The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 579

die: he we.s a willing eaorifice; eo he aoted called Obrist?" There oan be no reason- as his prophet had foretold, "He opened 11.ble doubt that the prefix is not genuine, not hie mouth" (Isa. liii. 7). Marvelled but he.s crept into some texts in&dvertently. greatly. The Roman governor in all his Ver. 17.-Therefore when(when then, o~v) experience had never beheld suoh oalm they were gathered together. The illative reeign;1tion, such unshaken eque.nimity, particle refcl'l! to the fa.et just mentioned ~uoh intrepid resolution in the face of that the notorious Barabbas was at that death. time in prison. The multitude, together Vel'l!. 15-26.-BarabbaB preferred to with the Sauhedrists summoned from thei.J Jesus. (!!lark xv. 6-15; Luke xx.i.ii. 17- meeting in the temple, were gathered a1 the doors of the Prmtorium, when Pila.it 25; John xviii. 39, 40.) oame out and spoke to them. Whom will Ver. 15.-Pilate now tries another ex- ye that I release unto you 1 He had great pedient for delivering himseli from the hope that their answer would favour Jesus. responsibility of condemning J011us. At When it came to choosing between a vile that feast (1<..-rd fo,,,,.-iiv, at a f(!,0,/Jt, at feast- robber and murderer and a beneficent, time). Doubtless the Passover is meant, moral teacher, common sense would guide which was the feast especially of the Jews, the choice aright. Which is oalled Christ and it is very improbable that the practice (ver. 22). In Mark Pile.te terms him, "thc mentioned in the olauee was allowed at any King of the Jews." He puts before them other of the feasts. The governor W1III wont these two names as the limit of their to release unto the people (-rqi ~XA'I', t1l6 choice, minor offenders being not worthy multitude), etc. St. Luke says, "Of neoes- of consideration in the face of these cele- 11ity he must release one unto them at the brated prieoners. And he names Christ's feast." The custom is not elsewhere men- claims, as if he would remind the people tioned. It wo.s, however, most probably that iu Jesus they possibly had the Messiah an institution established of old time in whom they desired. memory of the Exodus (John xviii. 39), Ver. 18.-For he knew. He had recourse and continued by the Romans when they to this expedient because he was well became masters of the country. A similar 11.cquainted with the motives which led the custom obtained 11.t Rome 11.nd in Greece on Sanhedrists to desire his death. They had certain great festi vale. Whom they would. shown their envy of Christ's influence with The governor usually left the priests and the people; they were jealous of his repu- people unfettered in their choice; on tLe tation and success ; grudged him his present occasion he desired Jesus to be marvellous powers ; were embittered by selected. his attacks on rabbinism, and the under- Ver.16.-Theyhad then a notable prisoner. mining of their popularity. Pile.te saw The plural verb muet refer to the multi- much of this: he penetrated behind their tude, to whose class the man belonged. ftimsy pretence of averting eome possible The Vulgate, with Origen, re&ds, "he danger from the Roman dominion, and he had," habebat, referring to Pilate, whose laboured in this indirect way to save the prisoner he was. The man was notorious ; victim of this vindictive plot. Of course, 11.8 St. Mark tells us, "He lay bound with Pilate could not fully appreciate Christ's them that had m11.de insurrection with him, character, nor enter into the question of men wLo Lad committed murder in the his supernatural claims; he saw only that insurrection." We have no account else- he was brought before him from the basest where of thie particular rising, nor of its motives, that no real offence was proved le&der, but such commotions were very 11.gai.net Lim, and that no fear could be common, and under the guise of political entertained of his heading a popular tumult. aims wen, utilized for purposes of robbery Ver. 19.-When he was set down (wa, and assassination. Called Ba.rabba.s. The ,itting) on the judgment-sea.t. This was a word means "Son of the father," which curule chair placed on e. raised stone plat- some explain " Son of a rabbi," which ia form in front of the Prmtorium, where the improbable; and it is a question whether Boman governors sat to give judgment in this was Lis real name, or one applied to cases brought before them (see John xii, him with reference to his pretensious to 13). It was while he was waiting to hear being" a political anti-Christ"-" a hideous the decision of the multitude with respect caricature of the true Jesus, the Son of the to the selection of the prisoners the.t the eternal Father." It is a strange fact that episode the.t follows (mentioned alone by in some (not very trustwortby) manuscripts St. Matthew) occurs. His wife. Her name, the name is given 11.B Jean, Barabbas, which &ecordiug to ecclesie.stical tradition, was afl"orilil a r~n,arkuLle antithesis i.I:i Pilate's Claudia, the e.<l<lition of Procula being qu, stion in the following verse, " Will ye probably a mistake. In the apocryphal that I relell.Be Jesus Barnbbas or Jesus Gospel of Nicodem1111 (oh. ii.) &he is said on. xxvn. 1-66.] THE GOSPEL .ACCORDING TO BT. MATTHEW. 685