His death, when stated as one great fact." Matthew says that He "yielded up the ghost." Mark, Luke, and John, though in different Greek words, say much the same, " He gave up the ghost."
I add to this remark that in all the five Old Testament pas- sages which our translators have rendered, "giving up the ghost," the Septnagint Greek translators ' have not used the ex- pressions applied in the Gospels to our Lord's death, nor any- thing like them. Gen. xlix. 83 ; Job x. 18 ; xi. 20 ; xiv. 10 ; Jerem. xv. 9. I also remark that the Greek expression about Sapphira, which is rendered, " yielded up the ghost," (Acts v. 10.) is totally different from those used about our Lord's death.
The remarks of Brentius on the whole verse are peculiarly valuable.
47. — [This wa^ a righteous man.] It may be doubted whether these words exactly convey the literal sense of the Greek ex- pression. Alford would render it, '' truly this man was innocent or just."
48. — [Beholding the things which were done.] This expression seems to point to the darkness, and the earthquake which im- mediately followed our Lord's death. These signs struck awe into the minds of the gazing mob, which had mocked our Lord a few hours before. There was no raillery or mocking after this.
Poole maintains that there is no proof that " the people " took part in mocking our Lord on the cross, but that it was confined to the scribes and priests. Yet the expression of St. Matthew and St. Mark about " those who passed by railing," besides the priests, seems to make his theory doubtful.
49. — [The women.] These would appear to be different from the women to whom our Lord spoke as He was carrying the cross. These came from Galilee. Those were " daughters of Jerusalem."