And the whole multitude of them Of the chief priests, Scribes, and elders; the whole of the sanhedrim, excepting Nicodemus, and Joseph of Arimathea, having in their court condemned Christ to death: arose; from the council chamber, where they sat in judgment upon him: and led him unto Pilate, the…

And they began to accuse him After they found that Pilate would not receive him as a malefactor upon their word, and delivery of him to him as such; but insisted on knowing what they had to charge him with, and what accusation they had to bring against him: saying, we have found this fellow…

And Pilate asked him, saying Observing that it was said, he had given himself out to be a king; for as for what regarded religion, he took no notice of it; he put this question to him, art thou the King of the Jews? that their prophecies speak of, and they have expected; and he answered him and…

Then said Pilate to the Chief priests, and to the people, &c.] Both to the sanhedrim, and to the mob that were gathered together about the governor’s palace on this occasion; and who were standing without the judgment hall, into which they would not enter, lest they should be defiled, and be unfit…

And they were the more fierce Or urgent to have him put to death; so the Hebrew word (חזק) is rendered in which answers to that here used. “They cried out”, as the Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions read; they were more clamorous and noisy; they cried out louder, and exerted themselves with…

When Pilate heard of Galilee “The name of Galilee”, as the Syriac and Persic versions read when that was mentioned, he asked; the Ethiopic version says, the “Galilaeans”; some of which might be present, being come to the feast of the passover, and were very proper persons to inquire of: whether the…

And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod’s jurisdiction The country which was under his power, and he had the government of; for Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, .

And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad For though he had been brought up in his country, and had so frequently preached, and wrought miracles there, he had never seen him before; and to have a sight of him, was a great indulgence to his curiosity: for he was desirous to see him of a long…

Then he questioned with him in many words Or talked very much to him, inquiring who he was, whether John the Baptist, or no; whether it was true that he had wrought such miracles he had heard of, and how he wrought them, and by what power he performed them, and how he came by it; and used many…

And the chief priests and Scribes The sanhedrim that followed him from Pilate’s hall, to Herod’s palace; fearing, lest Herod should be disposed to let him go, should he gratify him by working a miracle: stood; before Herod; so witnesses, and accusers, used to do; (See Gill on Mark 14:57) and…

And Herod, with his men of war Or his soldiers, his bodyguards that attended his person, who came with him from Galilee, and were both for his security and service, and for his pomp and magnificence: set him at nought; made nothing of him; had him in no account; treated him as a silly, and…

And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together For it pleased Herod, that Pilate should show such a regard to his authority and power, as to send one that belonged to his jurisdiction to take cognizance of his case; and especially as it was a person that was much talked of, and he had…

And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, &c.] That is, after Herod had sent back Christ unto him, he then summoned the chief priests together, to consider what should be done to him: and with them also, the rulers and the people; both the civil and ecclesiastical rulers, and the…

Said unto them, ye have brought this man unto me Pointing to Jesus, who stood before him; as one that perverteth the people; from their religion, and laws, and allegiance to Caesar.

No, nor yet Herod Who was a Jew, and better versed in their religious affairs, and understood the nature of such charges, and the amount of them, and what was sufficient proof in such cases; and who had also examined Jesus, and that in their presence, and had heard all that they had to accuse him…

I will therefore chastise him Give him some correction, as by scourging, or beating with rods: this he proposed, not because he thought him deserving of it, but in complaisance to the Jews; since it would look as if their charges were not altogether weak and groundless; and that Jesus was not…

For of necessity he must release one And therefore proposed to release Jesus unto them at the feast; of passover, which now was; not that there was any law that obliged to it, but it having been customary with the Roman governor to do so, the people expected it; custom had made it necessary: and so…

And they cried out all at once The chief priests, rulers, and people, not bearing to hear of a release of him, now they had got him in their hands; and enraged at the proposal, in a most clamorous way, cried out, as one man, immediately: Saying, away with this man; to the cross; to Calvary, the…

Who, for a certain sedition made in the city Of Jerusalem: he had made an insurrection in it, in opposition to the government, in order to have thrown off the yoke, and to have asserted and maintained their liberties, as a free people; or rather to have seized and plundered the properties of other…

Pilate therefore willing to release Jesus Being more and more convinced of his innocence; and still seeing more clearly into the wickedness, malice, and envy of his accusers; and having received a message from his wife: spake again to them; putting it again to them, which he should release; asking…

But they cried, saying, crucify him, crucify him. ] They were fierce and furious, more noisy and clamorous, the more they perceived Pilate was for saving him; and they were more desirous to have him crucified, and more impatient until it was done, as the repetition of the word shows.

And he said unto them the third time After Christ had been sent back to him from Herod; for he had declared before he had sent him to him, that he found no fault in him, .

And they were instant with loud voices They were urgent, and insisted upon his crucifixion, and pressed hard for it, and exerted their voices, and more loudly called: requiring him, that he might be crucified: desiring it in the most importunate manner; signifying, that it must be, that nothing…

And Pilate gave sentence Resolved, determined, and gave out: that it should be as they required; that they should have their request, what they asked for; namely, that Jesus should be crucified, and Barabbas released.

And he released unto them, him Barabbas, who is not named, as being a detestable person, and unworthy to be named; and is therefore described by the infamous, though just character of him, as follows: that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, as in whom they had desired; to be granted to…

And as they led him away From Pilate’s hall, and out of the city of Jerusalem, towards Calvary; which was done by the Jews and Roman soldiers, after they had stripped him of his own clothes, and put on him a scarlet coat, and had platted a crown of thorn, and put it on his head, and a reed in his…

And there followed him a great company of people Not only of the common people, but of the principal inhabitants of the city; for among these were the chief priests, Scribes, and elders: some went for one thing, and some another; some pitying, and others mocking at him, and all to see the…

But Jesus turning unto them These women being behind Christ, at the back of him; and he knowing who they were, and what they were doing, turns himself to them, and addressed them in the following manner: and said, daughters of Jerusalem; or ye Jerusalem women; just as the inhabitants of Jerusalem…

For behold the days are coming The time is hastening on; yet a little while, a few years more, and such times of distress will be: in the which they shall say; or it shall be commonly said; it will be in every one’s mouth: blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps that…

Then shall they begin to say The Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions read, “then shall ye begin to say”; the tribulation being so great, as never was the like since the creation of the world, nor never will be to the end of it; and being so sore pressed with the sword and famine; with the enemy…

For if they do these things in a green tree Or it may be rendered impersonally, “if these things are done in a green tree”; by which is meant the Lord Jesus Christ, who is often compared to a tree, as to a green fir tree, an apple tree, a vine, and is called the tree of life: and may be said to be…

And there were also two other malefactors Not that Christ was one, though indeed he was looked upon and treated as one by the Jews; but as the words may be read, there were also two others that were malefactors; really such, two thieves, who had been guilty of theft and robbery, and were condemned…

And when they were come to the place which was called Calvary Or Cranion, which signifies a skull; so called from the skulls of persons that lay about, who were executed.

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them When he was crucified between the two thieves, and as he hung upon the cross, and while insulted and abused by all sorts of men, and put to the greatest pain and torture, he addressed himself to God his Father: the Arabic version reads, “my Father”, who was so…

And the people stood beholding This dismal and affecting sight; insulting and reviling him, and wagging their heads at him, as did also those that passed by: and the rulers also with them derided him; the chief priests, Scribes, and elders, the members of the sanhedrim, whose characters should have…

And the soldiers also mocked him The Roman soldiers, to whom the execution was committed, who crucified him, and parted his garments, and stood at his cross watching; these joined in the insult, which is not to be wondered at.

And saying, if thou be the King of the Jews Or their Messiah, who was spoken of as a divine person; for otherwise he might have been their king, and not have been able to have done what is proposed: save thyself: or deliver thyself from the cross.

And a superscription also was written Containing the crime he was charged with, and accused of; (See Gill on Matt. 27:37); (See Gill on John 19:19); (See Gill on John 19:20).

And one of the malefactors, which were hanged On the cross, one of the thieves crucified with Christ; the Oriental versions add, “with him”; according to the Evangelists Matthew and Mark, both of them reviled him, and threw the same things in his teeth as the priests, people, and soldiers did;…

But the other answering, rebuked him That is, the other malefactor made answer to him, and reproved him for his baseness and wickedness: saying, dost not thou fear God; or “neither dost thou fear God”, any more than these priests, people, and soldiers, that are acting such a barbarous and inhuman…

And we indeed justly For sins committed against the law; our sentence is just, we are righteously punished: which shows that he had a true sense of sin; for where that is, there will be not only an acknowledgment of the offence, but a vindication of the justice of God, should he proceed to deal…

And he said unto Jesus, Lord, &c.] Acknowledging him to be the Messiah, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; the Lord of all, and especially of his church and people, and his own Lord.

And Jesus said unto him Jesus immediately answered him, though he said not one word to the other that railed at him, or to the multitude that abused him; and promised him more than he asked for, and sooner than he expected.

And it was about the sixth hour Or twelve o’clock at noon; and so the Ethiopic version, when it was noon; (See Gill on Matt. 27:45).

And the sun was darkened There was an eclipse of it, which was preternatural, it being now full moon, and lasted three hours, and so total, as to darken the whole earth; and now was the prophecy in literally fulfilled: and the vail of the temple was rent in the midst.

And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice A second time; for at the first loud cry, he uttered these words, “Eli, Eli, lama, sabachthani”; and at the second what follows; see (See Gill on Matt. 27:46). (See Gill on Matt. 27:47). (See Gill on Matt. 27:48). (See Gill on Matt. 27:49).

Now when the centurion saw what was done The eclipse of the sun, the darkness upon the land, the earthquake, the rocks rent, and Jesus expire in so uncommon a manner: he glorified God; by confessing that Christ was the Son of God, and declaring him an innocent person: saying, certainly, this was a…

And all the people that came together to that sight To see the execution of Jesus; and some of them might be his inveterate enemies, and came to insult him, and did insult him; many of these, though not every individual of them: beholding the things which were done; the eclipse, earthquake smote…

And all his acquaintance That were related to him in a natural, or in a spiritual sense, or both, as his own mother, and beloved disciple John, who were both present, or those that were known unto him, and familiar with him, who attended on his ministry, and often conversed, and were intimately…

And behold, there was a man named Joseph (See Gill on Matt. 27:57). a counsellor; Mark says, he was an “honourable” one; he was either one of the council of the high priest, or a member of the great sanhedrim; (See Gill on Mark 15:43).

The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them, &c.] Though he was with the Jews, the chief priests, Scribes, and elders, in the high priest’s palace, being one of that great council; yet he did not agree with them; nor was it his advice and counsel, that they should put Christ to…

This man went unto Pilate, &C.] Mark says, he went “boldly” to him; (See Gill on Mark 15:43). and begged the body of Jesus; knowing he was dead; that he might bury it, as the Ethiopic version adds, and prevent its being inferred with the two malefactors, or abused by the mob.

And he took it down From the cross, with the help of others, having obtained leave of Pilate so to do; and wrapped it in linen; as was the custom of the Jews in burying their dead; (See Gill on Matt. 27:59). and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone; cut out of a rock; (See Gill on Matt.

And that day was the preparation Both for the sabbath, and for the “Chagigah”, or grand festival, which they kept on the fifteenth day of the month, in a very pompous manner; so that the day following was an high day; and the sabbath drew on, or “shone out”; which is so said, though it was evening,…

And the women also which came with him from Galilee (See Gill on Luke 23:49). followed after; Joseph; and those that were with him, when they carried the body of Jesus, in order to inter it: and beheld, the sepulchre; took notice of it, what an one it was, whereabout it stood in the garden, that…

And they returned To the city, and to their own houses, or to some one of them; and prepared spices and ointments; for the anointing, and embalming the body of Christ, called by the Jews the spices of the dead; see the note on and rested the sabbath day, according to the commandment, in not knowing…