TRV
Jerome
Nicene & Post-Nicene · AD 325–500 · 5,299 passages across 63 books
Commentary
Matthew 26:45-46
· 2 passages
Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Having concluded His third prayer, and having obtained that the Apostles' terror should be corrected by subsequent penitence, He goes forth undaunted by the prospect of His own Passion to meet His pursuers, and offers Himself voluntarily to be sacrificed. Arise, let us be going; as much as to say, Let them not find you trembling, let us go forth willingly to death, that they may see us confident and rejoicing in suffering; Lo, he that shall betray me draweth near.
(Verse 45.) Then he came to his disciples and said to them: Sleep now, and rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of sinners (Matthew 26 and 2 Corinthians 13). After he had prayed three times, that every word might stand in the mouth of two or three witnesses, and had obtained by subsequent penance that the fear of the apostles be corrected, he proceeds secure in his passion to his persecutors, and offers himself to be put to death, and says to his disciples:
Matthew 26:46-47
Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.
(Verse 46, 47) Get up, let's go, behold the one who will betray me is approaching. While He was still speaking, behold Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and elders of the people. Let us not be found as if fearing and retreating, let us willingly go towards death, so that they may see the confidence and joy we will endure.
Matthew 26:48
· 2 passages
Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.
(Verse 48.) But he who betrayed him gave them a sign, saying: Whomever I shall kiss, that is he, hold him fast. Miserable Judas, and yet not pitiable, with the same unfaithfulness with which he betrayed his master and Lord, he believed that the signs which he had seen the Savior performing were not done by divine majesty, but by magical skills. And because he had heard that he was transfigured on the mountain, he feared that he might slip away from the hands of the attendants through a similar transformation. Therefore, he gave a sign so that they would know that it was him, whom he demonstrated with a kiss.
It was shameless indeed and a sign of broken trust to call him master and to plant a kiss on the one he betrayed. But Judas still has something of the modesty of a disciple, for he does not deliver up Christ to his persecutors openly but with the sign of a kiss. This is the mark which God put on Cain lest anyone who came upon him should kill him. .
Matthew 26:49
And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.
(Verse 49.) And immediately coming to Jesus, he said, Hail, Rabbi! And he kissed him. Shameless indeed and wickedly confident, to call the master and to throw a kiss to the one he was handing over. Nevertheless, the disciple still has something of discretion, as he does not openly hand him over to the persecutors, but through the sign of a kiss. This is the sign that God placed on Cain, so that whoever found him would not kill him (Genesis 4).
Matthew 26:50
And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.
(Verse 50.) And Jesus said to him: Friend, why have you come? Then they drew near and laid hands on Jesus, and seized him. The word 'Friend' should be understood either in the opposite sense, or certainly according to what we have read above: Friend, how did you enter here without a wedding garment? (Matt. XXII, 12)?
Matthew 26:51
· 2 passages
And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear.
(Verse 51) And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, and striking the high priest's servant, cut off his ear. In another gospel, it is written that Peter did this with the same zeal as the other things. The servant of the high priest is also called Malchus: the ear that was cut off is the right one. By way of a passing remark, it should be said that Malchus, meaning the former king of the Jewish people, became a servant of the impious and devouring priests. And he may have lost his right ear, so that he hears all the worthlessness of letters in his left: but the Lord in those who wanted to believe from the Jews restored the right ear, and made them a royal and priestly people.
In another Gospel, (John 18:10.) Peter is represented as having done this, and with his usual hastiness; and that the servant's name was Malchus, and that the ear was the right ear. In passing we may say, that Malchus, i. e. one who should have been king of the Jews, was made the slave of the ungodliness and the greediness of the Priests, and lost his right ear so that he might hear only the worthlessness of the letter in his left. With what sword then shall he perish, that takes the sword? By that fiery sword which waves before the gate of paradise, and that sword of the Spirit which is described in the armour of God. That is to say, I need not the aid of the Apostles, though all the twelve should fight for me, seeing I could have twelve legions of the Angelic army. The complement of a legion among the ancients was six thousand men; twelve legions then are seventy-two thousand Angels, being as many as the divisions of the human race and languaget. This speech shows a mind willing to suffer; vainly would the Prophets have prophesied truly, unless the Lord asserts their truth by Hi…
In another Gospel, (John 18:10.) Peter is represented as having done this, and with his usual hastiness; and that the servant's name was Malchus, and that the ear was the right ear. In passing we may say, that Malchus, i. e. one who should have been king of the Jews, was made the slave of the ungodliness and the greediness of the Priests, and lost his right ear so that he might hear only the worthlessness of the letter in his left.
With what sword then shall he perish, that takes the sword? By that fiery sword which waves before the gate of paradise, and that sword of the Spirit which is described in the armour of God.
That is to say, I need not the aid of the Apostles, though all the twelve should fight for me, seeing I could have twelve legions of the Angelic army. The complement of a legion among the ancients was six thousand men; twelve legions then are seventy-two thousand Angels, being as many as the divisions of the human race and languaget.
This speech shows a mind willing to suffer; vainly would the Prophets have prophesied truly, unless the Lord asserts their truth by His suffering.
With what sword then shall he perish, that takes the sword? By that fiery sword which waves before the gate of paradise, and that sword of the Spirit which is described in the armour of God.
That is to say, I need not the aid of the Apostles, though all the twelve should fight for me, seeing I could have twelve legions of the Angelic army. The complement of a legion among the ancients was six thousand men; twelve legions then are seventy-two thousand Angels, being as many as the divisions of the human race and languaget.
This speech shows a mind willing to suffer; vainly would the Prophets have prophesied truly, unless the Lord asserts their truth by His suffering.
Matthew 26:52
Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
(Verse 52.) Then Jesus said to him: Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. And if one does not carry a sword in vain, who is appointed as the avenger of the Lord's wrath against those who do evil: nevertheless, whoever takes up the sword will perish by the sword. Which sword? That same one which turns fiery before Paradise (Genesis 3): and the sword of the spirit, which is described as the armor of God (Ephesians 6).
Matthew 26:53-54
Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
(Verse 53, 54.) Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen this way? I do not need the help of twelve apostles, even if they all defended me. I could have twelve legions of angelic armies. In ancient times, one legion consisted of six thousand men. In order to keep this brief, I will not go into the exact number for now. Just know that seventy-two thousand angels, divided into twelve legions, is the approximate count for the number of nations divided by language. The following sentence demonstrates a ready mind to suffer, because the prophets sang in vain unless the Lord truly affirmed their words by his own suffering.
Matthew 26:55
· 2 passages
In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.
(Verse 55.) At that hour Jesus said to the crowds: Are you coming out with swords and clubs to arrest me like a robber? Every day I was sitting in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. It is foolish, he said, to seek him with swords and clubs, who willingly surrenders himself to your hands, and to search for him like a lurking fugitive in the night, and to investigate him through a betrayer, who teaches in the temple every day. But you are gathering against me in the darkness, because your power is in darkness.
This speech shows a mind willing to suffer; vainly would the Prophets have prophesied truly, unless the Lord asserts their truth by His suffering.
It is folly then to seek with swords and staves Him who offers Himself to your hands, and with a traitor to hunt out, as though lurking under cover of night, one who is daily teaching in the temple.
They pierced my hands and my feet; (Ps. 22:16.) and in another place, He is led as a sheep to the slaughter; (Is. 53:7, 8.) and, By the iniquities of my people was He led to death.
But Josephus writesu, that this Caiaphas had purchased the priesthood of a single year, notwithstanding that Moses, at God's command, had directed that High Priests should succeed hereditarily, and that in the Priests likewise succession by birth should be followed up. No wonder then that an unrighteous High Priest should judge unrighteously.
He went in, either out of the attachment of a disciple, or natural curiosity, seeking to know what sentence the High Priest would pass, whether death, or scourging.
It is folly then to seek with swords and staves Him who offers Himself to your hands, and with a traitor to hunt out, as though lurking under cover of night, one who is daily teaching in the temple.
They pierced my hands and my feet; (Ps. 22:16.) and in another place, He is led as a sheep to the slaughter; (Is. 53:7, 8.) and, By the iniquities of my people was He led to death.
But Josephus writesu, that this Caiaphas had purchased the priesthood of a single year, notwithstanding that Moses, at God's command, had directed that High Priests should succeed hereditarily, and that in the Priests likewise succession by birth should be followed up. No wonder then that an unrighteous High Priest should judge unrighteously.
He went in, either out of the attachment of a disciple, or natural curiosity, seeking to know what sentence the High Priest would pass, whether death, or scourging.
Matthew 26:56
But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.
(Verse 56.) But all this has happened so that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples, leaving him, fled. What are the Scriptures of the prophets? They have pierced my hands and feet (Psalm 22:17); and elsewhere: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7). And in another place: He was led to death because of the iniquities of my people (Ibid., sec. 70).
Matthew 26:57
· 2 passages
And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.
In accordance with God’s command, Moses ordered that high priests should succeed their fathers and a line of descent should be woven among priests. Josephus relates that the disreputable Caiaphas purchased the high priesthood from Herod for one year only. No wonder, then, the dishonorable high priest judges dishonorably.
(Verse 57.) And they who were holding Jesus led Him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. Moses, by God's command, had decreed that the priests should succeed their fathers, and that the line of succession should be preserved among the priests (Exodus 29). Josephus reports that Caiaphas purchased his high priesthood from Herod for a sum of money for only one year. Therefore, it is not surprising if this wicked high priest judges unjustly.
Matthew 26:58
· 2 passages
But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.
(Verse 58.) But Peter followed Him from afar off, even unto the palace of the high priest. He followed Him from afar off, who was to deny the Lord.
Either out of a disciple’s love or out of human curiosity, Peter wanted to know what judgment the high priest would make concerning the Lord: whether he would have Christ put to death or beaten with whips. There is a difference between the eleven apostles and Peter at this point. They fled, whereas he followed the Savior from a distance.
Matthew 26:59-60
· 2 passages
Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;
(V. 59, 60.) And entering inside, he sat with the ministers, to see the end. But the chief priests and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus, so that they could deliver him to death. And they did not find any, although many false witnesses came forward. Whether out of love for his disciples or out of human curiosity, the high priest wanted to know what he would decide about the Lord: whether he would condemn him to death or release him after beating him. And there was a difference of opinion among the ten apostles and Peter. Those (people) flee, but this one, although far away, still follows the Savior.
How can they be false witnesses if they said what we read the Lord had said before? Because a false witness takes the truth and twists its meaning. The Lord had spoken of the temple of his body, but they falsely accused him with those very words. With a few things added or changed, they made it into an understandably false accusation. The Savior had said, “Destroy this temple.” They changed his words to say, “I can destroy God’s temple.” … But the Lord, indicating the living and breathing temple, had said, “And in three days I will raise it up.” It is one thing to build and another to raise up.