And straightway in the morning As soon as it was break of day, or daylight appeared: the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and Scribes; who were the principal men in the sanhedrim: and the whole council; which, on this extraordinary occasion, was convened; the result of which was,…

And Pilate asked him, art thou the king of the Jews? &c.] Which either he had heard before that it was said by him, and his followers; or was what the Jews now suggested to him as his crime, which they desired sentence of death might pass upon him: and he answering, said unto him, thou sayest it;…

And the chief priests accused him of many things As that he was a magician, and a blasphemer, and gave out that he was the Son of God; and that he made himself a king, and even forbad the people to give tribute to Caesar, and moved discord, sedition, and rebellion throughout the land; but he…

And Pilate asked him again In the presence of the chief priests, who laid so many things to his charge; for the former question was put, when Jesus and he were alone in the judgment hall, whither the Jews would not enter for fear of being defiled; see (John 18:28, John 18:33) ; saying, answerest…

But Jesus yet answered nothing He still continued silent, and made no defence for himself, which the governor was willing to give him an opportunity to make, and, as his friend, urged him to it: so that Pilate marvelled; what should be the meaning of his silence, when he was so capable of defending…

Now at that feast The feast of the passover, which was at that instant; see . The Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions read, “at every feast”; as if the following custom was used at every feast in the year, at the feasts of pentecost and tabernacles, as well as at the passover; whereas it…

And there was one named Barabbas A prisoner of that name at Jerusalem; which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him: he had been at the head of a seditious mob, and he and his accomplices were taken and put in prison: who had committed murder in the insurrection; which may be…

And the multitude crying aloud The Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions read, and when the “multitude”, or “people went up”, to the place called the pavement, where the judgment seat was; and so it is read in Beza’s most ancient copy; but the former reading is to be preferred: began to desire him to…

But Pilate answered them; saying Being satisfied of the innocence of Jesus, and being willing to dismiss him: will ye that I release unto you the king of the Jews? he who is called so; and which he either said by way of derision both of Christ, and them; or else in order to prevail upon them to ask…

For he knew that the chief priests The Persic version reads in the singular, “the chief of the priests”, or the high priest, Caiaphas, had delivered him for envy; at his popularity through his doctrine and miracles, and not from any principle of equity and justice, or from any regard to Caesar;…

But the chief priests moved the people Greatly solicited and persuaded them, both in person, and by their officers they employed, and dispersed among them, to make use of arguments with them to prevail upon them: that he should rather release Barabbas unto them; than Jesus of Nazareth; choosing…

And Pilate answered and said again unto them Being astonished that they should ask the release of such an infamous person; and being very desirous of saving Jesus: what will ye then that I shall do unto him, whom ye call the king of the Jews? at least many of you; would you have me put him to…

And they cried out again, crucify him. ] For they had cried so once before, though Matthew and Mark relate it not, yet Luke does, .

Then Pilate said unto them The third time, ; why, what evil hath he done? worthy of death. They had charged him with many things, but proved nothing against him.

And so Pilate, willing to content the people To satisfy and make them easy, who were become very noisy and tumultuous, and fearing the consequences of their resentment, should he not comply, of which he had formerly had experience; therefore to humour them, and keep in their favour, after he had…

And the soldiers led him away into the hall From the place called the pavement, where was the judge’s bench, from which he passed sentence on Christ, to a large room, called the praetorium, or judgment hall; being the hall, or room, where the praetor, or Roman magistrate, kept his court of…

And they clothed him with purple Matthew calls it a “scarlet” robe; and the Persic version here renders it a “red garment”: it was of a colour resembling purple; it was pretty near it, and therefore so called; which is what kings were used to wear; and so in derision of him, as a king, clothed him…

And began to salute him, hail, king of the Jews! ] In a mock way, wishing him long life and prosperity, as if he was a king just come to his throne, and this was his coronation day.

And they smote him on the head with a reed Or cane, a walking stick which they had put into his hands for a sceptre: this they took out again, and struck him on the head with it, which drove the sharp pointed thorns into his temples: and did spit upon him; “upon his face”, as the Syriac, Arabic,…

And when they had mocked him To their satisfaction, and had had enough of this sort of diversion: they took off the purple from him; and so, in their way, unkinged him; and put his own clothes on him: both that he might be known to be the same person; and that the four soldiers, who had the charge…

And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian (See Gill on Matt. 27:32); who passed by; as they were leading Jesus to be crucified: coming out of the country; from some country village hard by, according to the Syriac, and Vulgate Latin versions; or out of the field, as the Persic and Ethiopic: he might…

And they bring him unto the place, Golgotha A famous, or rather an infamous one, well known, and much noted for the many executions there: which is, being interpreted, the place of a skull; because the skulls of men that had been executed and buried there, being dug up again, lay scattered about;…

And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh Wine mingled with frankincense was what was usually given by the Jews to persons going to die [[21]]: “he that goes to be executed they mix for him, (בכוס של יין) (קורט של לבונה) , “a grain of frankincense in a cup of wine”, that his mind may be…

And when they had crucified him Had fastened him to the cross, and reared it up, and he was hanging upon it: they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. This last clause, “what every man should take”, is left out in the Arabic version.

And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. ] The time of the daily sacrifice of the morning, at which the priests ought to have been; and the time when the sanhedrim usually began to sit [[22]]; for “the grand sanhedrim sat from the daily sacrifice of the morning, to the daily sacrifice of…

And the superscription of his accusation Or “the cause of his death”, as the Syriac and Persic versions read; the crime for which he suffered: was written; over his head, upon the cross, to which it was fastened; the sum of which was, the king of the Jews; (See Gill on Matt. 27:37).

And with him they crucified two thieves For his greater reproach; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left; as if he had been one of them, and a principal among them; (See Gill on Matt. 27:38).

And the Scripture was fulfilled, which saith In ; and he was numbered with the transgressors: he was no transgressor of the law of God himself, but was perfectly conformable to it in his holy nature, harmless conversation, and complete obedience: he knew no sin, nor committed any in thought, word,…

And they that passed by In the road, and went by the cross. The Arabic version adds, “before him”, Christ, as he hung on the cross: railed on him, wagging their heads; gave him opprobrious language, and used indecent gestures; and saying, ah! thou that destroyest the temple; the Vulgate Latin…

Save thyself, and come down from the cross. ] Suggesting that if he was what he had pretended to be, and could do what he gave out he could, he might easily free himself from the cross, and make his escape; (See Gill on Matt. 27:39), (See Gill on Matt. 27:40).

Likewise also the chief priests mocking Or “laughed at one another”, as the Syriac version renders it, having gained their point, and satiated their revenge on him: said among themselves with the Scribes; who were likewise his implacable enemies; he saved others, himself he cannot save; (See Gill…

Let Christ the king of Israel Who sets up for the Messiah, and whose followers call him the king of Israel, whom the nation expected: and if he is so, let him descend now from the cross, that we may see; see him come down, and be eyewitnesses of his power: and believe; that he is the Messiah that…

And when the sixth hour was come Or twelve o’clock at noon, having hung upon the cross from about the third hour, or nine in the morning: there was darkness over the, whole land until the ninth hour; or three o’clock in the afternoon.

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice (See Gill on Matt. 27:46); saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? in Matthew it is, “Eli, Eli”, Both “Eli” and “Eloi”, are Hebrew words, and signify the same; and are both used in (Ps. 22:1, Ps.

And some of them that stood by The cross: when they heard it; the loud voice of Jesus, and the words he uttered: said, behold he calleth Elias; whom they ignorantly, or wilfully took for Eloi; (See Gill on Matt. 27:47).

And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar Christ at the same time saying, I thirst; see ; and put it on a reed; an hyssop stalk, ; and gave him to drink; and so fulfilled a prophecy in ; saying, or “they said”, as the Syriac version reads it; not he that fetched the sponge, but the others…

And Jesus cried with a loud voice A second time, and said the words which are in and in and gave up the ghost. The Syriac version renders it, “and finished”: his life, his days, his race, his ministry, and the work which was given him to do; (See Gill on Matt. 27:50).

And the vail of the temple was rent in twain, from the top to the bottom. ] At which time also there was an earthquake, and the rocks were rent, and graves were opened, as Matthew relates, (See Gill on Matt. 27:51), (See Gill on Matt. 27:52).

And when the centurion, which stood over against him To watch him, that nobody released him, and that he did not come down from the cross himself; saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost; that he cried with so loud and strong a voice, and the next moment expired: he said, truly this man was…

There were also women looking on afar off At some distance from the cross, observing what was said and done; among whom was Mary Magdalene; who had received great favours from Christ: and Mary the mother of James the less; or “little”, so called to distinguish him from James the son of Zebedee, and…

Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him Wherever he went in Galilee, and from thence to Jerusalem: and ministered unto him; of their worldly substance, : and many other women which came up with him into Jerusalem; from the same parts; see .

And now when the even was come “Of the preparation”, as the Syriac version reads; or “the night of the sixth day”:, as the Persic version renders it, “Friday” night: because it was the preparation; of the passover, and of the sabbath, when they prepared their food, and got it ready for the ensuing…

Joseph of Arimathea, an honourable counsellor A man of a good aspect, well dressed, and that behaved well and honourably in his office, as a counsellor: he seems to have been a priest, and one of the bench of priests that sat in the high priest’s chamber, which is called, (לשכת בלווטי) , “the…

And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead For death, by crucifixion, was a slow lingering death; persons that were in their full strength hung a great while before they expired; and the two thieves, which were crucified with Christ, were not dead when he was: and calling unto him the centurion;…

And when he knew it of the centurion Who might inform him of his giving up the ghost after he had cried with a loud voice, which so much affected him; and how he was found to be really dead when they came to break the legs of the malefactors; and how that one of the soldiers pierced his side with a…

And he bought fine linen That is, Joseph, as is expressed in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Persic versions; which, when he had done, as is highly probable, in the city of Jerusalem, he went to Mount Calvary, and took him down; took the body of Christ down from the cross; though, no doubt, with the…

And Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Joses Or Joseph, as the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions read: beheld where he was laid: very likely they saw Joseph, and his men, take him down from the cross, and they followed him, and observed where he laid him; or, as the Ethiopic version reads,…