1A když bylo ráno, vešli v radu všickni přední kněží {biskupové} a starší lidu proti Ježíšovi, aby jej na smrt vydali. 2I svázavše jej, vedli, a vydali ho Pontskému Pilátovi hejtmanu. 3Tedy vida Jidáš zrádce jeho, že by odsouzen byl, želeje toho, navrátil zase třidceti stříbrných předním kněžím {biskupům} a starším, 4Řka: Zhřešil jsem, zradiv krev nevinnou. Oni pak řekli: Co nám do toho? Ty viz. 5A povrh ty stříbrné v chrámě, odšel pryč, a odšed, oběsil se. 6Přední kněží {biskupové} pak vzavše ty stříbrné, řekli: Neslušíť jich vložiti do pokladnice, nebo mzda krve jest. 7A poradivše se, koupili za ně pole to hrnčířovo, ku pohřebu poutníků. 8Protož nazváno jest pole to pole krve, až do dnešního dne. 9A tehdy naplnilo se povědění proroka řkoucího: A vzali třidceti stříbrných, mzdu ceněného, kterýž šacován byl od synů Izraelských, 10A dali je za pole hrnčířovo, jakož mi ustanovil Pán. 11Ježíš pak stál před vládařem. I otázal se ho vládař, řka: Ty-li jsi ten král Židovský? Ježíš pak řekl jemu: Ty pravíš. 12A když na něj přední kněží {biskupové} a starší žalovali, nic neodpověděl. 13Tedy dí mu Pilát: Neslyšíš-li, kteraké věci proti tobě svědčí? 14Ale neodpověděl jemu ani k jednomu slovu, tak že se vládař velmi divil. 15Měl pak obyčej vládař v svátek propouštěti lidu vězně jednoho, kteréhož by chtěli. 16I měli v ten čas vězně znamenitého, kterýž sloul Barabáš. 17Protož když se lidé sešli, řekl jim Pilát: Kterého chcete, ať vám propustím? Barabáše-li, čili Ježíše, kterýž slove Kristus? 18Nebo věděl, že jej z závisti vydali. 19A když seděl na soudné stolici, poslala k němu žena jeho, řkuci: Nic neměj činiti s spravedlivým tímto, nebo jsem mnoho trpěla dnes ve snách pro něho. 20Ale přední kněží {biskupové} a starší navedli lid, aby prosili za Barabáše, Ježíše pak aby zahubili. 21I odpověděv vládař, řekl jim: Kterého chcete z těch dvou, ať vám propustím? A oni řekli: Barabáše. 22Dí jim Pilát: Co pak učiním s Ježíšem, kterýž slove Kristus? Řekli mu všickni: Ukřižován buď. 23Vládař pak řekl: I což jest zlého učinil? Oni pak více křičeli, řkouce: Ukřižován buď. 24A vida Pilát, že by nic neprospěl, ale že by větší rozbroj byl, vzav vodu, umyl ruce před lidem, řka: Čist jsem od krve spravedlivého tohoto. Vy vizte. 25A odpověděv všecken lid, řekl: Krev jeho na nás i na naše dítky. 26Tedy propustil jim Barabáše, ale Ježíše zbičovav, vydal, aby byl ukřižován. 27Tedy žoldnéři hejtmanovi, vzavše Ježíše do rathouzu, shromáždili k němu všecku rotu. 28A svlékše jej, přioděli ho pláštěm brunátným. 29A spletše korunu z trní, vstavili na hlavu jeho, a dali třtinu v pravou ruku jeho, a klekajíce před ním, posmívali se jemu, řkouce: Zdráv buď, ó králi Židovský. 30A plijíce na něho, brali tu třtinu a bili jej v hlavu. 31A když se mu naposmívali, svlékli s něho plášť, a oblékli jej v roucho jeho. I vedli ho, aby byl ukřižován. 32A vyšedše, nalezli člověka Cyrenenského, jménem Šimona. Toho přinutili, aby nesl kříž jeho. 33I přišedše na místo, kteréž slove Golgota, to jest popravné místo, 34Dali mu píti octa, smíšeného se žlučí. A okusiv, nechtěl píti. 35Ukřižovavše pak jej, rozdělili roucha jeho, mecíce los, aby se naplnilo povědění proroka: Rozdělili sobě roucho mé, a o můj oděv metali los. 36A sedíce, ostříhali ho tu. 37I vstavili nad hlavu jeho vinu jeho napsanou: Totoť jest Ježíš, ten král Židovský. 38I ukřižováni jsou s ním dva lotři, jeden na pravici a druhý na levici. 39Ti pak, kteříž chodili tudy, rouhali se jemu, ukřivujíce hlav svých. 40A říkajíce: Hej, ty jako rušíš chrám a ve třech dnech vzděláváš, pomoziž sám sobě. Jsi-li Syn Boží, sstupiž s kříže. 41Tak podobně i přední kněží {biskupové} posmívajíce se s zákonníky a staršími, pravili: 42Jiným pomáhal, sám sobě nemůž pomoci. Jestliže jest král Izraelský, nech ať nyní sstoupí s kříže, a uvěříme jemu. 43Doufalť v Boha, nech ať ho nyní vysvobodí, chce-liť mu; nebo pravil: Syn Boží jsem. 44Takž také i lotři, kteříž byli s ním ukřižováni, utrhali jemu. 45Od šesté pak hodiny tma se stala po vší zemi až do hodiny deváté. 46A při hodině deváté zvolal Ježíš hlasem velikým, řka: Eli, Eli, lama zabachtani? To jest: Bože můj, Bože můj, proč jsi mne opustil? 47A někteří z těch, kteříž tu stáli, slyšíce, pravili: Eliáše volá tento. 48A hned jeden z nich běžev, a vzav hubu, naplnil ji octem, a vloživ na tresť, napájel ho. 49Ale jiní pravili: Nech tak, pohledíme, přijde-li Eliáš, aby ho vysvobodil. 50Ježíš pak opět zvolav hlasem velikým, vypustil duši. 51A aj, opona chrámová roztrhla se na dvé, od vrchu až dolů, a země se třásla, a skálé se pukalo, 52A hrobové se otvírali, a mnohá těla zesnulých svatých vstala. 53A vyšedše z hrobů po vzkříšení jeho, přišli do svatého města, a ukázali se mnohým. 54Tedy centurio a ti, kteříž s ním ostříhali Ježíše, vidouce země třesení a to, co se dálo, báli se velmi, řkouce: Jistě Syn Boží byl tento. 55Byly také tu ženy mnohé, z daleka se dívajíce, kteréž byly přišly za Ježíšem od Galilee, posluhujíce jemu, 56Mezi nimiž byla Maria Magdaléna, a Maria, matka Jakubova a Jozesova, a matka synů Zebedeových. 57A když byl večer, přišel člověk bohatý z Arimatie, jménem Jozef, kterýž také byl učedlník Ježíšův. 58Ten předstoupil před Piláta, a prosil za tělo Ježíšovo. Tedy Pilát rozkázal dáti tělo. 59A vzav tělo Jozef, obvinul je v plátno čisté. 60A vložil do svého nového hrobu, kterýž byl vytesal v skále; a přivaliv kámen veliký ke dveřům hrobovým, odšel. 61A byla tu Maria Magdaléna, a druhá Maria, sedíce naproti hrobu. 62Druhého pak dne, kterýž byl po velikém pátku, sešli se přední kněží {biskupové} a farizeové ku Pilátovi, 63Řkouce: Pane, rozpomenuli jsme se, že ten svůdce řekl, ještě živ jsa: Po třech dnech vstanu. 64Rozkažiž tedy ostříhati hrobu až do třetího dne, ať by snad učedlníci jeho, přijdouce v noci, neukradli ho, a řekli by lidu: Vstalť jest z mrtvých. I budeť poslední blud horší nežli první. 65Řekl jim Pilát: Máte stráž; jděte, ostříhejte, jakž víte. 66A oni šedše, osadili hrob strážnými, zapečetivše kámen.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 3 JESUS LED AWAY TO PILATE--REMORSE AND SUICIDE OF JUDAS. ( =
Mark 15:1;
Luke 23:1;
John 18:28). (
Matt 27:1-
Matt 27:10)
Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned--The condemnation, even though not unexpected, might well fill him with horror. But perhaps this unhappy man expected, that, while he got the bribe, the Lord would miraculously escape, as He had once and again done before, out of His enemies power: and if so, his remorse would come upon him with all the greater keenness.
repented himself--but, as the issue too sadly showed, it was "the sorrow of the world, which worketh death" (
2Cor 7:10).
and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders--A remarkable illustration of the power of an awakened conscience. A short time before, the promise of this sordid pelf was temptation enough to his covetous heart to outweigh the most overwhelming obligations of duty and love; now, the possession of it so lashes him that he cannot use it, cannot even keep it!
4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood--What a testimony this to Jesus! Judas had been with Him in all circumstances for three years; his post, as treasurer to Him and the Twelve (
John 12:6), gave him peculiar opportunity of watching the spirit, disposition, and habits of his Master; while his covetous nature and thievish practices would incline him to dark and suspicious, rather than frank and generous, interpretations of all that He said and did. If, then, he could have fastened on one questionable feature in all that he had so long witnessed, we may be sure that no such speech as this would ever have escaped his lips, nor would he have been so stung with remorse as not to be able to keep the money and survive his crime.
And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that--"Guilty or innocent is nothing to us: We have Him now--begone!" Was ever speech more hellish uttered?
5 And he cast down the pieces of silver--The sarcastic, diabolical reply which he had got, in place of the sympathy which perhaps he expected, would deepen his remorse into an agony.
in the temple--the temple proper, commonly called "the sanctuary," or "the holy place," into which only the priests might enter. How is this to be explained? Perhaps he flung the money in after them. But thus were fulfilled the words of the prophet--"I cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord" (
Zech 11:13).
and departed, and went and hanged himself--For the details, see on
Acts 1:18.
6 And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury--"the Corban," or chest containing the money dedicated to sacred purposes (see on
Matt 15:5).
because it is the price of blood--How scrupulous now! But those punctilious scruples made them unconsciously fulfil the Scripture.
9 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying-- (
Zech 11:12-
Zech 11:13). Never was a complicated prophecy, otherwise hopelessly dark, more marvellously fulfilled. Various conjectures have been formed to account for Matthew's ascribing to Jeremiah a prophecy found in the book of Zechariah. But since with this book he was plainly familiar, having quoted one of its most remarkable prophecies of Christ but a few chapters before (
Matt 21:4-
Matt 21:5), the question is one more of critical interest than real importance. Perhaps the true explanation is the following, from LIGHTFOOT: "Jeremiah of old had the first place among the prophets, and hereby he comes to be mentioned above all the rest in
Matt 16:14; because he stood first in the volume of the prophets [as he proves from the learned DAVID KIMCHI] therefore he is first named. When, therefore, Matthew produceth a text of Zechariah under the name of JEREMY, he only cites the words of the volume of the prophets under his name who stood first in the volume of the prophets. Of which sort is that also of our Saviour (
Luke 24:41), "All things must be fulfilled which are written of Me in the Law, and the Prophets, and the Psalms," or the Book of Hagiographa, in which the Psalms were placed first."
51 SIGNS AND CIRCUMSTANCES FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF THE LORD JESUS--HE IS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS, AND BURIED--THE SEPULCHRE IS GUARDED. ( =
Mark 15:38-
Mark 15:47;
Luke 23:47-
Luke 23:56;
John 19:31-
John 19:42). (Mat. 27:51-66)
And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom--This was the thick and gorgeously wrought veil which was hung between the "holy place" and the "holiest of all," shutting out all access to the presence of God as manifested "from above the mercy seat and from between the cherubim"--"the Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest" (
Heb 9:8). Into this holiest of all none might enter, not even the high priest, save once a year, on the great day of atonement, and then only with the blood of atonement in his hands, which he sprinkled "upon and before the mercy seat seven times" (
Lev 16:14) --to signify that access for sinners to a holy God is only through atoning blood. But as they had only the blood of bulls and of goats, which could not take away sins (
Heb 10:4), during all the long ages that preceded the death of Christ the thick veil remained; the blood of bulls and of goats continued to be shed and sprinkled; and once a year access to God through an atoning sacrifice was vouchsafed--in a picture, or rather, was dramatically represented, in those symbolical actions--nothing more. But now, the one atoning Sacrifice being provided in the precious blood of Christ, access to this holy God could no longer be denied; and so the moment the Victim expired on the altar, that thick veil which for so many ages had been the dread symbol of separation between God and guilty men was, without a hand touching it, mysteriously "rent in twain from top to bottom"--"the Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was NOW made manifest!" How emphatic the statement, from top to bottom; as if to say, Come boldly now to the Throne of Grace; the veil is clean gone; the mercy seat stands open to the gaze of sinners, and the way to it is sprinkled with the blood of Him--"who through the eternal Spirit hath offered Himself without spot to God!" Before, it was death to go in, now it is death to stay out. See more on this glorious subject on
Heb 10:19-
Heb 10:22.
An Earthquake--The Rocks Rent--The Graves Opened, that the Saints Which Slept in Them Might Come Forth after Their Lord's Resurrection (
Matt 27:51-
Matt 27:53).
51 and the earth did quake--From what follows it would seem that this earthquake was local, having for its object the rending of the rocks and the opening of the graves.
and the rocks rent--"were rent"--the physical creation thus sublimely proclaiming, at the bidding of its Maker, the concussion which at that moment was taking place in the moral world at the most critical moment of its history. Extraordinary rents and fissures have been observed in the rocks near this spot.
52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose--These sleeping saints (see on
1Thess 4:14) were Old Testament believers, who--according to the usual punctuation in our version--were quickened into resurrection life at the moment of their Lord's death, but lay in their graves till His resurrection, when they came forth. But it is far more natural, as we think, and consonant with other Scriptures, to understand that only the graves were opened, probably by the earthquake, at our Lord's death, and this only in preparation for the subsequent exit of those who slept in them, when the Spirit of life should enter into them from their risen Lord, and along with Him they should come forth, trophies of His victory over the grave. Thus, in the opening of the graves at the moment of the Redeemer's expiring, there was a glorious symbolical proclamation that the death which had just taken place had "swallowed up death in victory"; and whereas the saints that slept in them were awakened only by their risen Lord, to accompany Him out of the tomb, it was fitting that "the Prince of Life . . . should be the First that should rise from the dead" (
Acts 26:23;
1Cor 15:20,
1Cor 15:23;
Col 1:18;
Rev 1:5).
and went into the holy city--that city where He, in virtue of whose resurrection they were now alive, had been condemned.
and appeared unto many--that there might be undeniable evidence of their own resurrection first, and through it of their Lord's. Thus, while it was not deemed fitting that He Himself should appear again in Jerusalem, save to the disciples, provision was made that the fact of His resurrection should be left in no doubt. It must be observed, however, that the resurrection of these sleeping saints was not like those of the widow of Nain's son, of Jairus' daughter, of Lazarus, and of the man who "revived and stood upon his feet," on his dead body touching the bones of Elisha (
2Kgs 13:21) --which were mere temporary recallings of the departed spirit to the mortal body, to be followed by a final departure of it "till the trumpet shall sound." But this was a resurrection once for all, to life everlasting; and so there is no room to doubt that they went to glory with their Lord, as bright trophies of His victory over death.
The Centurion's Testimony (
Matt 27:54).
54 Now when the centurion--the military superintendent of the execution.
and they that were with him watching Jesus, saw the earthquake--or felt it and witnessed its effects.
and those things that were done--reflecting upon the entire transaction.
they feared greatly--convinced of the presence of a Divine Hand.
saying, Truly this was the Son of God--There cannot be a reasonable doubt that this expression was used in the Jewish sense, and that it points to the claim which Jesus made to be the Son of God, and on which His condemnation expressly turned. The meaning, then, clearly is that He must have been what He professed to be; in other words, that He was no impostor. There was no medium between those two. See, the similar testimony of the penitent thief--"This man hath done nothing amiss"--on
Luke 23:41.
The Galilean Women (
Matt 27:55-
Matt 27:56).
55 And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus--The sense here would be better brought out by the use of the pluperfect, "which had followed Jesus."
from Galilee, ministering unto him--As these dear women had ministered to Him during His glorious missionary tours in Galilee (see on
Luke 8:1-
Luke 8:3), so from this statement it should seem that they accompanied him and ministered to His wants from Galilee on His final journey to Jerusalem.
56 Among which was Mary Magdalene--(See on
Luke 8:2).
and Mary the mother of James and Joses--the wife of Cleophas, or rather Clopas, and sister of the Virgin (
John 19:25). See on
Matt 13:55-
Matt 13:56.
and the mother of Zebedee's children--that is, Salome: compare
Mark 15:40. All this about the women is mentioned for the sake of what is afterwards to be related of their purchasing spices to anoint their Lord's body.
The Taking Down from the Cross and the Burial (
Matt 27:57-
Matt 27:60).
For the exposition of this portion, see on
John 19:38-
John 19:42.
The Women Mark the Sacred Spot that They Might Recognize It on Coming Thither to Anoint the Body (
Matt 27:61).
61 And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary--"the mother of James and Joses," mentioned before (
Matt 27:56).
sitting over against the sepulchre--(See on
Mark 16:1).
The Sepulchre Guarded (
Matt 27:62-
Matt 27:66).
62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation--that is, after six o'clock of our Saturday evening. The crucifixion took place on the Friday and all was not over till shortly before sunset, when the Jewish sabbath commenced; and "that sabbath day was an high day" (
John 19:31), being the first day of the feast of unleavened bread. That day being over at six on Saturday evening, they hastened to take their measures.
63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver--Never, remarks BENGEL, will you find the heads of the people calling Jesus by His own name. And yet here there is betrayed a certain uneasiness, which one almost fancies they only tried to stifle in their own minds, as well as crush in Pilate's, in case he should have any lurking suspicion that he had done wrong in yielding to them.
said, while he was yet alive--Important testimony this, from the lips of His bitterest enemies, to the reality of Christ's death; the corner-stone of the whole Christian religion.
After three days--which, according to the customary Jewish way of reckoning, need signify no more than "after the commencement of the third day."
I will rise again--"I rise," in the present tense, thus reporting not only the fact that this prediction of His had reached their ears, but that they understood Him to look forward confidently to its occurring on the very day named.
64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure--by a Roman guard.
until the third day--after which, if He still lay in the grave, the imposture of His claims would be manifest to all.
and say unto the people, he is risen from the dead--Did they really fear this?
so the last error shall be worse than the first--the imposture of His pretended resurrection worse than that of His pretended Messiahship.
65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch--The guards had already acted under orders of the Sanhedrim, with Pilate's consent; but probably they were not clear about employing them as a night watch without Pilate's express authority.
go your way, make it as sure as ye can--as ye know how, or in the way ye deem securest. Though there may be no irony in this speech, it evidently insinuated that if the event should be contrary to their wish, it would not be for want of sufficient human appliances to prevent it.
66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone--which Mark (
Mark 16:4) says was "very great."
and setting a watch--to guard it. What more could man do? But while they are trying to prevent the resurrection of the Prince of Life, God makes use of their precautions for His own ends. Their stone-covered, seal-secured sepulchre shall preserve the sleeping dust of the Son of God free from all indignities, in undisturbed, sublime repose; while their watch shall be His guard of honor until the angels shall come to take their place.