18. A/a e>86vov,for envy) They envied Jesus because the people had adhered to Him.
19. Ka07;/i£i/ou dt avrov, K.T.X., but when he was set down, etc.) In the very moment of urgent business and impending decision. Warnings of a strange and marvellous character ought not to be neglected in times of noisy excitement. — Iti ™D jS^/zaro;, on the judgment-seat) Great was the influence of the dream, the pur port of which, however, the woman understood better after the matter had begun to come to pass. Perhaps she had the dream when Pilate was already engaged in the business. — /Jyou<ra, x.r.X., saying, etc.) A great benefit was offered by this warning to the governor, in contradistinction to the Jews, who had been sufficiently warned from other sources.1 — rif> faxaiy extivu, to that righteous man) Thus Pilate also calls Him in ver. 24, with a feeble reference to these words of his wife.
20. "Ensiffav, persuaded) by words fair in appearance. — 'ir^ow avoXsausiv, they should destroy Jesus) i.e. they should demand Jesus to be killed.
22. T/ o5v voiqsu, K.rJ.., wJiat shall I do then? etc.) Pilate did not suppose that the Jews wTould demand any very severe punishment to be inflicted. He ought not to have asked. It would have been safer to have simply dismissed the prisoner ; cf. Acts xviii. 14, 15, 16. — <rraup«0jjrw, let Him be crucified) Barabbas had deserved the cross : hence they demand that Jesus should be crucified.
24. Ovfev upete?, he availeth nothing2) Why not Pilate ? This practical prejudging is desperate, when men say, " We do nothing."3 — ov&v, nothing, is in the nominative, or the accusa tive ; cf. John xii. 19. — /aaXXov, rather) not greater. He feared a sedition. — /Jywv, K.T.X., saying, etc.) A protestation contrary to fact. — dixaiov, righteous) Pilate adopted this word from his wife's warning ; ver. 19. — v/^s/j o-^sffSi, see ye to it) As the
nothing) saith she, in one word. So Pilate, in the business itself, ought to have taken the conscientious course without delay. — V. g. [Vacillation and hesitancy between conscience and love of popularity were his temptation in this case. — ED.]
2 E. V. He prevailed nothing.— (I. B.)
3 Sc. We make no progress, we are effecting nothing ; and therefore it is useless to persist in the endeavour. — (I. B.)