Jerome — Commentary on Scripture

And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

(Verse 16.) But they agreed to give him thirty pieces of silver. And from then on he was looking for an opportunity to betray him. Joseph was not sold for twenty gold pieces, as many think according to the Septuagint translators, but according to the Hebrew Truth, for twenty silver pieces; for no servant could be more precious than the Lord.

Matthew 26:17 · 3 passages

Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?

(Verse 17) Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying, 'Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?' The first day of Unleavened Bread is the fourteenth day of the first month, when the lamb is sacrificed and the moon is full, and the yeast is thrown out. Among the disciples who came to Jesus, they asked him, 'Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?' And I suspect Judas to have been the traitor.

The other Evangelist writes that they found a large upper room furnished and ready and they made preparations there for him. It seems to me that the room symbolizes the spiritual law which, emerging from the restraints of the written record, receives the Savior in a lofty place. Paul says that what he formerly counted as gain, he now despised as loss and refuse, that he might prepare a worthy guest chamber for the Lord.

The first day of unleavened bread is the fourteenth day of the first month, when the lamb is killed, the moon is at full, and leaven is put away.

In this also the New Scripture observes the practice of the Old, in which we frequently read, 'He said unto him,' and 'In this or that place,' without any name of person or place.

Matthew 26:18

And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.

(Version 18.) And Jesus said: Go into the city to a certain person, and say to him: The teacher says: My time is near; I will celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house. The new Scripture preserves the custom of the old Testament. Often we read: He said to him, and in that place and that place; which in Hebrew is called Pheloni Elmoni (), and yet the names of persons and places are not mentioned. And you will find there a certain person carrying a jar of water. For this reason, these words were omitted so that a free opportunity for celebration would be offered to all who would observe Easter.

Matthew 26:19

And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover.

(Verse 19.) And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them, and they prepared the Passover. In another Gospel it is written (Luke 22) that they found a large upper room furnished and prepared, and there they made ready for him. But it seems to me that the upper room is to be understood as the spiritual law, which, departing from the confines of the letter, receives the Savior in a lofty place, as Paul himself speaks (Philippians 3), that he has counted as dung and refuse whatever things he previously regarded as gain, in order to prepare a worthy dwelling for the Lord.

Matthew 26:20-25 · 2 passages

Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.

The Lord had above foretold His Passion, He now foretels who is to be the traitor; thus giving him place of repentance, when he should see that his thoughts and the secret designs of his heart were known. Judas acts in every thing to remove all suspicion of his treachery. O wonderful endurance of the Lord, He had said before, One of you shall betray me. The traitor perseveres in his wickedness; He designates him more particularly, yet not by name. For Judas, while the rest were sorrowful, and withdrew their hands, and bid away the food from their mouths, with the same hardihood and recklessness which led him to betray Him, reached forth his hand into the dish with his Master, passing off his audacity as a good conscience. Judas, not withheld by either the first or second warning, perseveres in his treachery; the Lord's long-suffering nourishes his audacity. Now then his punishment is foretold, that denunciations of wrath may correct where good feeling has no power. We are not to infer from this that man has a being before birth; for it cannot be well with any man till he has a be…

The Lord had above foretold His Passion, He now foretels who is to be the traitor; thus giving him place of repentance, when he should see that his thoughts and the secret designs of his heart were known.

Judas acts in every thing to remove all suspicion of his treachery.

O wonderful endurance of the Lord, He had said before, One of you shall betray me. The traitor perseveres in his wickedness; He designates him more particularly, yet not by name. For Judas, while the rest were sorrowful, and withdrew their hands, and bid away the food from their mouths, with the same hardihood and recklessness which led him to betray Him, reached forth his hand into the dish with his Master, passing off his audacity as a good conscience.

Judas, not withheld by either the first or second warning, perseveres in his treachery; the Lord's long-suffering nourishes his audacity. Now then his punishment is foretold, that denunciations of wrath may correct where good feeling has no power.

We are not to infer from this that man has a being before birth; for it cannot be well with any man till he has a being; it simply implies that it is better not to be, than to be in evil.

His question feigns either great respect, or a hypocritical incredulousness. The rest who were not to betray Him, said only Lord; the actual traitor addresses Him as Master, as though it were some excuse that he denied Him as Lord, and betrayed a Master only.

(Verse 20.) And when evening came, he was reclining at table with the twelve disciples. Judas acts in such a way that suspicion of being a traitor is removed.

Matthew 26:21

And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.

(Verse 21.) And while they were eating, he said: Amen I say to you: that one of you will betray me. He who had foretold of his passion also predicts the traitor, giving him an opportunity for repentance, so that when he understands his own thoughts and hidden plans, he may repent of his actions, and yet he does not specifically identify him, so that he may not be openly accused and become more shameless. He attributes the crime to a number, so that the guilty party may repent.

Matthew 26:22

And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?

(Verse 22.) And greatly saddened, they began to each say: Am I the one, Lord? And certainly the eleven apostles knew that they had not thought anything like that against the Lord: but they believed more in their teacher than in themselves, fearing their own weakness, they sadly asked about the sin whose consciousness they did not have.

Matthew 26:23-25 · 2 passages

And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.

The others were grieved and very much saddened as they questioned Christ: “Surely, Lord, you don’t mean me?” Lest he seem to betray himself by keeping silent, he too, whose conscience was troubling him and who had boldly placed his hand in the dish, questioned him: “Surely, teacher, you don’t mean me?” To this he added lip homage and a show of incredulity. The others, who were not traitors, said, “Surely, Lord, you don’t mean me?” He who was the traitor did not call him Lord but teacher, as if to have an excuse, upon rejecting the Lord, for having betrayed at most a teacher. “Jesus answered, ‘You have said so.’ ” The traitor was put to shame by the same response Christ would later give to Pilate.

(Verse 23) But He answering, said: He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, he shall betray me. Oh, the wondrous patience of the Lord! He had said first: one of you shall betray me. The traitor persists in evil, making it more evident, yet without clearly indicating his name. With the others saddened, holding back their hands, and denying the food to his mouth, with audacity and impudence, by which he was to betray, he even sends his hand into the dish with the master, in order to falsely testify to a clear conscience.

Matthew 26:24

The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.

(Verse 24.) Woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. Neither at first nor at second exposure to treachery does he retract his step, but the patience of the Lord nurtures his impudence, and in the day of wrath he accumulates wrath for himself (Rom. II). Punishment is predicted, so that those whom shame did not conquer, may be corrected by proclaimed punishments. But what follows:

It would have been good for him if that man had not been born: He is not to be considered as having existed before he was born, because no one can be well off unless they have existed: but it was simply stated that it is much better not to exist than to exist badly.

Matthew 26:25

Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.

(Verse 25.) But Judas, who betrayed him, answered and said: 'Is it I, Lord?' Lest he should appear to betray himself by remaining silent, he likewise asks, being tormented by his conscience, who had boldly put his hand into the dish.

Am I, Rabbi? He said to him: You have said it. And he joins a mingling of emotion, or a sign of disbelief. For the others who were not going to betray, they say: Am I, Lord? This one who was going to betray did not call him Lord, but rather teacher, as if he had an excuse, if he denied the Lord, at least he betrayed the teacher. And he said to him: You have said it. The betrayer is refuted by the same response, with which he will later answer Pilate.

Matthew 26:26 · 3 passages

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

When the typical Passover was concluded, and He had partaken of the Lamb with His Apostles, He comes to the true paschal sacrament; that, as Melchisedech, Priest of the most high God, had done in foreshadowing Christ, offering bread and wine (Gen. 14:18.), He also should offer the present verity of His Body and Bloodc.

(Vers. 26 seqq.) However, while they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it, he broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, 'Take, eat; this is my body.' And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, 'Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. After the symbolic Passover had been fulfilled, and he had eaten the flesh of the lamb with the apostles, he took bread, which strengthens the heart of man, and transcended to the true sacrament of Passover, so that just as in its prefiguration Melchizedek, the high priest of the Most High God, had offered bread and wine (Gen. XIV), he himself also in the truth would represent his own body and blood. In Luke, we read about two cups which Jesus gave to his disciples (Luke 22). One was for the first month, and the other for the second, so that he who could not eat the lamb among the saints in the first month would eat the goat among the repentant in the second month.

After the typical Passover meal was over and he had eaten the flesh of the lamb with his apostles, he took the bread that strengthens human hearts and moved on to the true sacrament of the Passover. Thus even as Melchizedek, the priest of the most high God, had prefigured Christ by offering bread and wine, so Jesus would exemplify this with his real body and blood.

Matthew 26:27-29

And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;

(Ep. 120. ad Hedib.) Thus then the Lord Jesus was at once guest and feast, the eater and the things eaten.k

Or otherwise; From carnal things the Lord passes to spiritual. Holy Scripture speaks of the people of Israel as of a vine brought up out of Egypt; (Ps. 80:8.) of this vine it is then that the Lord says He will drink no more except in His Father's kingdom. His Father's kingdom I suppose to mean the faith of the believers. When then the Jews shall receive His Father's kingdom, then the Lord will drink of their vine. Observe that He says, Of my Father Jer. 2:21, not, Of God, for to name the Father is to name the Son. As much as to say, When they shall have believed on God the Father, and He has brought them to the Son.

Matthew 26:28

For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

From material things he moves on to spiritual things—namely, the vine transplanted from Egypt is the people of Israel to whom the Lord speaks through Jeremiah: “Yet I planted you a choice vine.… How then have you degenerated and become a wild vine?” Isaiah the prophet also celebrates this in his lovely canticle, and Scripture bears witness to it in different places. Therefore the Lord says that he will not drink of this fruit of the vine except in the kingdom of his Father. I believe the kingdom of the Father is the faith of the believers, which the apostle confirms when he says, “The kingdom of God is within you.” Therefore, when the Jews have received the kingdom of the father—note that he says “of the father” and not “of God” (every “father” is the name of the son)—when, as I say, they have believed in God the Father and the Father has led them to the Son, the Lord will drink of their wine, like Joseph reigning in Egypt, who will drink and be merry with his brothers.

Matthew 26:29

But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.

(Verse 29.) But I say to you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. He transitions from the physical to the spiritual, citing that the vineyard transplanted from Egypt is the people of Israel, to whom the Lord speaks through Jeremiah: I planted you a true vine, but how you have turned into the bitter fruit of a foreign vine (Jeremiah 2:21). And the prophet Isaiah sings in a song to his beloved, and the entire Scripture testifies accordingly. He says, therefore, that he will in no way drink of this vine until the kingdom of his Father comes. The kingdom of the Father, I believe, is the faith of believers, as the Apostle also confirms: The kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21). Therefore, when the Jews have received the kingdom of the Father (notice that he says Father, not God), every Father is named the Son. When, I say, they have believed in God the Father, and the Father has brought them to the Son, then the Lord will drink of their wine, and, reigning in Egypt in the likeness of Joseph, he w…

(Verse 29.) But I say to you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. He transitions from the physical to the spiritual, citing that the vineyard transplanted from Egypt is the people of Israel, to whom the Lord speaks through Jeremiah: I planted you a true vine, but how you have turned into the bitter fruit of a foreign vine (Jeremiah 2:21). And the prophet Isaiah sings in a song to his beloved, and the entire Scripture testifies accordingly. He says, therefore, that he will in no way drink of this vine until the kingdom of his Father comes. The kingdom of the Father, I believe, is the faith of believers, as the Apostle also confirms: The kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21). Therefore, when the Jews have received the kingdom of the Father (notice that he says Father, not God), every Father is named the Son. When, I say, they have believed in God the Father, and the Father has brought them to the Son, then the Lord will drink of their wine, and, reigning in Egypt in the likeness of Joseph, he will be intoxicated with his brothers (Genesis 43).