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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Matthew 26:57-68

We have here the arraignment of our Lord Jesus in the ecclesiastical court, before the great sanhedrim. Observe, I. The sitting of the court; the scribes and the elders were assembled, though it was in the dead time of the night, when other people were fast asleep in their beds; yet, to gratify their malice against Christ, they denied themselves that natural rest, and sat up all night, to be ready to fall upon the prey which Judas and his men, they hoped, would seize. See, 1. Who they were,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 26:62

And the high priest arose and said unto him ,.... He rose up from his seat in great wrath and anger; partly being vexed, that they could get no other and better testimony; and partly because of Christ's contemptuous silence, giving no answer to the witnesses, as judging they deserved none; and which highly provoked the high priest, and therefore in passion said, answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? Is it true or false, right or wrong? The Vulgate Latin... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 26:63

But Jesus held his peace ,.... Knowing it would signify nothing, whatever he should say, they being set upon his death, the time of which was now come; and therefore he quietly submits, and says nothing in his own defence to prevent it. To be silent in a court of judicature, Apollonius Tyanaeus F3 Philostrat. Vita Apollouii, l. 8. c. 1. says, is the fourth virtue; this Christ had, and all others: and the high priest answered and said unto him ; though Christ had said nothing, a way... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 26:64

Jesus saith unto him, thou hast said ,.... That is, thou hast said right; or as Mark expresses it, "I am", Mark 14:62 , the Christ, the anointed of God, who was so from everlasting, and in time; being before the world was, installed into, and invested with the office of mediator; and in the fulness of time, anointed with the holy Spirit without measure: he might truly say he was the Messiah, since all the characters of him in the books of the prophets, met in him; and all the miracles he... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 26:65

Then the high priest rent his clothes ,.... Both his outer and inner garments. This he did, to show his zeal for the honour and glory of God, his grief and concern at the profanation of his holy name by a false oath, and his abhorrence of, and indignation at the blasphemy he supposed Christ to be guilty of, in asserting himself to be the Son of God. Some have thought, that Caiaphas in this action, transgressed the law, in Leviticus 21:10 , where it is said, that "the high priest--shall not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 26:66

What think ye ?.... Of the words just now spoken by him; do not they in your opinion amount to a charge of blasphemy and what punishment do you think ought to be inflicted on him? is he guilty of death, or not? This question he put, as being president of the court: they answered and said, he is guilty of death ; they were unanimous in their vote, for Mark says, "they all condemned him to be guilty of death"; only Joseph of Arimathea must be excepted, who consented not to their counsel... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 26:67

Then did they spit in his face ,.... Not the judges, the members of the sanhedrim, but the servants of the high priest, and the officers that had Jesus in hold, and were the guard upon him; see Luke 22:63 , who seeing him condemned as guilty of death, thought they might insult him at pleasure, and use him in the most indecent and barbarous manner; and therefore, in a way of contempt, spit in his face; than which nothing was more reproachful and disgraceful: the Jews F24 T. Bab. Erubin,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 26:68

Saying, prophesy unto us, thou Christ ,.... Not that they owned him to be the Messiah; but because he asserted himself to be the Messiah, and his followers believed in him as such, they call him so; and in an ironical and sarcastic way, call upon him to divine, and tell them who the persons were, that used him in this manner; suggesting, that if he was the Christ, or Messiah, he would know all things, and what were done to him: who is he that smote thee ? for they had covered his face,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 26:62

Answerest thou nothing? - The accusation was so completely frivolous that it merited no notice: besides, Jesus knew that they were determined to put him to death, and that his hour was come; and that therefore remonstrance or defense would be of no use: he had often before borne sufficient testimony to the truth. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 26:63

I adjure thee by the living God - I put thee to thy oath. To this solemn adjuration Christ immediately replies, because he is now called on, in the name of God, to bear another testimony to the truth. The authority of God in the most worthless magistrate should be properly respected. However necessary our Lord saw it to be silent, when the accusations were frivolous, and the evidence contradictory, he felt no disposition to continue this silence, when questioned concerning a truth, for which... read more

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