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the palace and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.

70 But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.

71 And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.

on v. 58. The apartment here intended, was at one end open to the air. Peter still remained in that part of the house. Thus he was without, that is, outside, or beneath, as it is expressed by Mark (14: 66), in respect to the interior rooms of the building to which the Sanhedrim, or the high priest, had retired. || A damsel; the female who acted as porter of the house. See John 18: 16, 17. || Jesus of Galilee. Galilee was mentioned by way of reproach. Compare John 1:46. 7: 41, 52.

70. I know not, &c.; a method of denying; as much as to say, I am conscious of not being what thou hast said. Perhaps his fellow-disciple, John, heard this denial, as he was somewhere in this court. See John 18:15. Mark observes (14: 68), that now the cock crew; that is, the first time.

71. The porch. This was immediately before the court, where Peter had hitherto been. || Another maid saro him. Luke (22: 58) appears to represent this second individual as a man; and in the original, the word another, in the same verse, is in the masculine gender. No difficulty, however, arises from this circumstance. For Luke doubtless meant merely to say that another person spoke to Peter; and to express this, without particularly noticing the sex, the Greek language would most naturally present the very word which Luke has employed. The word, too, translated man, in the same verse of

72 And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.

73 And after a while, came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely, thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.

74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.

Luke, properly signifies a human_being, and is of the common gender, corresponding sufficiently well to our word person. John (18: 25) employs still more general language in relating this second inquiry; "they said; not meaning to be very particular. This second denial occurred shortly after the first. See Luke 22: 58.

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73. After a while. Luke (22: 59) mentions that it was about an hour after. || They that stood by. Matthew here expresses himself generally, while Luke (22:59) observes more particularly that "another" affirmed. || Thy speech bewrayeth thee. Bewray is now an obsolete word, equivalent to our modern word betray or make known. How Peter's speech, that is, manner of speaking, proved him to have been a companion of Jesus, is explained by Luke 22: 59, and Mark 14: 70-" Thou art a Galilean, and thy speech agreeth thereto." The dialect of Galilee differed from that of Judea and Jerusalem, in being less polished, and using some words improperly. Since Peter was, without doubt, a Galilean, he might well, in present circumstances, be regarded as a follower of the Galilean. The person who accused him the third time was a relative of him that had lost his ear, and he had seen Peter in the garden when Jesus was apprehended. See John 18:26.

74. To curse; to imprecate curses on himself, if he really did know Jesus. To swear; to use the language of an oath. The cock crew; that is,

75 And Peter remembered [ 2 And when they had bound the word of Jesus, which said him, they led him away, and deunto him, Before the cock crow, livered him to Pontius Pilate the thou shalt deny me thrice. governor. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

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the second time. Compare Mark 14: 72, 30.

75. And Peter remembered, &c. Luke remarks (22: 61), that Jesus, turning, looked upon Peter. Peter was at some distance, towards the entrance, probably, of the hall (v. 71), but sufficiently near to receive the heart-affecting look of his abused Master. For parallel passages, relative to Peter's denial, see Mark 14 66-72. Luke 22: 55-62. John 18:15-27.

Let us here carefully OBSERVE, 1. The weakness of human resolution, and the folly of self-confidence.

v. 35.

2. The necessity of watchfulness and prayer.

3. The little confidence that can be placed in the assertions of a man who abounds with oaths in his conversa

tion. v. 74.

4. The kindness of Jesus to his tempted and vanquished disciple.

Luke 22: 61.

5. The subduing influence of kind

ness. v. 75.

CHAPTER XXVII.

1. When the morning was come. The preceding examination and condemnation of Jesus (26: 59–66) appear to have occurred in the night, as soon as possible after he was apprehended. Early in the morning, after a recess, as it would seem, the mem

3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

4 Saying, I have sinned, in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said,

bers of the Sanhedrim came together again, to consult respecting his being put to death. Luke (22: 66) seems to group together all the transactions connected with the examination, condemnation, and subsequent consultation, and thus, in a general and brief way, speaks only of this meeting in the morning.

2. Delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Pontius Pilate was at this time the chief Roman officer in Judea. The Roman title of his office was procurator. As the Jews were now subject to the Roman empire, the power of their courts was limited. The Romans still permitted them to and as to many civil arrangements; enjoy their peculiarities as to religion, the Jewish tribunals still existed, and had the right of inflicting punishments short of death. The Sanhedrim still had the right of condemning to death of executing the sentence had been for religious offences, but the power taken away; and the punishment of

death could not be inflicted without the sanction of the Roman governor, or procurator.

3. He was condemned; by the Jewish Sanhedrim. Judas also had no doubt that the high priest would carry his point with Pilate, and have a final condemnation of Jesus. || Repented himself; was filled with remorse and anguish.

4. Innocent blood. What an attestation this to the spotlessness of Jesus'

What is that to us? to that.

See thou bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.

5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

6 And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.

7 And they took counsel, and

character! Had there been a single impropriety in all the most confidential intercourse of Jesus with his disciples, Judas would at this time have exposed it.

S Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.

9 (Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value;

way, possession of Jesus, yet they would readily grant, that Judas had obtained his money very dishonorably. Besides, it had purchased human blood, and a person would naturally shrink from using money so procured. The priests professed tenderness of conscience as to the use of this money; but alas! how sadly had they violated the claims of conscience in their persecuting of Jesus and procuring his condemnation! Men sometimes make conscience yield to convenience, or to their own purposes.

7. The potter's field; a particular field which had furnished clay for making earthen vessels. It is probable that the clay was exhausted, and hence the field could be purchased at a low rate. To bury strangers in; that is, Jews who might come from abroad to Jerusalem for religious and other purposes, and die away from home.

5. Hanged himself. In Acts 1:18, it is stated, that Judas fell headlong, and burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.". Probably after hanging himself over some precipice, the rope, or the limb of the tree, broke; and he was precipitated, and came to his miserable end. Sad fate of one who had been a professed disciple of Jesus, had been admitted to most familiar intercourse with the Saviour, and had enjoyed the confidence of his fellow-disciples! Besides this, he went "to his own place" (Acts 1: 25); the place for which his character fitted him. Good indeed had it been for him if he had never been born. Matt. 26: 24. What a difference between the anguish of Peter, after he caught the eye of his Master, and the 9, 10. Then was fulfilled that which anguish of Judas! What a difference was spoken by Jeremy. Jeremy is the in their conduct! One was dissolved same as Jereiniah. But the language in grief, and entered anew upon a quoted in this verse and in the follow most vigilant service of his Mastering, is not found in the book of Jere the other, unable to endure the goadings of an awakened conscience, went away, in a hopeless and unhumbled frame of mind, and killed himself. Compare 2 Cor. 7: 10.

miah. Language sufficiently similar to occur to the mind of Matthew in this connection, is found in Zechariah 11: 12, 13. There is here a difficulty How can it be satisfactorily explained. 6. It is not lawful. The law re- that a passage, found in Zechariah, is quired (Deut. 23: 18) that no money, said by Matthew to have been spoker procured in a shameful or base man- by Jeremiah? On this point, it may be ner, should be devoted to the service said, 1. One manuscript, at least, of of God. However glad the chief the original Greek, and one transla priests were, to have obtained, in any ❘tion, furnish the word Zechariah, in

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10 And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.)

11 And Jesus stood before the governor and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the king of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.

of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.

13 Then saith Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?

14 And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled great

12 And when he was accused | ly.

stead of Jeremiah. 2. Some manuscripts, the Syriac translation, which is probably the oldest one, and some Latin books, mention the name of no prophet, and say, merely, "spoken by the prophet." It is possible that the name Jeremiah was inserted by some subsequent copyist. 3. There may have been extant, in the time of Matthew, a work ascribed to the prophet Jeremiah, containing this passage, which work afterwards perished. Such a work, or an extract claiming to be from such a work, Jerome, of the fourth century, says he saw. These circumstances, viewed separately or conjointly, greatly diminish the difficulty, which yet cannot be wholly removed. There was so striking a similarity between the language quoted and the event just related, that the event might be represented as a fulfilment of it, or as being strikingly in accordance with it.

11. Jesus stood before the governor. The account which Matthew gives of the remaining circumstances of the Saviour's being delivered up to the will of the Jews, is very brief. But the other evangelists supply the necessary information. It seems from John 18: 28-31, that when the Jews had carried Jesus to Pilate, and made their representation to him, he declined acceding to their request respecting his death, and referred the matter back to themselves. Being thus in danger of failing in their object, they brought a new accusation against him; namely (see Luke 23: 2), of exciting sedition among the people, and opposing Cesar, that is, the Roman emperor, professing to be himself a king. On the strength of this accusation, Pilate withdrew with

Jesus from the chief priests and others (for they were unwilling to go into Pilate's hall, lest they should be rendered unclean, and become unfit to attend the passover exercises), and went into the hall. Thus, as Matthew relates in this verse, Jesus was before the procurator. || Art thou the king of the Jews? Jesus was the king of the Jews in the Jewish sense of that phrase, for it signified the Messiah. He therefore gave an affirmative answer to Pilate's question. But according to John 18: 34-38, Jesus made such explanations of the term king, when applied to himself, as assured Pilate, that the Roman government had nothing to fear from him. Hence, when Pilate came forth to the Jews, he declared Jesus to be free from any just cause of death.

12. When he was accused, &c. The declaration of Pilate made the Jews more urgent (see Luke 23: 5) in pressing their accusation of Jesus' spreading seditious sentiments throughout the land, from Galilee even to Jerusalem. But to this accusation, Jesus, knowing that Pilate put no confidence in it, made no reply."

14. The governor marvelled greatly. He wondered at the patience and equanimity of Jesus, while his adversaries were expressing so determined a hostility against him.

At this point in the history, Luke relates (23: 6-12), that Pilate, having heard mention made of Galilee, which belonged to the jurisdiction of Herod, and wishing probably to rid himself of the Jews' importunities, as well as to seem to pay regard to Herod, who was now at Jerusalem attending the passover, sent Jesus and his accusers to Herod. Herod, after a short inter

15 Now at that feast the gov-| ernor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.

16 And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.

17 Therefore, when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus, which is called Christ?

18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.

19 When he was set down on the judgment-seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just

view, in which he abused Jesus, sent him back to Pilate, dressed with a gorgeous robe, in mockery of his claims. Pilate, strengthened by the fact that Herod had not found Jesus guilty, sought to release him, by proposing to Scourge him, and then to let him go. Luke 23: 16, Pilate was willing that Jesus should be scourged, so as to appease the people, and perhaps in hope that this would satisfy them instead of his death.

15. At that feast; namely, the an- | nual festival of the passover. To release unto the people a prisoner. On the strength of this custom, Pilate hoped to release Jesus.

16. Notable prisoner; notorious, infamous. For his character and crimes, see Mark 15: 7. Luke 23: 19.

17. When they were gathered together. They had gone to Herod, and had now returned to Pilate; and as Pilate had a proposal to make to them, he might have called them to a near position. See Luke 23: 13. It was not only the chief priests and distinguished men that were assembled, but, as Luke (23: 13) says, the people also.

18. For envy they had delivered him. They envied his superior knowledge and ability, and his popularity.

man; for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.

20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude, that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

21 The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.

22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.

Pilate had discernment enough to see this; and he could gather this from many facts which had before this doubtless come to his knowledge respecting Jesus. The fact, that it was envy on the part of the Jewish rulers that led to their ill-treatment of Jesus, made Pilate believe that his proposal to release Jesus would be welcomed by the common people present. See Mark 15: 8—10.

19. When he was set down on the judgment-seat; more strictly, while he was still sitting on the judgmentseat. This day. The word day was probably used here not in distinction from night, but merely as declaring that the dream was had but a short time before, not yesterday, but to-day. We speak also of twenty-four hours composing a day.

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