Notes, Critical and Explanatory, on the Holy Scriptures

The counsel of Caiphas was followed by a larger assembly held early in the morning, to devise means for ensuring the death of Christ : or probably the evangelist here resumes the narrative of the pro- ceedings against Christ, by stating the result of the trial before Caiphas, which was followed by measures adopted and put in execution at early dawn. The ordinary hours ot judicial proceedings were not regarded in this exciting case. Mark xv. 1 ; Luke xxiii. 1 ; John xviii. 28.

Pontius Pilate governed Judea as a province of the Roman empire. It ranked only as a lesser province, and its procurator was subordinate to the President of Syria ; but he exercised proconsular authority, with power of life and death. See Joseph. A. 8. 1. 1, & B. 2. 7. 1.

This name is not in the Greek. Some suppose it to have been in- serted by copyists, because found in the Acts i. 19.

Origen says that Barabbas was also named Jesus, on which account Pilate designated him as son of Abbas, and distinguished our Lord as called the Messiah. Some old versions and manuscripts support this opinion.

" A tribunal, or suggestus, raised several steps, and often formed of stone, sometimes marble, on which the seat or throne of the president, when exercising judgment, was placed. This was always sub dio." Bloomfield.

Pilate indeed," observes St. Ambrose, " washed his hands, but he did not thereby wash away the guilt of his actions : for a judge should yield neither to public odium, nor to fear, when the blood of an innocent man is in question." In Lucam 1. x. n. 100.

Mark xv. 16. Ps. xxi. 17. The jjretorium, or governor's hall of audience. There was an open court in the midst of it. It had been Herod's palace.

The band or cohort was the tenth part of a legion, and consisted of from 525 to 600, or 1000 men. The cohort in Jerusalem during the Passover was large.

The cross was, in the first instance, put upon the shoulders of our Lord Himself, as it was customary for the convict to carry the instru- ment of his punishment. Fear to lose their victim, before their ven- geance had been sated, led the persecutors to transfer the burden to this stranger. Some think that Simon only aided in carrying the cross.

Christ would not accept this slight alleviation of His sufferings.

About three o'clock P. M.

This was preternatural. The voice of the dying is extremely feeble, especially after great suffering and exhaustion.

The words are in the language then spoken in Judea, which is called Aramaic, Syro-Chaldaic, or Hebrew Chaldee-Syriac. The words in the Psalmist are : Eli, Eli, lamma azabthani. Ps. xxi. 2. This vehement appeal was intended to awake our attention to the cause of the mysterious abandonment of Christ to His enemies. The Father so far forsook Him, as to leave Him in their hands, to be tor- mented and put to death : and although Christ well knew the cause, He asks it, that the reality and depth of His sufferings may be known, and their cause diligently examined by His followers. Conscious to Him- self of no fault. He addresses the Father, as if inquiring into an unknown cause, which we should seek to discover. This was not an expression

The bodies were re-animated.

The evangelist mentions by anticipation the resurrection of Christ.

Campbell supposes that the Centurion spoke as a polytheist : This was certainly " the Son of a God ;" but there is far more reason to be- lieve that he was convinced by the wonders which he witnessed that Christ was such as He was commonly known to have proclaimed Him- self, namely, Son of God. The omission of the definite article, both before son, and God, is not a sufBcient ground for giving either term an indefinite sense, since it is sometimes omitted where the meaning is definite, although scarcely ever inserted where the meaning is indefinite, as Campbell acknowledges. They rendered to our Lord all kind offices, supplying and preparing His food, and otherwise attending to aU His wants.