^26:50Jesus⁶⁰ said to him, “Friend, do what you are here to do.” Then they came and took hold⁶¹ of Jesus and arrested him. ^26:51But⁶² one of those with Jesus grabbed⁶³ his sword, drew it out, and struck the high priest’s slave,⁶⁴ cutting off his ear. ^26:52Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back in its place!⁶⁵ For all who take hold of the sword will die by the sword. ^26:53Or do you think that I cannot call on my Father, and that he would send me more than twelve legions⁶⁶ of angels right now? ^26:54How then would the scriptures that say it must happen this way be fulfilled?” ^26:55At that moment Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me like you would an outlaw?⁶⁷ Day after day I sat teaching in the temple courts, yet⁶⁸ you did not arrest me. ^26:56But this has happened so that⁶⁹ the scriptures of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.

Condemned by the Sanhedrin

^26:57Now the ones who had arrested Jesus led him to Caiaphas, the high priest, in whose house⁷⁰ the experts in the law⁷¹ and the elders had gathered. ^26:58But Peter was following him from a distance, all the way to the high priest’s courtyard. After⁷² going in, he sat with the guards⁷³ to see the outcome. ^26:59The⁷⁴ chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were trying to find false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death. ^26:60But they did not find anything, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally⁷⁵ two came forward ^26:61and declared, “This man⁷⁶ said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’ ” ^26:62So⁷⁷ the high priest stood up and said to him, “Have you no answer? What is this that they are testifying against you?” ^26:63But Jesus was silent. The⁷⁸ high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ,⁷⁹ the Son of God.” ^26:64Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand⁸⁰ of the Power⁸¹ and coming on the clouds of heaven.”⁸²^26:65Then the high priest tore his clothes and declared,⁸³ “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? Now⁸⁴ you have heard the blasphemy! ^26:66What is your verdict?”⁸⁵ They⁸⁶ answered, “He is guilty and deserves⁸⁷ death.” ^26:67Then they spat in his face and struck him with their fists. And some slapped him, ^26:68saying, “Prophesy for us, you Christ!⁸⁸ Who hit you?”⁸⁹

Peter’s Denials

^26:69Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A⁹⁰ slave girl⁹¹ came to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” ^26:70But he denied it in front of them all:⁹² “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” ^26:71When⁹³ he went out to the gateway, another slave girl⁹⁴ saw him and said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.” ^26:72He denied it again with an oath, “I do not know the man!” ^26:73After⁹⁵ a little while, those standing there came up to Peter and said, “You really are one of them too—even your accent⁹⁶ gives you away!” ^26:74At that he began to curse, and he swore with an oath, “I do not know the man!” At that moment a rooster crowed.⁹⁷^26:75Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.⁹⁸

Jesus Brought Before Pilate

^27:1When¹ it was early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to execute him. ^27:2They² tied him up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate³ the governor.⁴

Judas’ Suicide

^27:3Now when⁵ Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus⁶ had been condemned, he regretted what he had done and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders, ^27:4saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood!” But they said, “What is that to us? You take care of it yourself!” ^27:5So⁷ Judas threw the silver coins into the temple and left. Then he went out and hanged himself. ^27:6The⁸ chief priests took the silver and said, “It is not lawful to put this into the temple treasury, since it is blood money.” ^27:7After⁹ consulting together they bought the Potter’s Field with it, as a burial place for foreigners. ^27:8For this reason that field has been called the “Field of Blood” to this day. ^27:9Then what was spoken by Jeremiah¹⁰ the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty silver coins, the price of the one whose price had been set by the people of Israel,¹¹^27:10and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”¹²

Jesus and Pilate

^27:11Then¹³ Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him,¹⁴ “Are you the king¹⁵ of the Jews?” Jesus¹⁶ said, “You say so.”¹⁷^27:12But when he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he did not respond. ^27:13Then Pilate said to him, “Don’t you hear how many charges they are bringing against you?” ^27:14But he did not answer even one accusation, so that the governor was quite amazed.

^27:15During the feast the governor was accustomed to release one prisoner to the crowd,¹⁸ whomever they wanted. ^27:16At that time they had in custody a notorious prisoner named Jesus¹⁹ Barabbas. ^27:17So after they had assembled, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus²⁰ Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Christ?”²¹^27:18(For he knew that they had handed him over because of envy.)²²^27:19As²³ he was sitting on the judgment seat,²⁴ his wife sent a message²⁵ to him:²⁶ “Have nothing to do with that innocent man;²⁷ I have suffered greatly as a result of a dream²⁸ about him today.” ^27:20But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. ^27:21The²⁹ governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas!” ^27:22Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?”³⁰ They all said, “Crucify him!”³¹^27:23He asked, “Why? What wrong has he done?” But they shouted more insistently, “Crucify him!”

Jesus is Condemned and Mocked

^27:24When³² Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but that instead a riot was starting, he took some water, washed his hands before the crowd and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. You take care of it yourselves!”³³^27:25In³⁴ reply all the people said, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!” ^27:26Then he released Barabbas for them. But after he had Jesus flogged,³⁵ he handed him over³⁶ to be crucified.³⁷^27:27Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s residence³⁸ and gathered the whole cohort³⁹ around him. ^27:28They⁴⁰ stripped him and put a scarlet robe⁴¹ around him, ^27:29and after braiding⁴² a crown of thorns,⁴³ they put it on his head. They⁴⁴ put a staff⁴⁵ in his right hand, and kneeling down before him, they mocked him:⁴⁶ “Hail, king of the Jews!”⁴⁷^27:30They⁴⁸ spat on him and took the staff⁴⁹ and struck him repeatedly⁵⁰ on the head. ^27:31When⁵¹ they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes back on him. Then⁵² they led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion

^27:32As⁵³ they were going out, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon, whom they forced⁵⁴ to carry his cross.⁵⁵^27:33They⁵⁶ came to a place called Golgotha⁵⁷ (which means “Place of the Skull”)⁵⁸^27:34and offered Jesus⁵⁹ wine mixed with gall to drink.⁶⁰ But after tasting it, he would not drink it. ^27:35When⁶¹ they had crucified⁶² him, they divided his clothes by throwing dice.⁶³^27:36Then they sat down and kept guard over him there. ^27:37Above⁶⁴ his head they put the charge against him,⁶⁵ which read:⁶⁶ “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.” ^27:38Then two outlaws were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. ^27:39Those⁶⁷ who passed by defamed him, shaking their heads ^27:40and saying, “You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself!⁶⁸ If you are God’s Son, come down⁶⁹ from the cross!” ^27:41In⁷⁰ the same way even the chief priests—together with the experts in the law⁷¹ and elders⁷²—were mocking him:⁷³^27:42“He saved others, but he cannot save himself! He is the king of Israel! If he comes down⁷⁴ now from the cross, we will believe in him! ^27:43He trusts in God—let God, if he wants to, deliver him now⁷⁵ because he said, ‘I am God’s Son’!” ^27:44The⁷⁶ robbers who were crucified with him also spoke abusively to him.⁷⁷

Jesus’ Death

^27:45Now from noon until three,⁷⁸ darkness came over all the land.⁷⁹^27:46At⁸⁰ about three o’clock Jesus shouted with a loud voice,⁸¹ “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”⁸²^27:47When⁸³ some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” ^27:48Immediately⁸⁴ one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine,⁸⁵ put it on a stick,⁸⁶ and gave it to him to drink. ^27:49But the rest said, “Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah will come to save him.”⁸⁷^27:50Then Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit.

Read in Logos

Matthew 26:56: “But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.

Footnotes

60 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
61 Grk “and put their hands on Jesus.”
62 Grk “And behold one.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis ( 1).
63 Grk “extending his hand, drew out his sword, and struck.” Because rapid motion is implied in the circumstances, the translation “grabbed” was used.
64 See the note on the word “slave” in .
65 The translation “put your sword back in its place” for this phrase is given in L&N 85.52.
66 A legion was a Roman army unit of about 6,000 soldiers, so twelve legions would be 72,000.
67 Or “a revolutionary.” This term can refer to one who stirs up rebellion: λῃστής 2 has “revolutionary, insurrectionist, guerrilla” citing evidence from Josephus ( 2.13.2–3 [2.253–254]). However, this usage generally postdates Jesus’ time. It does refer to a figure of violence. Luke uses the same term for the highwaymen who attack the traveler in the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:30).
68 Grk “and” (καί, kai), a conjunction that is elastic enough to be used to indicate a contrast, as here.
69 Grk “But so that”; the verb “has happened” is implied.
70 Grk “where.”
71 Or “where the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in .
72 Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
73 The guards would have been the guards of the chief priests who had accompanied Judas to arrest Jesus.
74 Grk “Now the.” Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
75 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
76 Grk “This one.”
77 Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the false testimony.
78 Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
79 Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” See the note on Christ in .
80 An allusion to Ps 110:1. This is a claim that Jesus shares authority with God in heaven. Those present may have thought they were his judges, but, in fact, the reverse was true.
81 The expression the right hand of the Power is a circumlocution for referring to God. Such indirect references to God were common in 1st century Judaism out of reverence for the divine name.
82 An allusion to Dan 7:13 (see also Matt 24:30).
83 Grk “the high priest tore his clothes, saying.”
84 Grk “Behold now.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis ( 1).
85 Grk “What do you think?”
86 Grk “answering, they said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
87 Grk “he is guilty of death.” L&N 88.313 states, “pertaining to being guilty and thus deserving some particular penalty—‘guilty and deserving, guilty and punishable by.’ οἱ δὲ ἀποκριθέντες εἶπαν, Ἐνοχος θανάτου ἐστίν ‘they answered, He is guilty and deserves death’ Mt 26:66.”
88 Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” See the note on Christ in .
89 Grk “Who is the one who hit you?” Who hit you? This is a variation of one of three ancient games that involved blindfolds.
90 Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
91 The Greek term here is παιδίσκη (paidiskē), referring to a slave girl or slave woman.
92 Grk “he denied it … saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
93 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
94 The words “slave girl” are not in the Greek text, but are implied by the feminine singular form ἄλλη (allē).
95 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
96 Grk “your speech.”
97 It seems most likely that this refers to a real rooster crowing, although a number of scholars have suggested that “cockcrow” is a technical term referring to the trumpet call which ended the third watch of the night (from midnight to 3 a.m.). This would then be a reference to the Roman gallicinium (ἀλεκτοροφωνία, alektorophōnia; the term is used in Mark 13:35 and is found in some [𝔓37vid,45 f1] in Matt 26:34) which would have been sounded at 3 a.m.; in this case Jesus would have prophesied a precise time by which the denials would have taken place. For more details see J. H. Bernard, St. John (), 2:. However, in light of the fact that Mark mentions the rooster crowing twice (Mark 14:72) and in Luke 22:60 the words are reversed (ἐφώνησεν ἀλέκτωρ, ephōnēsen alektōr), it is more probable that a real rooster is in view. In any event natural cockcrow would have occurred at approximately 3 a.m. in Palestine at this time of year (March–April) anyway.
98 When Peter went out and wept bitterly it shows he really did not want to fail here and was deeply grieved that he had.
1 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
2 Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
3 Most (A C W Θ 0250 f1,13 𝔐 latt) have Ποντίῳ (Pontiō, “Pontius”) before Πιλάτῳ (Pilatō, “Pilate”), but there seems to be no reason for omitting the tribal name, either intentionally or unintentionally. Adding “Pontius,” however, is a natural expansion on the text, and is in keeping with several other NT and patristic references to the Roman governor (cf. Luke 3:1; Acts 4:27; 1 Tim 6:13; Magn. 11.1; Trall. 9.1; Smyrn. 1.2; Justin Martyr, passim). The shorter reading, supported by א B L 0281 33 co, is thus strongly preferred.
4 The Jews most assuredly wanted to put Jesus to death, but they lacked the authority to do so. For this reason they handed him over to Pilate in hopes of securing a death sentence. The Romans kept close control of the death penalty in conquered territories to prevent it from being used to execute Roman sympathizers.
5 Grk “Then when.” Here τότε (tote) has been translated as “now” to indicate a somewhat parenthetical interlude in the sequence of events.
6 Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7 Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the leaders’ response to Judas.
8 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
9 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
10 The problematic citing of Jeremiah for a text which appears to come from Zechariah has prompted certain scribes to alter it. Codex 22 has Ζαχαρίου (Zachariou, “Zechariah”) while Φ 33 omit the prophet’s name altogether. And codex 21 and the Latin l change the prophet’s name to “Isaiah,” in accordance with natural scribal proclivities to alter the text toward the most prominent OT prophet. But unquestionably the name Jeremiah is the wording of the original here, because it is supported by virtually all witnesses and because it is the harder reading. See D. A. Carson, “Matthew,” 8:, for a discussion of the textual and especially hermeneutical problem.
11 Grk “the sons of Israel,” an idiom referring to the people of Israel as an ethnic entity (L&N 11.58).
12 The source of this citation is debated (see the note on Jeremiah in v. above for a related discussion). The quotation is most closely related to Zech 11:12–13, but the reference to Jeremiah in v. 9 as the source leads one to look there as well. There is no exact match for this text in Jeremiah, but there are some conceptual parallels: In Jer 18:2–6 the prophet visits a potter, and in Jer 32:6–15 he buys a field. D. A. Carson argues that Jer 19:1–13 is the source of the quotation augmented with various phrases drawn from Zech 11:12–13 (“Matthew,” 8:). W. D. Davies and D. C. Allison argue that the reference to Jeremiah is not meant to refer to one specific text from that prophet, but instead to signal that his writings as a whole are a source from which the quotation is drawn (Matthew [], 3:). Although the exact source of the citation is uncertain, it is reasonable to see texts from the books of Jeremiah and Zechariah both coming into play here.
13 Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
14 Grk “asked him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
15 “Are you the king of the Jews?” Pilate was interested in this charge because of its political implications of sedition against Rome.
16 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
17 The reply “You say so” is somewhat enigmatic, like Jesus’ earlier reply to the Jewish leadership in 26:64.
18 The custom of Pilate to release one prisoner is unknown outside the gospels in Jewish writings, but it was a Roman custom at the time and thus probably used in Palestine as well (cf. Matt 27:15; John 18:39).
19 Although the external evidence for the inclusion of “Jesus” before “Barabbas” (in vv. 16 and 17) is rather sparse, being restricted virtually to the Caesarean text (Θ f1 700* sys), the omission of the Lord’s name in apposition to “Barabbas” is such a strongly motivated reading that it can hardly be original. There is no good explanation for a scribe unintentionally adding Ἰησοῦν (Iēsoun) before Βαραββᾶν (Barabban), especially since Barabbas is mentioned first in each verse (thus dittography is ruled out). Further, the addition of τὸν λεγόμενον Χριστόν (ton legomenon Christon, “who is called Christ”) to Ἰησοῦν in v. 17 makes better sense if Barabbas is also called “Jesus” (otherwise, a mere “Jesus” would have been a sufficient appellation to distinguish the two).
20 Again, as in v. 16, the name “Jesus” is supplied before “Barabbas” in Θ f1 700* sys Ormss (Θ 700* lack the article τόν [ton] before Βαραββᾶν [Barabban]). The same argument for accepting the inclusion of “Jesus” as original in the previous verse applies here as well.
21 Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” See the note on Christ in .
22 This is a parenthetical note by the author.
23 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
24 Or “the judge’s seat.” The judgment seat (βῆμα, bēma) was a raised platform mounted by steps and usually furnished with a seat. It was used by officials in addressing an assembly or making official pronouncements, often of a judicial nature.
25 The word “message” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
26 Grk “saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
27 The Greek particle γάρ (gar, “for”) has not been translated here.
28 Or “suffered greatly in a dream.” See the discussion on the construction κατʼ ὄναρ (kat’ onar) in ὄναρ.
29 Grk “answering, the governor said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
30 Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” See the note on Christ in .
31 Grk “Him—be crucified!” The third person imperative is difficult to translate because English has no corresponding third person form for the imperative. The traditional translation “Let him be crucified” sounds as if the crowd is giving consent or permission. “He must be crucified” is closer, but it is more natural in English to convert the passive to active and simply say “Crucify him.” See the note on crucified in .
32 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
33 You take care of it yourselves! Compare the response of the chief priests and elders to Judas in 27:4. The expression is identical except that in 27:4 it is singular and here it is plural.
34 Grk “answering, all the people said.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
35 The Greek term φραγελλόω (phragelloō) refers to flogging. states, “flog, scourge, a punishment inflicted on slaves and provincials after a sentence of death had been pronounced on them. So in the case of Jesus before the crucifixion … Mt 27:26; Mk 15:15.” A Roman flogging (traditionally, “scourging”) was an excruciating punishment. The victim was stripped of his clothes and bound to a post with his hands fastened above him (or sometimes he was thrown to the ground). Guards standing on either side of the victim would incessantly beat him with a whip (flagellum) made out of leather with pieces of lead and bone inserted into its ends. While the Jews only allowed 39 lashes, the Romans had no such limit; many people who received such a beating died as a result. See C. Schneider, , 515–19.
36 Or “delivered him up.”
37 See the note on crucified in .
38 Or “into their headquarters”; Grk “into the praetorium.” The governor’s residence (Grk “praetorium”) was the Roman governor’s official residence. The one in Jerusalem may have been Herod’s palace in the western part of the city, or the fortress Antonia northwest of the temple area.
39 A Roman cohort was a tenth of a legion, about 500–600 soldiers.
40 Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
41 The scarlet robe probably refers to a military garment which had the color of royal purple, and thus resembled a king’s robe. The soldiers did this to Jesus as a form of mockery in view of the charges that he was a king.
42 Or “weaving.”
43 The crown may have been made from palm spines or some other thorny plant common in Israel. In placing the crown of thorns on his head, the soldiers were unwittingly symbolizing God’s curse on humanity (cf. Gen 3:18) being placed on Jesus. Their purpose would have been to mock Jesus’ claim to be a king; the crown of thorns would have represented the “radiant corona” portrayed on the heads of rulers on coins and other artifacts in the 1st century.
44 Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
45 Or “a reed.” The Greek term can mean either “staff” or “reed.” See κάλαμος 2.
46 Grk “they mocked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated.
47 Or “Long live the King of the Jews!” The statement Hail, King of the Jews! is a mockery patterned after the Romans’ cry of Ave, Caesar (“Hail, Caesar!”).
48 Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
49 Or “the reed.”
50 The verb here has been translated as an iterative imperfect.
51 Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
52 Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
53 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
54 Or “conscripted”; or “pressed into service.”
55 Jesus was beaten severely with a whip before this (the prelude to crucifixion, known to the Romans as verberatio, mentioned in Matt 27:26; Mark 15:15; John 19:1), so he would have been weak from trauma and loss of blood. Apparently he was unable to bear the cross himself, so Simon was conscripted to help (in all probability this was only the crossbeam, called in Latin the patibulum, since the upright beam usually remained in the ground at the place of execution). Cyrene was located in North Africa where Tripoli is today. Nothing more is known about this Simon. Mark 15:21 names him as father of two people apparently known to Mark’s audience.
56 Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
57 This is an Aramaic name; see John 19:17.
58 A place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”). This location is north and just outside of Jerusalem. The hill on which it is located protruded much like a skull, giving the place its name. The Latin word for the Greek term κρανίον (kranion) is calvaria, from which the English word “Calvary” is derived (cf. Luke 23:33 in the ).
59 Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
60 It is difficult to say for certain who gave Jesus this drink of wine mixed with gall (e.g., the executioner, or perhaps women from Jerusalem). In any case, whoever gave it to him most likely did so in order to relieve his pain, but Jesus was unwilling to take it.
61 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
62 See the note on crucified in .
63 Grk “by throwing the lot” (probably by using marked pebbles or broken pieces of pottery). A modern equivalent, “throwing dice,” was chosen here because of its association with gambling. According to L&N 6.219 a term for “dice” is particularly appropriate. An allusion to Ps 22:18.
64 Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
65 Mention of the inscription is an important detail, because the inscription would normally give the reason for the execution. It shows that Jesus was executed for claiming to be a king. It was also probably written with irony from the executioners’ point of view.
66 Grk “was written.”
67 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
68 There is rich irony in the statements of those who were passing by, “save yourself!” and “come down from the cross!” In summary, they wanted Jesus to come down from the cross and save his physical life, but it was indeed his staying on the cross and giving his physical life that led to the fact that they could experience a resurrection from death to life.
69 Many important witnesses (א* A D it sy[s],p) read καί (kai, here with the force of “then”) before κατάβηθι (katabēthi, “come down”). The shorter reading may well be due to homoioarcton, but judging by the diverse external evidence (א2 B L W Θ 0250 f1, 13 33 𝔐 lat) it is equally possible that the shorter reading is original (and is so considered for this translation). puts the καί in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
70 Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
71 Or “with the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in .
72 Only “chief priests” is in the nominative case; this sentence structure attempts to capture this emphasis.
73 Grk “Mocking him, the chief priests … said.”
74 Here the aorist imperative καταβάτω (katabatō) has been translated as a conditional imperative. This fits the pattern of other conditional imperatives (imperative + καί + future indicative) outlined by .
75 An allusion to Ps 22:8.
76 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
77 Matthew’s wording suggests that both of the criminals spoke abusively to him. If so, one of them quickly changed his attitude toward Jesus (see Luke 23:40–43).
78 Grk “from the sixth hour to the ninth hour.”
79 This imagery has parallels to the Day of the Lord: Joel 2:10; Amos 8:9; Zeph 1:15.
80 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
81 Grk “with a loud voice, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
82 A quotation from Ps 22:1.
83 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
84 Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
85 Sour wine refers to cheap wine that was called in Latin posca, a cheap vinegar wine diluted heavily with water. It was the drink of slaves and soldiers, and was probably there for the soldiers who had performed the crucifixion.
86 Grk “a reed.”
87 Early and important (א B C L Γ ) have another sentence at the end of this verse: “And another [soldier] took a spear and pierced him in the side, and water and blood flowed out.” This comment finds such a strong parallel in John 19:34 that it was undoubtedly lifted from the Fourth Gospel by early, well-meaning scribes and inserted into Matt 27:49. Consequently, even though the support for the shorter reading (A D W Θ f1, 13 33 𝔐 lat sy sa bo) is not nearly as impressive, internal considerations on its behalf are compelling.