able numbers in Jerusalem>

v. 8. The field of blood.] Because it was bought with the money, which Judas received for betraying his master. Some ancient authors have even supposed that this was the place where Judas hanged him. self, and was buried. St. Jerome, that had been upon the place, tells that they shewed still this field, in his time, that it lay south of mount Sion, and that they buried there the poorest and meanest of the people.

us,

v. 9. Jeremiah.] These words are found in Zech. xi. 13. With some little variation. But the Evangelist hath mentioned here, Jeremiah, because it was by the Jews placed first in the volume of the prophets, as is manifest from Matt. xvi. 14. So that by quoting Jeremiah, one quoted the book of the prophets, or the collection of the prophecies in general; just as by the Psalms, they meant the Hagiographa, or the moral books in scripture, in general, because the psalms were placed at the head of this collection, Luke xxiv. 24.

They received.] By the following Syriac version, this passage may be translated in a very clear manner, and very agreeably to the original of Zechariah, I have received of the children of Israel thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, to buy the potter's field as the Lord commanded me.

11 JESUS then appeared before the governor, who examined him in those words: Are you the king of the Jews? JESUS replied, you say it. 12 At the same time being accused by the chief priests and elders, he returned no answer. 13 Pilate therefore said to him; Do you not hear how many things they lay to your charge? 14 But he made no reply to any thing, so that the governor was very much surprised.

15 Now it was customary, that at this festival, the governor released a prisoner of the people's choosing. 16 There was then a notorious one named Barabbas. 17 As they were therefore gathered together, Pilate said to them; Which are ye willing that I should release to you, Barabbas or JESUS, who is called Christ? 18 For he was very sensible that they had delivered him up purely out of envy.

19 Whilst Pilate was sitting on his tribunal, his wife sent him word; Have nothing to do with that just person, for I have suffered very much this day on his

ver. 11. Mark xv. 2. Luke xxiii. 3. John xviii. 33. 37. 1 Tim. vi. 13. v. 12. Matt. xxvi. 33. Isa. liii. 7. Compare Acts viii. 32, 34. v. 13. John xix. 10. v. 14. Matt. xxvii. 12. v. 15. Mark xv. 6. Luke xxiii. 17. John xviii. 39. Matt. xxvi. 2, 5. John iv. 45. Compare with ii. 14. Luke xxii. 1. v. 17. Matt. xxi. 9, 11. Matt. xxvii.

22. John ix. 12. 42. v. 18. Acts vii. 9.

V. 11.

The king of the Jews.] It appears from Luke xxiii. 2. that the Jews had accused Jesus Christ of making himself a king. You say it.]

See the note on Matt. xxvi. 25.

v. 12. He returned no answer.] He thinks it sufficient to have plainly told Pilate, that he is the king of the Jews, that is the Christ, and of having informed him of the nature of his kingdom, by saying that it is not of this world, as he doth, John xviii. 36.

v. 15. Now.] Pilate hath already sent Jesus to Herod, when he learnt that he belonged to Galilee, and Herod had sent him back to him, Luke xxiii. 6, 7, 8, 9.

At this festival.] That is the passover, as we are informed by St. John xviii. 39.

V. 16. Notorious.] See Mark xv. 7. Luke xxiii. 19. John xviii. 40.

v. 19.

Have nothing to do.] This is a Hebraism, the meaning of which is, Have no hand in condemning this just man.