The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 574

EXPOSITION. OHAPTER XXVII. Roman governor, who alone could execute their murderous purpose. The particle a, Vera. 1, 2.-Jesu, b1·ought to Pilate. (Mark (,rpwta, a, -y,voµ.lv-r,,), omitted by the xv. 1; Luke xxii. 66; x.xiii. 1; John xviii. Authorized Version, takes us back to the 28.) conclusion of the council (eh. xxvi. 66), the accouut of its further proceedings being Ver. 1.-When the morning was come. interrupted by the episode of Peter. All This is the early morning of Good Friday, the ohief priest& and elders of the people. the Hth of Nisan. If the rulers harl had It was a large assembly of the Sanhedrin, special regard to legality, they could not many members, doubtless, taking part in he.ve condemned Christ to death at night, as these proceedings, now that the capital they had done at the late informal ossembly; sentence was past, who would not have but their respect for conventional rules was deliberately planned a judicial murder. overborne by passion and hatred. They Such wos the course of Jewish casuistry. had decreed his death by generol consent, To (Cio-Te) put him to death. The council and then rotirecl for a few hours' neoessury had merely to determiue how to formulate rest. Now they again met together, still such a political charge age.inst Jesus e.s in the palace of Caiaphas (John xviii. 28), would compel the Romans to punish the in order to complete their evil work, to en- offender with dee.th. They were determined dorse the previous sentence, and, under thRt he should die by an ignominious and oome pretence, hand their Victim over to the cm~<:',l death, that his pretensions, e.s being  Fi80 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO s·r. MATTHEW. [on. xxvn.1-86,