John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 26:26
Verse 26 Matthew 26:26.And while they were eating, Jesus took bread. I do not understand these words to mean that with the paschal supper was mixed this new and more excellent supper, but rather that an end was then put to the former banquet. This is still more clearly expressed by Luke, when he says that, Christ gave the cup after that he had supped; for it would have been absurd that one and the same mystery should be broken off by an interval of time. And therefore I have no doubt that, in... read more
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 26:30
And when they had sung a hymn - Υμνησαντες means, probably, no more than a kind of recitative reading or chanting. As to the hymn itself, we know, from the universal consent of Jewish antiquity, that it was composed of Psalm 113:1-9 , Psalm 114:1-8 , 115, 116, Psalm 117:1-2 , and 118, termed by the Jews הלל halel , from הללו־יה halelu - yah , the first word in Psalm 113:1-9 . These six Psalms were always sung at every paschal solemnity. They sung this great hillel on... read more