him, he had not before heard it, and it now convinced him more of their malignity and wickedness. He was the more afraid.' It was probably the alarm of his conscience, and the fear of vengeance if he suffered such an act of injustice to be done as to put an innocent being to death. It is clear that Pilate was convinced that Jesus was innocent: and in this state of agitation, between the convictions of his own conscience, and the clamours of the Jews, and the fear of vengeance, and the certainty that he would do wrong if he gave him up, he resolved again to question Jesus, that he might obtain satisfaction on the subjects that agitated his mind.

9 And went again into the judgment-hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave

him no answer.

'Whence art thou ? See note, ch. vii. 27. Pilate knew that Jesus was a Galilean; but this question was asked to ascertain whether he claimed to be the Son of God-whether a mere man, or whether Divine. Jesus gave him no answer. He had already told Pilate his design, and the nature of his kingdom, ch. xviii. 36, 37. He had said enough to satisfy Pilate of his innocence. Of that Pilate was convinced. It is not probable that Pilate would have understood him if he had declared to him the truth about his origin, and about his being the Son of God. After what had been done-after he had satisfied Pilate of his innocence, and then had been beaten and mocked by his permissionhe had no reason to expect justice at his hands, and therefore declined to make any further defence. By this the prophecy, Isa. liii. 7, was remarkably fulfilled.

10 Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?

Speakest thou not ? &c. This is the expression of a man of pride. He was not accustomed to be met with silence like this. He endeavoured, therefore, to address the fears of Jesus, and to appal him with the declaration that his life was at his disposal. and that his safety depended on his favour.

11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

'No power. No such power as you claim. You have not originated the power which you have. You have just as much as is given, and your ability extends no further. 'Except it were given thee.' It has been conceded or granted to you. God has ordered your life, your circumstances, and the extent of your dominion. This was a reproof of a proud man in office, forgetful of the great Source of all his authority. Men of office and talent,

as well as others, should remember that God gives them what they have, and that they have no talent or influence except as it is given to them from on high. From above.' From God; or by his direction, and by the arrangements of his providence, Rom. xiii. 1. The words from above' often refer to God or to heaven, James i. 17; iii. 15, 17. The providence of God was remarkable in so ordering affairs as that a man, flexible and yielding like Pilate, should be intrusted with power in Judea, Acts ii. 23 God thus brings about his wise ends; and while Pilate was free, and acted out his nature without compulsion, yet the purposes of God were fulfilled, and Jesus made an atonement for the sins of the world. Thus God overrules the wickedness and folly of men. 'Therefore. On this account. You are a magistrate. Your power, as such, is given you by God. You are not, indeed, guilty for accusing me, or malignantly arraigning me. But you have power intrusted to you over my life; and the Jews, who knew this, and who knew that the power of a magistrate was given to him by God, have the greater sin for seeking my condemnation before a tribunal appointed by God, and for endeavouring to obtain so solemn a sanction to their own malignant and wicked purposes. They have endeavoured to avail themselves of the civil power, the sacred appointment of God, and on this account their sin is greater. This passage teaches that their sin was aggravated by malignantly endeavouring to obtain the sanction of a magistrate who was invested with authority by God, and who wielded the power that God gave him. He that delivered me.' The singular, here, is put for the plural, including Judas, the high priests, and the sanhedrim.

12 And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Cæsar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Cæsar.

'Sought to release him.' He was more and more convinced of his innocence, and more unwilling to yield him to mere malice and envy in the face of justice. But the Jews cried out,' &c. This moved Pilate to deliver Jesus into their hands. He feared that he would be accused of unfaithfulness to the interests of the Roman emperor if he did not condemn a man whom his own nation had accused of sedition. The Roman emperor then on the throne was exceedingly jealous and tyrannical, and the fear of losing his favour induced Pilate to deliver Jesus into their hands. Cæsar's friend.' The friend of the Roman emperor. The name of the reigning emperor was Tiberius. After the time of Julius Cæsar, all the emperors were called Cæsar, as all the kings of Egypt were called Pharaoh.

13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment

seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.

'Judgment-seat.' The tribunal or place of pronouncing sentence. He came here to deliver him, in due form of law, into the hands of the Jews. 'Pavement.' This was an area or room of the judgment-hall, whose floor was made of small square stones of various colours. This was common in palaces and houses of wealth and splendour. 'Gabbatha.' This word comes from a word signifying to be elevated. The name was conferred from its being the place of the tribunal, as an elevated place.

14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!

"The preparation of the passover.' See note, Mark xv. 42. 'The sixth hour.' Twelve o'clock.

15 But they cried out, Away with him, away with him; crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Cæsar. 16 Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. 17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: 18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. 19 ¶ And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 This title then read many of the Jews for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. 21 Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. 22 Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written.

See notes on Matt. xxvii. 32-37. 'What I have written,' &c. He was impatient, and weary of their solicitations. He had yielded to them contrary to the convictions of his own conscience, and he now declared his purpose to yield no further.

23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout:

'His garments.' The plural here is used to denote the outer

garment. It was made, commonly, so as to be easily thrown on or off; and when they laboured or walked, it was girded about the loins. See note, Matt. v. 40. "Four parts.' It seems, from this, that there were four soldiers employed as his executioners. 'His coat.' His under-garment, called the tunic. Was without seam.' Josephus (Ant. Bell. iii. ch. viii. sec. 4) says of the garment or coat of the high priest, that "this vesture was not composed of two pieces, nor was it sewed together upon the shoulders and the sides; but it was one long vestment, so woven as to have an aperture for the neck. It was also parted where the hands were to come out." It seems that the Lord Jesus, the great High Priest of his people, had also a coat made in a similar manner. Compare Ex. xxxix. 22.

24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things, therefore, the soldiers did.

'Let us not rend it.' It would then have been useless. The

outer garment being composed of several parts-fringes, borders, &c., Deut. xxii. 12, could be easily divided. 'That the scripture," &c., Ps. xxii. 18.

25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son !

ii. 4.

"The disciple-whom he loved. See ch. xiii. 23. 'Woman.' This appellation certainly implied no disrespect. See note, ch. Behold thy son! This refers to John, not to Jesus himself. Mary was poor. It would even seem that now she had no home. Jesus, in his dying moments, filled with tender regard for his mother, secured for her an adopted son, obtained for her a home, and consoled her grief by the prospect of attention from him who was the most loved of all the apostles. What an example of filial attention! What a model to all children!

27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

'Behold thy mother! One who is to be to thee as a mother. The fact that she was the mother of Jesus would secure the kindness of John. From that hour,' &c. John seems to have been in better circumstances than the other apostles. See ch. xviii. 16. 28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be

fulfilled, saith, I thirst. 29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus, therefore, had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

C See notes on Matt. xxvii. 46-50. That the scripture,' &c., Ps. lxix. 21. 'It is finished.' The sufferings and agonies in redeeming man are over. The work long contemplated, long promised, long expected by prophets and saints, is done. The toils in the ministry, the persecutions and mockeries, and the pangs of the garden and the cross, are ended, and man is redeemed.

31 The Jews therefore because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day), besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

"The preparation, ver. 14. That the bodies,' &c. The law required that the bodies of those who were hung should not remain suspended during the night. See Deut. xxi. 22, 23. In the punishment by crucifixion, life was lengthened out for four, five, or eight days. The Jews, therefore, requested that their death might be hastened, and that the land might not be polluted by their bodies remaining suspended on the sabbath day. 'Was an high day.' It was called an 'high day' because that year the feast of the passover commenced on the sabbath. Their legs might be broken.' To hasten their death. The effect of this while they were suspended on the cross would be, to increase their pain by the act of breaking them, and to deprive their body of the support which it received from the feet, and to throw the whole weight on the hands. By this increased torment their lives were soon ended. Lactantius says that this was commonly done by the Romans to persons who were crucified.

32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs :

'Saw that he was dead.' Saw by the indications of death on his person, and perhaps by the testimony of the centurion, Matt. xxvii. 54. The death of Jesus was doubtless hastened by the intense agony of the garden, and the peculiar sufferings endured on the cross as an atonement for sin. Compare Matt. xxvii. 46.

34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came thereout blood and water.

'One of the soldiers.' One of those appointed to watch the