account in a dream. 20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the people to demand Barabbas, and to put JESUS to death. 21 The governor then having asked them, which of the two they were willing he should release to them, they replied, Barabbas. 22 What shall I do then with JESUS, who is called Christ? said Pilate to them. They all say to him, let him be crucified. 23 But said the governor, what evil hath he done? And they cried out still more earnestly; Let him be crucified. 24 Pilate perceiving then that he could do nothing with them, but that on the contrary, the tumult increased, took water, washed his hands in the sight of all the people, and said; I am innocent of the blood of this just person; be ye answerable for it. 25 And all the people replied; Let his blood be on us and on our children.

26 Then he released to them Barabbas; and after he had caused JESUS to be scourged, he delivered him up to be crucified. 27 After this, the governor's soldiers, having brought him into the judgment hall, got the whole cohort together about him. 28 And after

ver. 20. Mark xv. 11. Luke xxiii. 18. John xviii. 40. v. 21. Acts iii. 14. v. 24. Deut. xxi. 6. v. 25. Josh. ii. 19. Deut xix. 10. 2 Sam. i. 16. v. 26. Mark xv. 15. Luke xxiii. 24. John xix. 1.

v. 24. Just.] That is, innocent as above, ver. 19. v. 25. His blood be on us.] This a Hebraism, signifying, แ we shall be answerable for it. If there is any guilt in this matter, let it lie upon us and our posterity.'

v. 26. Caused to be scourged.] Gr. When he had scourged. This is the Hebrew way of speaking, they say that a man hath done what he hath caused or ordered to be done by another. Here let it be observed, that it was the custom of the Romans to cause those that were to be crucified, to be first scourged. See Livy l. 34. and 28.

v. 27. Judgment hall.] The governor's palace, and the place where he administered justice. See Mark xv. 16.

Cohort.] This was a body of foot, commanded by the governor, that was appointed to prevent disorders and tumults among the people, especially upon solemn occasions.

Whole cohort.] i. e. That detachment of soldiers from the forementioned body, that was to take care of the execution.

they had stripped him, they clothed him with a scarlet robe. 29 Then having made a crown of thorns, they set it on his head, with a cane in his right hand, and kneeling down to him, they said to him in derision, O king of the Jews, I salute you. 30 And spitting upon him, they took the cane, and struck him on the head with it. 31 After having thus mocked him, they took off the scarlet robe, and having put his own clothes on again, they led him away to crucify him.

32 As they were going out, they met one Simon a Cyrenian, whom they compelled to carry JESUS's cross. 33 And when they were come to the place called Golgotha, that is to say, the place of a skull, 34 They gave him wine mixed with gall, but when he had tasted

ver. 30. Isa. i. 6. Matt. xxvi. 67. v. 32. Mark xv. 21. v. 33. Mark xv. 22. Luke xxiii. 33. John xix. 17.

v. 29. A cane.] Or, A reed, instead of a sceptre.

Kneeling down to him.] To deride and mock Jesus, they addressed themselves to him, as the eastern nations were wont to do to their monarchs, Corn. Nep. Con. iii. Q. Curt. viii. 5. Tit. Liv. ix. 18. (See also Brissonius de regio Persar. principat. p. 11. Paris 1591.)

I salute you.] Thus they formerly used to salute their emperors; and so we find the inhabitants of Alexandria speaking to Agrippa. See Philo in Flaccum.

v. 31. To crucify him.] Among the Romans the execution of criminals was performed by the soldiers; and this Tertullian makes use of as a motive to dissuade men from going to war. Tertull. de Cor. Milit.

v. 32. Cyrene.] A town in Africa, where there were abundance of Jews, Acts vi. 9. xi. 20. Josephus de Bello Jud. 1. vii. and contra Appion 1. ii.

Carry the cross.] St. John xix. 17. tells us that Jesus carried it himself at first, (as they that were crucified used to do, see Lipsius de Cruce) but he sinking under the weight of it, they compelled Simon to bear it.

v. 33. Golgotha.] A Syriac word, that signifies a skull or head. This place was so called because malefactors were beheaded there.

v. 34. Of wine.] The Greeks used to call adulterated wine őžos which signifies also vinegar. We have therefore made no manner of scruple of rendering it wine, and the more because some copies have expressly the word oivov, which properly signifies wine, as hath also St. Mark xv. 23.

Gall.] That is in general some bitter and nauseous stuff, as worm

it, he refused to drink. 35 After they had crucified him, they parted his clothes among them, casting lots for them, that this saying of the prophet might be accomplished; They parted my clothes among them, and for my robe they cast lots. 36 And sitting down, they guarded him there. 37 They put up also over his head this inscription, denoting the cause of his condemnation: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

38 There were crucified at the same time with him two robbers, one on his right hand, and the other on

24.

ver. 34. Ps. lxix. 22. Compare John xix. 28. v. 35. Mark xv. Luke xxiii. 34. John xix. 23. Ps. xxii. 19. v. 36. Matt. xxvii. v. 37. Mark xv. 26. Luke xxiii. 38. John xix. 19. v. 38. Isa. liii. 12. Luke xxiii. 33.

54.

wood, according to the Syriac version, or myrrh, according to St. Mark xv. 23. or else frankincense.

He refused to drink.] Because this potion was given the criminal, on purpose to intoxicate and stupify him, and render him insensible of pain. (But as our Saviour needed none of these arts to diminish his sense of pain, that he might therefore shew his patience and readiness to suffer, he refused to drink it. See Dr. Whitby in loc.)

v. 35. They parted.] This was the custom of the Romans. The soldiers performed among them the office of executioners, and divided among themselves the spoils of the criminals. There was only Christ's tunic, which they did not divide, but cast lots to see whose it should be. See John xix. 23, 24.

Prophet.] David, Ps. xxii. 19.

v. 36. They guarded him there.] They used to appoint a guard to tarry by the crucified persons, that nobody might come and take them away.

v. 37. Inscription.] This again was the custom of the Romans.

v. 38. Robbers.] Some of those robbers wherewith Judea then swarmed, and who under pretence of standing up for the public liberty, filled Judea with all kinds of violence and robberies, and by stirring up the people against the Roman government, brought down upon their own nation all the miseries it afterwards underwent. See Josephus, in his life, in book iv. de Bello Jud. and Antiq. 1. xx.

Two robbers.] It was not usual to crucify several persons at once unless they were guilty of the same crime :-two seditious men are here crucified with Jesus Christ, because he had been charged with sedition.

his left. 39 And those that passed by, reviled him and said, shaking their heads at him; 40 Thou that pullest down the temple, and buildest it again in three days, save thyself. If thou art the Son of God, come down from the cross. 41 The chief priests derided him also, with the scribes and elders. 42 He saved others, said they, but cannot save himself; if he be the king of Israel, let him descend this instant from the cross, and we will believe in him, 43 He relied upon God; if then God delights in him, let him now deliver him, for he said, I am the Son of God. 44 The robbers also, who were crucified with him, reproached him in the

same manner.

45 Now from the sixth hour, to the ninth, the whole land was covered with darkness. 46 And about the ninth hour JESUS cried out with a loud voice, ELI! ELI! LAMA SABACHTANI? that is to say; My God! my God! why hast thou forsaken me? 47 Some of those that were standing by, having heard him,

ver. 39. Ps. xxii. 8. cix. 25. 2 Kings xix. 21. Jer. xviii. 16. Lamen. ii. 15. v. 40. John ii. 19. Compare Luke xxiii. 35. v. 42. Wisdom ii. 18.

xxvii. 43, 54.
13, 16. v. 5,
Matt. xxvi. 64.
v. 46. Ps. xxii. 2.

Isa. xxxvii. 22. Matt. xxvi. 61. Matt. iv. 3, 6. Wisdom ii. v. 43. Ps. xxii. 9. xviii. 19. &c. v. 45. Amos viii. 9.

v. 44. Luke xxiii. 39,
v. 47. Matt. xvii. 10. Mal. iv. 5. Ecclus. xlviii. 10.

One on his right hand, and-] They set Jesus in the middle, by way of derision, as in the most honourable place, as they had before put on him a scarlet robe, and a crown, and given him a reed in his hand.

v. 42. Saved.] Or, Delivered. Jesus Christ had cured abundance of sick persons, and raised several from the dead.

v. 44. The robbers.] One of the thieves, saith St. Luke xxiii. 39. The plural being here put for the singular. See the same expression, Matt. xxvi. 8. and the note on that place.

v. 45. From the sixth hour.] According to the Jewish way of reckoning; from our twelve of the clock, till three in the afternoon. Over the whole land.] Or, Over the whole country. Probably Judea, as Luke iv. 25. and Matthew xxiv. 30.

v. 46. Eli! Eli! lama sabachtani ?]

These words were spoken

in the Syrochaldaic language, which was then the vulgar tongue in Judea.

v, 47. He calls upon Elias.] The Jews had a tradition among

said. He calls upon Elias. 48 And immediately one ras and took a sponge, filled with vinegar, and having put it on a reed, gave it him to drink. 49 But the rest said, Let him alone, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. 50 Then JESUS having cried out again, with a loud voice, gave up the ghost.

51 At the same instant the vail of the temple was ren; in two, from top to bottom, the earth trembled,

ver. 48. Ps. Irix. 22. v. 54. Mark v. 37. 7. r. 51. Exod. xxvi. 31.

John xix.
Heb. v.

Heb. x. 19.

Mark xv. 36. Luke xxiii, 36.
Lake xxiii. 46. John xix. 30.
2 Chron. iii. 14.

them, that Elias was to come and rescue the unfortunate and miserable. Some of those therefore that stood by the cross, either mistaking the word E, for Elias, fancied that Christ called upon that prophet to come and assist him, or eise giving a malicious turn to words, which they very well understood, they insulted upon Jesus, because he called in vain for Elias to come to his relief.

v. 48. Okt.] One of the soldiers. See Luke xxiii, 36.

Vinegar.] On purpose, either to prolong bis sufferings by reviving his spirits with this liquor, or else to affront and abuse him, because rinegar was the drink of the meanest of persons, such as slaves and common soldiers.

Reed. The Gr. word kaλapog, properly signifies a reed; but it is also used to denote the stem and branches of such trees and plants as produce any kind of wood. The Kalapos here spoken of then, was a stick of hyssop, of which there is one kind in Judea, that shoots forth boughs or stalks, strong enough for the use it is put to here. See John xix. 29.

To drink.] St. John tells us, ch. xix. 28. that Jesus cried out, I am a thirst: then was fulfilled the prophecy contained in Psalm lxix. 2.

v. 49. Let him alone.] Or, Well, let us see.

v. 51. The rail.] That vail which separated the Holy of Holies from the sanctuary, Exod. xxvi. 31. and xxxii. 33. Heb. ix. 3. (See the Introduction.) The sudden rending of this vail was a supernatural sign of the destruction of the temple's being at hand, and of the dissolution of the Jewish economy, as St. Chrysostom hath observed.

The earth trembled.] In token of God Almighty's wrath being kindled against the Jewish nation, upon account of the horrid impiety they were guilty of, Ps. xviii. 8. Rev. xvi. 18, 19, 20.