κο
15. Kata δὲ ἑορτὴν Σεἰώθει ὁ ἡγεμὼν " ἀπολύειν ἕνα τῷ ὄχλῳ ε Μι.κ.ι.
δέσµιον, ὃν ἤθελον. Βαραββᾶν.
«Τίνα θέλετε ἀπολύσω ὑμῖν; Βαραββᾶν, ἢ ᾿Ιησοῦν τὸν λεγόμενον
Χριστόν;
19. Καθηµένου δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος, ἀπέστειλε πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡ
16. εἶχον δὲ τότε δέσµιον } ἐπίσημον,
18. ᾖδει γὰρ ὅτι "διὰ "Φθόνον παρέδωκαν αὐτόν.
2 Lk. iv. 16. λεγόμενον Acts xvii.
s pe 2. 17. συνηγµένων οὖν αὐτῶν, εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Πιλάτος, hActsiii.r3.
i here and in Mk. xv. 6in Gospp. Acts xvi. 25, 27. Eph. iii. τ al
aA + ~ , , 5 yur, αὐτοῦ, λέγουσα, '"Μηδέν σοι καὶ τῷ δικαίῳ ἐκείνω' πολλὰ | Rom.xvi.7
4 ” ’ > 7 > Cpe 3» γὰρ ἔπαθον σήµερον κατ ὄναρ δι αὐτόν. οἱ πρεσβύτεροι έπεισαν τοὺς ὄχλους, ἵνα αἰτήσωνται τὸν Βαραββᾶν,
attention to the Silent Οπε.--Α new type of Jew this. The result of his observation is a favourable impression ; how could it be otherwise? Pilate was evidently not alarmed by the charge brought against Jesus. Why? Appa- rently at first glance he saw that the man before him was not likely to be a pretender to royalty in any sense that he need trouble himself about. The σὺ in an emphatic position in ver. 11 suggests this = You the King of the Jews! Then there was nothing to bear out the pre- tension: no position, prestige, wealth, following; no troops, etc. (Grotius).
Vv. 15-18. Appeal to the people.— Pilate, not inexperienced in Jewish affairs, nor without insight into the ways of the ruling class, suspects that there are two sides to this matter. The very accusa- tion suggests that the accused may be innocently popular, and the accusers jealous. An existing custom gives the opportunity of putting this to the test.— Ver. 15. κατὰ ἑορτὴν, at feast time (singulis festis, Hermann, Viger, p. 633), not all feasts, but the passover meant.— εἰώθει, was accustomed; time and cir- cumstances of the origin of this custom unknown; a custom likely to arise sooner or later, as it symbolised the nature of the passover as a passing over (Weiss-Meyer), and helped to make the governor’s presence at that season wear a gracious aspect; on that account pro- bably originating under the Romans.— Ver. 16. εἶχον: they, the people (ὄχλῳ, ver 15).—émionpov: pointing not to the magnitude of his crime, but to the fact that for some reason or other he was an object of popular Ιπίετεςί.-- Βαραββᾶν, accusative of Βαραββᾶς =son of a father, or with double p, and retaining the v at the end, Bar-Rabban = son of a Rabbi. Jerome in his Commentary on Mt. mentions that in the Hebrew Gospel the word was interpreted filius magistri zorum. Origen mentions that in some
(in a good sense), k Phil. i. τς.
20. Οἱ δὲ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ
MSS. this man bore the name ¥esus, an identity of name which makes the con- trast of character all the more striking. But the reading has little authority.— Ver. 17. thva θέλετε ἀπολύσω. Here Pilate seems to take the initiative; in Mk. he is first reminded of the custom (xv. 8). Mk.’s whole account is fuller and clearer.—Bap. 4 “Inc. The two names put before the people, as pre- sumably both popular more or less, Barabbas for some unknown reason, Jesus by inference from being called “Christ”. | No favouritism implied. Pilate is feeling his way, wants to do the popular thing as safest for himself.—Ver. 18. Ser, he knew, perhaps too strong a word, the fact being that he shrewdly suspected—knew his men, and instinc- tively divined that if Jesus was a popular favourite the Pharisees would be jealous. This explains his sang froid in reference to the title “‘ King of the Jews,” also his offering the name of Jesus to the people.
Vv. 19-20. Interlude of Pilate’s wife, in Mt. alone, probably introduced to ex- plain the bias of Pilate in favour of Jesus apparent in the sequel (Weiss- Meyer).— Ver. 19. µμηδὲν, etc., nothing to thee and that just one = have nothing to do with proceedings against Him.— πολλὰ γὰρ: reason for the advice, an un- pleasant dream in the morning (σήμερον, to-day, early). The historicity of this incident is of course doubted, the use made of it, with embellishments, in apocryphal writings (Acta Pilati) being pressed into the service. But it is quite credible nevertheless. First, the wife of Pilate might be there, for it had become customary for wives to accompany pro- vincial governors. Tacitus, Ann. iii. 33, 34, mentions απ unsuccessful attempt in the senate to put down the practice. Second, she had a husband that much needed good advice, and would often get it from a good wiie. Third, it was a womanly act.