The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 585

of t.hc aoldiers wna providentil\lly ordered found in the other evangelists, may havo ns one of the mel\ns of proving the reality a silent reference to this episode. Wo know of Christ'• death. from Josephus (' Ant.,' xvi. 10. 8; :n:. 8. Ver. 37.-Set up over hiB head hi.a aoou■a­ 10; 'Bell. Jud.,' ii. 12. 2, etc.) that Palestine tio:i written. This WM the titi,lua. A was infested with banditti, who were wonckn tablet smeared with gypsum, had rigorously pursued by the Romcms, and 0n it. written in black letters, the che.rge on were commonly crucified when captured. ,rhich the p1isoner was condemned. This, Doubtless these two oriminllls had been which had been bung round the criminal's taken red-hllnded in some act of robbery n<'ck or carried before him on the WI\Y to and murder, and it was an exquisite malice execution, ~rn.s now affixed to the upper thllt treated Jesus as their comm.de and portion of the cross over his hCEul THIS IS accomplice, and placed him in the position JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. The of their leCLder. But Augustine sees a title he.d been prepared by Pilate (John spiritual signification in this scene: "The xix. 19, 22), and WI\S conceived in terms very cross was the tribunal of Christ; for atudionslv offensive to the Jews, with whom the Judge was placed in the middle ; one he was deeply inclignanl It was written thief, who believed, was set free; the other, in three langm1.ges, so that all of whRtever who reviled, was condemned; which signified nationality migLt read it-in Hebrew and what he was already about to do with the in Latin and in Greek (for the order, see quick and dead; being about to set some Westcott on J obn xix. 20); i.e. the national ou his right hancl, but others on his left." Aramaic, familiar to all Jews; the official Ver. 39.-They that passed by. Golgotha Latin, unr.erstood by the soldiers and Romans; being near a great high-road o.nd a much- the current Greek, the dialect of Hellenistic frequenled city gate (John xix. 20), passers- Jews, and largely used by all classes. by were numerous, even without counting " These three languages gathered up the those who were attracted by the woeful results of the religious, the social, the in- sight. Many of them knew nothing of tellectual preparation for Christ, and in each Christ's case, but seeing him punished in mtness was given to his office" (Westcott). company with the two malefactors, thought The title is given by the four evangelists that he was doubtless guilty of the same with some verbal ve.riations, which are crimes as they; others, perhaps, who had owing in part to the actu..I differences seen his miracles and heard something of existing in the three versions of the in- bis teaching, conceived the notion that one scripiion. They ran thus: "This is Jesus whom the priests and rulers condemned the King of the Jews" (Matthew); "The must be a dangerous impostor, and de1101·ved King of the Jews" (Mark); "This is the the cruelest of deaths. Reviled him ; King of the Jewe" (Luke); "Jesus of lfJ1'.aatpf,µow : railed on him; blasphemabant Nazareth the King of the Jews" (John). (Vulgate). The expression, indeed, is true Of these tit!&, those given by Mark and in its worse sense, for they wlio could thus Luke probably represent the Latin; that revile the Son of God were guilty, however of Matthew, the Greek; while that of John ignorantly, of gross impiety and irreverence. was intended for the national popule.tion, Wagging their heads. In mockery and con- who alone would understand the veiled sneer tempt, thus fulfilling the psalmist's words, contained in the addition, "of Nazareth." "All they that see me laugh me to scorn; The legend of the finding of the cross and they shoot out the lip, they shake the its inscription is given by Butler, • Lives of head; " and, " I am become a reproach the Saints,' on• The Invention of the Holy unto them; when they see me, they shake Cross.' A supposed fragment of the title is their bends" (Ps. xxii. 7; cix. 25). preserved at Rome, in the Church of the Ver. 40.-Saying. Some manuscripts (but Holy Cross, and declared by a papal bull not the best) insert ovcl. after "saying." So to Le authentic. In this case infallibility the Vulg-ate ( vah !) and other versions. b..1s rather overstepped its limits. But it seems lo he derived from the parallel Ver. 1!8.-Then. St. Matthew does not passage in lllark. Wh11t the evangelist give the exact sequence of events, genera.Uy gives is only a &J,ecimen of the insults grouping them together for ethlcal and other hurled at the meek Sufferer, who looked kindred reasons. Probably these two wale- for some to take pity, but there w11s none, facto1'1! were crncified immediately after our and for comfo1tcrs, but found none (Ps. b:ix. Lord. Thieves; 1'.r,u..-al: robbers, brigands 20). Thou that destroyest the temple, etc. (eh. :i:x:i. 13). Thus was Christ" numbered They shamele,sly revive the old accusation with the transgressors" (lea. !iii. 12). St. (eh. xxvi. Gl ; John ii. 19), doubtless o.t Luke alone relates the acceptance of the the instigation of the So.nhedrists who peni lent thief. If be was the one set on miugled with the crowd (vor. 41). The the right hand, pos,iblythe careful mention saying rankled in the rul~rs' mind, nnd we of the po;;itiou of the two rol,bere, which is see it playing- CL part Inter m the condemn(!,• Oil. xxvn. 1- 66.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MAT1'IU:W. 5!ll