23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. 25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. 26 Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. 24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his 27 Then the soldiers of the hands before the multitude, say-governor took Jesus into the ing, I am innocent of the blood common hall, and gathered unto of this just person: see ye to it. him the whole band of soldiers. hedrim had condemned Jesus for blas-ishment of crucifixion. The person phemy; and the Jewish law (Lev. 24: 16) had directed that a blasphemer should be stoned. They had also brought, in the presence of Pilate, a new accusation against Jesus; that of arraying himself against the authority of Cesar. Luke 23: 2. In view of this, they could represent that a Roman mode of punishment was required Besides, they wished to heap all possible indignity upon Jesus; and crucifixion was a most cruel and ignominious punishment, inflicted by the Romans only on slaves and the vilest malefactors, as robbers, assassins and rebels. 23. What evil hath he done? Thus Pilate, by again declaring his conviction that Jesus had been guilty of no crime, made another ineffectual effort to obtain for him a release. Compare Luke 23: 22. 24. He took water and washed his hands. By this symbolical act, he wished to declare to the people his conviction of the innocence of Jesus, and his desire that, if Jesus were put to death, he might be known as having no participation in such an act. The Jews well understood the import of such an action. See Deut. 21: 6, 7. 25. His blood be on us, &c.; on us and on our posterity be the consequences of putting him to death; we will bear the blame. If the curse of God follows, let it fall on us. Fatal imprecation! fulfilled, alas! with horrors indescribable. 26. When he had scourged Jesus. Scourging always preceded the pun was almost entirely stripped of his clothes, and was beaten, commonly with whips. The whips were also armed with stings, making the suffering so severe that the victim would sometimes die under it. This, then, was not the scourging which Pilate had proposed to inflict, just to satisfy the people, so that he might release Jesus. See Luke 23: 16. It would seem, however, from the account given by John (19: 1-16), that after Pilate had thus permitted him to be scourged (which act was regarded as preliminary to crucifixion), Pilate still made an effort to release him, by again coming forward and protesting his belief in the innocence of Jesus, hoping, perhaps, that after all which had passed, the scourging that had just been inflicted might so far excite their compassion as to procure their assent to his release. But it was in vain. They were determined on his death; and they let Pilate know, that if he released Jesus, his own loyalty to Cesar would be suspected, and he would thereby endanger himself. See John 19: 12. Having so long endeavored to avoid compliance with the clamors of the priests and the people, he at last desisted from the fruitless effort, and delivered Jesus to their will. 27. The soldiers of the governor ; the Roman soldiers. The common hall. This is the same as is called in John 18: 28, 33," the judgment hall." The original word properly signifies the house, the palace, which was em 28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. 29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and reed in his right hand and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 30 And they spit upon him, ployed for the residence of the Roman governor, or procurator, when he should be in Jerusalem; for he generally resided in Cesarea. The tribunal, that is, the place for holding trials, was outside, in the open court or area, attached to the palace. Jesus, then, was taken into an inner apartment. This palace was situated in the vicinity of the temple. The whole band of soldiers. At the time of the passover, it was usual for one cohort of the Roman army to be stationed in Jerusalem. A cohort was divided into smaller portions, each containing sometimes a hundred and thirty men, and sometimes two hundred and ten. One of these smaller divisions is probably here meant. 28. They stripped him; that is, of his mantle. A scarlet robe. A gar ment of the kind here mentioned was sometimes worn by the Roman emperors, by military commanders, and by soldiers. Pilate's soldiers, in derision of the claim, which they knew Jesus had made, to be the king of the Jews, placed on him, instead of his own mantle, an old military robe. Matthew calls it a scarlet robe, or, as the original word may be translated, crimson, a red color less bright than scarlet; but Mark (15: 17) and John (19: 2) speak of it as a purple garment. There is, however, no difficulty connected with this variety of expression; for anciently the term purple was applied to any very red color, and in good writers, the original words, signifying purple and scarlet, or crimson, are interchanged, and used synonymously. 29. A crown of thorns; a crown made of a thorn bush. They put it and took the reed, and smote him on the head. 31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. 32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they upon his head; in derision of his claiming to be a king, as a crown is an appendage of royalty. There is no intimation, however, that they put this mock crown on his head in such a manner as to wound his flesh. || Areed; answering to a royal sceptre. || Mocked him; not in our sense of the word mock, that is, to imitate another; but derided, insulted him. The indignities heaped upon Jesus, as related in vs. 28-30, were not required by any rule or custom respectbe crucified, but arose wholly from ing those who had been condemned to the domineering disposition of the Rosport. They probably had no particman soldiers, and their desire to make ular spite against Jesus; they knew but what they had very recently heard very little, perhaps nothing, of him, from the Jews, his adversaries; and they cared very little about him. They probably thought him a weakminded and unfortunate fanatic, over whom they might triumph, and with whom they might make sport without danger to themselves; just as many rough sensibilities, can with pleasure persons of uncultivated minds, and of join a crowd that may be abusing a fellow-creature. 32. As they came out; that is, from the city. It was customary for punishments of this nature to be inflicted outside of the city. Compare Num. 15: 35. 1 Kings 21: 13. || Cyrene. This was a large city of Lybia, in the northern part of Africa. Here large numbers of Jews resided. The Jews of this city were in the habit of visiting Jerusalem at the great festivals; compelled to bear his cross. 33 And when they were come unto a place called Gol so that there was even a synagogue in Jerusalem for their accommodation. See Acts 2:10. 6: 9. || Simon by name. Mark (15: 21) mentions the additional circumstance, that he was father of Alexander and Rufus. These were men who, at the time of Mark's writing, were well known among the Christians. Whether they were the same as those mentioned in Acts 19: 33, Rom. 16: 13, cannot be decided. As Jesus and the attending company were going on to the place of execution, Simon was on his way from the country (Mark 15: 21) to the city, intending doubtless to enter by the same gate through which Jesus had passed. They compelled. The original word here is the same as in 5: 41. The remarks there made may show, that the attending officers had a right to call into service any persons. To bear his cross. It was customary for the condemned criminal, after having been scourged, to endure the additional suffering of being obliged to carry the cross himself to the place of punishment. In the present instance, doubtless, there was such an exhaustion of strength, that aid was necessary, lest Jesus should die on the way. Nor can this be wondered at. After the occupation of the preceding day, he had attended on the passover-supper, and had had a long conversation with his disciples. During the night, he not only had had no sleep, but had been enduring the most exhausting anguish before being apprehended; then he was hurried away to the house of Annas, thence to that of Caiaphas, where he endured insult and abuse, both as to body and to mind. Thence he was sent to Pilate, thence to Herod, and back again to Pilate. Shortly after, he was scourged, and then abused by the Roman soldiers; and after all this, the weight of the cross was laid on him. It doubtless appeared to the soldiers, and the accompanying Jews, a happy circumstance that some gotha, that is to say, A place of a skull, 34 They gave him vinegar to one was passing by, whose assistance they might command. It is not unlikely, too, that the Jews who were present might have known Simon, as one who had favored Jesus; and they therefore suggested to the Romans the compelling of his services. Luke (23: 27-32) informs us, that a multitude of the people and of women followed to the place of execution; and that two malefactors were also led forth to be crucified. The cross consisted of a piece of wood placed upright, with another piece placed across it at right angles near the top. It seldom exceeded ten feet in height; and the crucified person was usually about three feet from the ground. Near the middle of the upright piece, there was a projection on which the victim sat; the arms were extended, and fastened to the cross-piece by nails through the palms of the hand; through each foot also a nail, or spike, was driven. Sometimes the victim was fastened to the cross after it was erected; sometimes while it was lying on the ground. 33. Golgotha; an eminence at that time near the city, on the north-west, where malefactors were commonly executed. Luke (23: 33) says, the place was called Calvary. This latter name comes to us from the Latin language, in which the word Calvaria signifies a skull; and the original word used by Luke is the Greek word for a skull. Golgotha is properly a Hebrew word, having the same signification. The evangelists agree together, then, in the name; only some of them use a Hebrew word, and one of them a Greek word, which is a translation of the Hebrew; while our word Calvary is drawn from a Latin translation of the same name. || Ꭿ place of a skull. The bones of criminals were frequently left exposed on this rising ground; hence it was called the place of a skull, or of skulls. 34. Vinegar to drink, mingled with drink, mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. 35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. 36 And sitting down, they watched him there; 37 And set up over his head his accusation, written, THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him; one on the right hand, and another on the left. language of the psalm was literally applicable to the conduct of the soldiers. Though the soldiers had no intention of fulfilling any thing which had been written respecting Jesus, yet the manner in which they conducted towards him exactly accorded with what inspired men had written. 36. Sitting down, they watched him there. It was customary for a crucified person to remain on the cross till he died; but while he exhibited any signs of life, he was watched by a guard. gall. Our word vinegar hardly cor-ken by the prophet. Ps. 22: 18. The responds to the term in the original. The drink which was now offered to the Saviour, was the one ordinarily given to criminals just before execution, so as to produce intoxication and insensibility to the pains which would otherwise be endured. It was made of a poor sort of wine, with which myrrh was mingled, and various bitter ingredients, such as wormwood, &c., coming under the general name gall. It was not offered to the Saviour now as an indignity, or to aggravate his distress, but to render him insensible to pain by drowning his senses. The same mixture is called by Mark, "wine mingled with myrrh." || He would not drink. Jesus was unwill. ing to drown his sensibilities, but chose to meet death in all its bitterness, without any of its pains being diminished by such artificial methods. Having therefore just tasted of the mixture, and perceived what it was, he declined drinking it. 35. Purted his garments; divided them among themselves; for persons who were crucified were fastened to the cross perfectly naked. It was the custom of the Roman soldiers to claim the garments of persons whom they had executed. Casting lots. John (19: 23, 24) explains distinctly that some of his garments they divided among themselves; but for his tunic, that is, the inner garment, which they were unwilling to cut, they cast lots, to see to whom it should fall. The number of soldiers engaged in the crucifixion and in taking the garments was four. John 19: 23. || Spo20 VOL. I. 37. Set up over his head his accusation. It was customary to write in black letters, on a whitened tablet, the crime for which the person suffered. This tablet was fastened to the cross, probably just above the sufferer's head. The inscription on the cross of Jesus was prepared according to the direction of Pilate (John 19: 19), and was expressed in Hebrew (that is, the dialect of Hebrew which the Jews in Judea then spoke), in Greek, and in Latin, so that all who should go to the place might be able to read. This inscription was not satisfactory to the Jews. John 19: 20, 21. 38. Two thieves; more properly, robbers. The season of the passover, when many were assembled at Jerusalem, was regarded as suitable for the execution of criminals, that an impres sion might be made on as many as possible. Compare Deut. 17: 13. It was also customary among the Romans to crucify several criminals at the same time. These robbers might have been condemned some time be 39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, 40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. 41 Likewise, also, the chief priests, mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 42 He saved others, himself he cannot save. If he be the fore, and their execution delayed till the return of the passover. Luke (23: 34) informs us, that when the act of crucifying was completed, Jesus meekly prayed for the forgiveness of those who were accessory to his death. 39. Wagging; shaking the head by way of derision. 40. Thou that destroyest, &c. Compare 26: 61. || If thou be the Son of God. Compare 26: 63. 41. Mocking; deriding, insulting. 42. If he be the king of Israel. Compare John 19: 14, 15. 43. He trusted, &c. These revilings of the chief priests, scribes, and elders, appear to have excited the Roman soldiers to similar abuse of Jesus. Luke (23: 36) relates that they, coming near, offered him vinegar (that is, the inferior sort of wine used by the Roman soldiers), and reproached him in much the same style as did the principal men among the Jews. 44. Cast the same in his teeth. This was a phrase more common formerly than at present, meaning that the robbers reviled Jesus, by using much the same language. Luke relates (23: 39-43) that one of the robbers relented, exhibited a penitent spirit, and received a gracious assurance from Jesus that he should speedily be in bliss. Matthew and Mark (15: 32), | without intending to be precise, speak only in a general way of the robbers; while Luke descends to particulars. At this point of time, probably, oc curred the interesting facts related in John 19: 25-27. 45. From the sixth hour there was darkness, &c. ; that is, from our twelve o'clock to our three o'clock. The darkness here mentioned could not have been an eclipse of the sun; because it was the time of full moon, when the passover occurred; and such is the position of the moon at that time, that an eclipse of the sun cannot take place. Besides, the duration of this darkness altogether opposes the thought of its having been what we call an eclipse. Undoubtedly it was a supernatural darkness, caused by the Author of nature, as being harmonious with the events then passing on Golgotha. || Over all the land. Luke says (23: 44) in our translation, "over all the earth;" but precisely the same word in the original is employed by him, as by the other evangelists. It would have been better to have translated the word in Luke in the same manner as it is in the other evangelists. The word is often used to express a comparatively small portion of the earth; and it is probable that only Palestine, the country of the Jews, and the neighboring regions, were here intended. It may be well to mention here, that John (19: 14,16) mentions that it was about the sixth hour, when Jesus was given up by Pilate to be crucified. It is probable, however, that some manuscripts of John's Gospel were, at an |
