Matthew 27

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Matthew 27 details Jesus' condemnation by Pilate, influenced by the chief priests and the multitude who chose Barabbas over him. Judas, repenting, returns the thirty pieces of silver and hangs himself, which money is then used to purchase the potter's field. Jesus is scourged, mocked, and then crucified at Golgotha, where he yields up the ghost amidst supernatural signs. His body is subsequently laid in a new tomb by Joseph of Arimathaea, which is then secured by a Roman guard at the request of the Jewish leaders.

Jesus Delivered to Pilate 1–2

Now when morning was come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:

and they bound him, and led him away, and delivered him up to Pilate the governor.

The Fallout of Judas 3–10

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

saying, I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood. But they said, What is that to us? see thou to it.

And he cast down the pieces of silver into the sanctuary, and departed; and he went away and hanged himself.

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

And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in.

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

Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was priced, whom certain of the children of Israel did price;

and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me.

Jesus Before Pilate 11–25

Now 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.

And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.

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

And he gave him no answer, not even to one word: insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.

Now at the feast the governor was wont to release unto the multitude one prisoner, whom they would.

And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.

When therefore they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?

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

And while he was sitting on the judgment-seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that righteous man; for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.

Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

But the governor answered and said unto them, Which of the two will ye that I release unto you? And they said, Barabbas.

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

And he said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out exceedingly, saying, Let him be crucified.

So when Pilate saw that he prevailed nothing, but rather that a tumult was arising, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man; see ye to it.

And all the people answered and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

The Mocking and Scourging 26–31

Then released he unto them Barabbas; but Jesus he scourged and delivered to be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Prætorium, and gathered unto him the whole band.

And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.

And they platted a crown of thorns and put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they kneeled down before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

And they spat upon him, and took the reed and smote him on the head.

And when they had mocked him, they took off from him the robe, and put on him his garments, and led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion of Jesus 32–49

And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to go with them, that he might bear his cross.

And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, The place of a skull,

they gave him wine to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted it, he would not drink.

And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments among them, casting lots;

and they sat and watched him there.

And they set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Then are there crucified with him two robbers, one on the right hand and one on the left.

And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads,

and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself: if thou art the Son of God, come down from the cross.

In like manner also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,

He saved others; himself he cannot save. He is the King of Israel; let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe on him.

He trusteth on God; let him deliver him now, if he desireth him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

And the robbers also that were crucified with him cast upon him the same reproach.

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

And some of them that stood there, when they heard it, said, This man calleth Elijah.

And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.

And the rest said, Let be; let us see whether Elijah cometh to save him.

The Death and Immediate Aftermath 50–56

And Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit.

And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake; and the rocks were rent;

and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised;

and coming forth out of the tombs after his resurrection they entered into the holy city and appeared unto many.

Now the centurion, and they that were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake, and the things that were done, feared exceedingly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

And many women were there beholding from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:

among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

The Burial of Jesus 57–61

And when even was come, there came a rich man from Arimathæa, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple:

this man went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded it to be given up.

And Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, and departed.

And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.

The Tomb is Secured 62–66

Now on the morrow, which is the day after the Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees were gathered together unto Pilate,

saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said while he was yet alive, After three days I rise again.

Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest haply his disciples come and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: and the last error will be worse than the first.

Pilate said unto them, Ye have a guard: go, make it as sure as ye can.

So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, the guard being with them.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Matthew 27

Verse 1

took counsel against Jesus — Symboulion is a consultation, a deliberating body; it returns in v.7 when the same men 'took counsel' to buy the field. The gathering fulfils Ps 2:2, 'the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed'; Luke 22:66 also dates it 'as soon as it was day'.

Verse 2

delivered him to Pontius Pilate — Paradidomi, to hand over, the verb of Judas's 'betrayed' (vv.3–4) and of Pilate's 'delivered' in v.26. Jesus had said he would be delivered 'to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him' (Matt 20:19). Hegemon, 'governor', is Pilate's title throughout the chapter.

Verse 3

repented himself — Metamellomai, literally to care afterwards, to regret. It is remorse over what has happened, and it ends in the despair of v.5: 'the sorrow of the world worketh death' (2 Cor 7:10). The 'thirty pieces of silver' are the price agreed in Matt 26:15.

Verse 5

cast down the pieces of silver in the temple — Naos is the sanctuary itself, the inner house, so the money is thrown into the holy place the priests served. 'Hanged himself' is apanchomai, to strangle oneself. Acts 1:18 gives the sequel: 'falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst'.

Verse 6

the price of blood — Time, price; the 'treasury' is the korban, the temple's sacred offering-chest. The priests keep the rule about unclean money while holding the man the money bought, the 'gnat' and the 'camel' of Matt 23:24. The blood is the 'innocent blood' of Judas's confession (v.4).

Verse 7

the potter's field, to bury strangers in — Xenos is a stranger, a foreigner. The money Judas returned ends by buying a burial ground for those without a place of their own. Acts 1:19 gives the field's Aramaic name, 'Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood', matching v.8.

Verse 9

Jeremy the prophet — The words quoted are those of Zech 11:12–13: 'thirty pieces of silver', cast 'unto the potter'. Jeremiah is named; his book carries the potter's house (Jer 18:2), the potter's bottle (Jer 19:1) and the buying of a field (Jer 32:9), and the verse is spoken under his name.

Verse 11

Thou sayest — Pilate asks what the accusers charged: Jesus 'forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King' (Luke 23:2). The title is the wise men's of Matt 2:2, 'King of the Jews'. The same reply, 'Thou sayest it', stands in Mark 15:2 and Luke 23:3; Jesus then makes no defence (v.12).

Verse 14

answered him to never a word — Rhema, a word, with the negatives piled up: not one. It is the lamb of Isa 53:7, 'he opened not his mouth', and the pattern Peter names: 'when he was reviled, reviled not again' (1 Pet 2:23). The governor 'marvelled greatly' (thaumazo, lian).

Verse 15

wont to release unto the people a prisoner — Apoluo, to release, is the verb that carries the scene: 'Whom will ye that I release?' (v.17), the same question in v.21, and 'Then released he Barabbas' (v.26). Mark 15:6 states the same custom 'at that feast', the season of unleavened bread (26:17).

Verse 17

Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ — Barabbas is Aramaic, meaning son of Abba (a father's name). Mark 15:7 says he lay bound with 'them that had made insurrection with him', and John 18:40 calls him 'a robber'. Christos is 'anointed'; the choice is put to the whole gathered crowd.

Verse 19

that just man — Dikaios, righteous, the word Pilate repeats in v.24, 'this just person', and the centurion's verdict in Luke 23:47, 'Certainly this was a righteous man'. The bema, the judgment seat, is where the verdict belongs; his wife's message, sent 'in a dream' (onar), reaches him while he sits there.

Verse 24

washed his hands — This is the rite of Deut 21:6, where the elders wash their hands over the slain heifer and say 'lay not innocent blood unto thy people' (Deut 21:8). 'Innocent' is athoos, Judas's word in v.4; 'see ye to it' repeats the priests' 'see thou to that' (v.4), the same verb.

Verse 25

His blood be on us, and on our children — This is the formula of guilt for shed blood: 'his blood shall be upon his head' (Josh 2:19), 'so blood be upon thee' (Deut 19:10). All the people (laos) take on themselves what Pilate had just refused in v.24; teknon, 'children', extends it to the next generation.

Verse 26

scourged Jesus — Phragelloo, from the Latin flagellum, a whip. It was a Roman punishment that preceded crucifixion, as Jesus foretold in Matt 20:19. It answers Isa 50:6, 'I gave my back to the smiters', and Isa 53:5, 'with his stripes we are healed'.

Verse 28

a scarlet robe — Chlamys is a soldier's cloak, here kokkinos, scarlet. Mark 15:17 and John 19:2 call the garment purple, the colour of royal robes. It is put on him over the stripes of v.26, and taken off again in v.31 when his 'own raiment' is returned.

Verse 29

a crown of thorns… a reed in his right hand — Stephanos is the chaplet of a victor or king; the reed (kalamos) stands for the sceptre held in the right hand. 'Hail, King of the Jews' answers the title of v.11. The same reed is then used to strike him (v.30) and to lift the sponge (v.48).

Verse 32

they compelled to bear his cross — Angareuo, to press into service, the verb of Matt 5:41, 'whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile'; Matthew uses it only there and here; Mark 15:21 has it too. Mark 15:21 names Simon 'the father of Alexander and Rufus'. Christ's word in Matt 16:24 is 'take up his cross, and follow me'.

Verse 34

vinegar to drink mingled with gall — Chole, gall, bitter. The line is that of Ps 69:21, 'they gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink'. Mark 15:23 calls the mixture 'wine mingled with myrrh'. He 'tasted' (geuomai) and refused; a second drink of vinegar is given in v.48.

Verse 35

parted his garments, casting lots — Kleros, the lot. This fulfils Ps 22:18, 'they part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture'. John 19:23–24 explains the division: four parts for the soldiers, and the seamless coat decided by lot. The Psalm's two lines are himatia, garments, and himatismos, vesture.

Verse 37

his accusation written — Aitia is a cause, the charge on which a man is condemned. The four Gospels word it differently; John 19:19 adds 'of Nazareth', and Luke 23:38 says it was written 'in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew'. Pilate refused to change it: 'What I have written I have written' (John 19:22).

Verse 45

from the sixth hour… unto the ninth hour — This is noon to mid-afternoon, three hours of skotos, darkness, matching Mark 15:33 and Luke 23:44. It answers Amos 8:9, 'I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day'. It ends with the cry of v.46 at 'about the ninth hour'.

Verse 46

Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? — These are the opening words of Ps 22:1, left in the original tongue and then translated. Mark 15:34 has 'Eloi, Eloi'. Egkataleipo, 'forsaken', is to leave behind. The sound 'Eli' is what produces the mistake about Elias in v.47.

Verse 51

the veil of the temple was rent in twain — Katapetasma, the screen before the holiest place, made 'of blue, and purple, and scarlet' with cherubims (Ex 26:31). Heb 10:19–20 says believers enter 'the holiest' by a way 'through the veil, that is to say, his flesh'. 'From the top to the bottom' also stands in Mark 15:38.

Verse 54

Truly this was the Son of God — This is the title his mockers threw back at him in v.40, 'If thou be the Son of God', and v.43. The centurion 'watching' (tereo, the verb of v.36) with his men 'feared greatly' (sphodra). Luke 23:47 reports the same moment as 'Certainly this was a righteous man'.

Verse 57

a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph — This fulfils Isa 53:9, 'with the rich in his death'. 'Was Jesus' disciple' is the verb matheteuo. Luke 23:50 calls him 'a counsellor', and 'a good man, and a just', and John 19:38 adds that he was a disciple 'secretly for fear of the Jews'.

Verse 60

his own new tomb — Kainos, new, unused: Luke 23:53 adds 'wherein never man before was laid'. Latomeo, 'hewn out', is to quarry. The 'great stone' (lithos) is the one sealed in v.66 and rolled back by the angel in Matt 28:2.

Verse 62

the day of the preparation — Paraskeue, the day of readiness before the sabbath: Mark 15:42 glosses it 'the day before the sabbath', and Luke 23:54 says 'the sabbath drew on'. The chief priests and Pharisees come to Pilate on the following day, with the request of vv.63–64.

Verse 63

that deceiver — Planos, a wanderer who leads others astray; its noun plane is the 'error' of v.64. They quote Christ's own foretelling, 'the third day he shall rise again' (Matt 20:19; cf. 16:21), and ask for security 'until the third day' (v.64), so his words were known to his enemies.

Verse 66

sealing the stone, and setting a watch — Sphragizo, to seal, as the den of lions was sealed with a stone and the king's signet (Dan 6:17). The 'watch' is koustodia, from the Latin for custody, a guard. The same watch later reports to the chief priests 'all the things that were done' (Matt 28:11).