The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 524

Ver. 47.-Judae, one of the twelve. Bo God towards sinners, how he maketh hi1 culled by all the synoptiete, o.e if to enhance sun to rise on tho evil and on the good. hie guilt-one of Christ's own familiar Ver. 50.-Friend; 1-ra.'ip•: companion (see friends, who hod e11ten bree.d with him. eh. xx. 13; xxii. 12). The word seems, in the Came. St. Lnko tells ue tho.t he loci the New Testament, to be alwe.ys addressed to wo.y to Getheomane. He well knew the the evil, though in itself au expression of pie.co us e. favourite resort of Christ (John affection. Here Christ uses no reproach ; xviii. 2); he knew, too, that J eeue was to the last he endeavours by kindness and alone there with his apostles, and he he.d love to win the traitor to a better mind. gone with confidence to inform the authori- St. Luke narrates that J eaus called him ties where thoy could find him, and to by name, saying, "Jnrlas, betrayest thou demand a force sufficient to make the the Son of man with a kiss?" Wherefore arrest. A great multitude. Consisting art thou come 1 'E<f,' 1, -r&p ... The Received of some of the Levitical guard. Rome.n Text gives J,p' (!, which has very inferior soldiers, Sanbedriete, and elders. The authority. There is great difficnlty in soldiers carried swords, tbe fanatical herd giving an exact interpretation of this clause. bore staves, to overcome any opposition The Authorized Version, as the Vnlgate which, after the demonstration at the (.A.d quid venisti ?), takes it interrogatively; triumphal entry, might be naturally ex- but such a use of tbe relative~, is unknown. pected. St. John adds that they brought If it is interrogative, we must understand, with them lantems and torches in order to "Is it this for which thou art come?" But search the recesses of the grove, should Christ knew too well the purport of Jndas's Christ have hidden himseU there. arrival to put such an unnecessary ques- Ver. 48.-A ■ign. As they approached, tion. Others explain, •• Do that, or, I know Judas gave them a sign which would point that for which thou art come." Alford, out the person whom they were to seize. Farrar, and others consider the sentence Probably these did not know J eeue by s.s unfinished, the concluding member being sight; at any rate, amid the crowd he might suppressed by an aposiopesi.i consequent easily escape detection; it was also night, on the agitation of the Speaker, " That and even the Paschal moon might not errand on which thou hast come-complete." enable the guards to distinguish faces More probably the clause is an exclama- under the shade of the de.rk olive grove. tion, 1, being equivalent to ofo11, 88 in later Whomsoever I shall kiss. In the East such Greek, "For what a purpose art thon here I" salutation was oommon among friends, It is, indeed, a last remonstrance and appeal masters, and pupils; and it would awaken to the conscience of the traitor. Took him. no surprise to see Judas thus so.lute his They seized him with tl1eir bands, bnt Teacher. Perhaps he desired to save ap- did not bind him till afterwards (John pearances in the eyes of hie fellow-disciples. xviii. 2). Whether Judas he.d any latent We marvel at the audacity and obduracy hope or expectation that Jesu.s at this of one who could employ this mark of supreme moment wonld assert and justify affection and respect to signal an act of the his Messiahship, we know not. The histories blackest treachery. That ■ame is he whom give no hint of any such idea, and it ia you have to arrest. Hold him fa■t. As if most improbable that the aposts.te was thus he feared an attempt at rescue, or that influenced (see on ver. 14). We must here Jesus might, 88 before (Luke iv. 30; John introduce the incident recorded by St. John viii. 59), use his miraculous power to effect (xviii. 4---9). his escape. Ver. 51.--0ne of them which ware with Ver. 49,-Forthwith. The blood-money Jesus. St. John no.mes Peter as the agent was to become due on the accomplishment in the attack on the high prie:;t':; servant; of the betrayal; so Judas, now that the he also alone gives the name of the servant, opportunity had arrived, lost no time in Ma.lchus. Of the circumstances which led oom pleting his part of the bo.rgain. Kissed to the subsequent miracle all the evrmgeliets him (Ka-r,,t,(,\710-,11, a strong word, kissed him give an account; the miracle itself is relo.ted eagerly, or, kissed him much). Judas was only by St. Luke. Conjecture has attempted more than usuo.lly demonstrative in his to give reasons for these deticienoies in salutation. "The words of his mouth were some of the narratives, and the comple- 1moother than butter, but war was in his mentary details in others; but it is wisest heart; his words were softer than oil, yet to s11y that thus it has seemed good to were they drawn swords" (Ps. Iv. 21). So the Holy Ghost who guided the writers, Joab treated Amo.ea before be murdered a.nd there to leave the subject. Drew lw him (2 Sam. :u:. 9, 10). What infi.uite sword. The apostles had evidently mis- patience for the Lord to submit to this understood the Lord's words uttered o. little hypooritical caress I It ia e. type of the while before(Luke xxiL 36-38), "He that wonrlerful goodness and long-suffering of huth no sword, let him sell his cloke, and llATTllKW__.. 2 M  i:>30 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [ea. XXVI, 1-76.