accuse him to Caesar, the Roman Emperor, as a governor un- friendly to the Imperial interests. — " You are no friend to Caesar if you let o.T this prisoner. Every one who sets himself up as a king, be his kingdom what it may, is usurping part of Caesar's authority, and is a rebel. If you pass over this man's claim to be a king, and set Him at liberty, we shall complain of you to Caesar." — This was a settling and clinching argument. Pilate knew well that his own government of Judaea would not bear any investigation. He also knew well the cold, suspicious, cruel character of Tiberius Caesar, the Emperor of Rome, which is specially mentioned by Tacitus and Suetonius, the Roman his- torians, and he might well dread the result of any appeal to him from the Jews. From this moment all his hopes of get- ting rid of this anxious case, and letting our Lord go away unharmed, were dashed to the ground. He would rather con- nive at a murder to please the Jews, than allow himself to be charged with neglect of Imperial interests and unfriendliness to Caesar.
It is hard to say which was the more wretched and contempti- ble sight at this point of the history, — Pilate trampling on his own conscience to avoid the possible displeasure of an earthly monarch, or the Jews pretending to care for Caesar's interests, and warning Pilate not to do anything unfriendly to him I It was a melancholy exhibition of cowardice on the one side, and duplicity on the other ; and the whole result was a foul mur- der !
13. — [ When Pilate heard that saying, etc.] The " saying " here refers to the Jews' saying about Caesar in the preceding verse. When Pilate heard the dreaded name of Caesar brought up, and found himself threatened with a possible complaint to Rome as a neglecter of Imperial interests, he saw plainly that nothing more could be done, and that he must give way to the demands of the Jews and sacrifice an innocent prisoner. He therefore returned to the palace, brought forth Jesus again, and for the first time took his seat on the throne of judgment outside the palace, in the courtyard, or paved area adjacent to it. The case was now over. Pilate's weak eiForts to deliver an innocent prisoner from unjust accusation were useless. He dared no longer oppose the bloody demands of the Jews. There re- mained nothing to be done but to take his seat publicly on the throne of judgment and pronounce the sentence.
The word " forth " here, as in the fourth and fifth verses, means literally " outside." Pearce remarks, that " this is the fifth time that Pilate came forth and tried to prevail with the Jews that Jesus might not be crucified."
On the "judgment seat," Parkhurst remarks : " In the Roman provinces, justice was administered in the open air, the presid- ing judge sitting on a tribunal, on a raised ground covered with marble."