The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 638

answer inquiries in this wo.y. The le.et snob a oondemnntory lo.le. Beoure you· rirJ resource of e.n infatuated obstinacy I If they you of care. They promise the ~ard were asleep, how could they know the.t the indemnity and freedom from all penal con- disolples stole the body? St. Olirysoetom sequences. Pilate, however, later learned oommente well on the infamous tre.nsaotion, the great fact of Chri, t'e resurrection, " How did they steal him ? 0 most foolish and though, as far as we know, he t.ook no of all men I For beoouee of the oleameee steps towards punishing the gne.rd (bein~ and conspicuousness of the troth, they are probably convinced of its supernatural not even able to mllke op a fo.leehood. For occurrence), yet, according to a fragment indeed, what they said woe highly incredible, of Hegesippus, and Ensebins, 'Chronic.,' and the falsehood he.d not even specious- ii. 2, be sent an account of the matter to ness. For how, I e.sk, did the disciples TiberiUB, who, in consequence, endeavoured steal him, men poor e.nd unlearned, e.nd to make the senate pass a decree enrolling not venturing so much as to show them- Jesus in the list of Roman gods. This fact selves? What? we.s not a seal pnt upon is attested by Tertnllian (' Apolog.,' v.). it? Whe.t? were there not many watch- Ver. 15.-This saying; viz. the theft of men and soldiers and Jews stationed round the body by the disciples. Is commonly it? What? did not those men euspeot reported (wa,s spread abroaa) among the this very thing, and take thought, e.nd .Jews until this de.y; i.e. and continues to be break their rest, and are in anxiety about reported until this day. This was true it? And wherefore, moreover, did they steal wllen St. Matthew wrote, and ii is true a, it? •That they might feign the doctrine of the present time, though thoughtful Jews the reeunection? And how should ii enter of late years have adopted the idea that the their minds to feign such a thing-men who apostles, in their excited state, were deceived were well content to be hidden and to live? by visions of Christ which they took for And how could they remove the stone that substantial realities (see on eh. xxvii. 64). was made sure? How could they have In the passage of Justin Martyr (' Dial. eeoaped the observation of so many? Ne.y, cum Tryph.,' cviii.) we are told that the though they he.d despised death, they would Jews sent emissaries in all diractions to not have attempted without purpose and spread this false report. The eve.ngelist frnitlesely to venture in:defie.nce of so many shows the origin of this most improbable who were on the watch. And tho.t more- tale, and virtually challenges e.ny other over they were timorous, what they had explanation of the miracle than the done before showed clearly: at least, when authentic one. they saw him seized, all rushed away from Vere. 16-20.-0ur Lord. appear, to thB him. If, then, at that time they did not diaciple, in Galilu, anrJ gfoea them a com- dare so much as to stand their ground when they ee.w him olive, how when he miasion to teach and baptize. (Peculiar to was dead could they but have fee.red snob St. Matthew; but oomp. Mark xvi. 15-18.) n number of soldiers?" ('Hom.,' xc.). Ver. 16. - Then the eleven disoiples. Ver. H. - And if this come to the There is no note of time in the original, governor's ears ; if thia be heard before the which gives merely, But th8 elei;en, etc. The got•ernor; i.e. if the matter be hrought meeting here narru.ted teak plu.ce on some ofilcially before the procurator. For a day after the first Easter week. The number Roman· soldier to sleep on his post was to "eleven" shows the loss of one of the sacred incur the penalty of death. Pilate would college, whose complement was not filled up not be likely to hear of what had taken till just before Pentecost (Acts L 15-26). place, as vulgar rumours were not en- Went away into Galilee. St. Matthew takeB couraged by his stern and unsympathizing pains to show the exact fulfilment of Christ's attitude towo.rds the Jewish people, bnt it very special injunction and promise con- wo.s just possible that some officious person cerning Galilee (see vere. 7, 10, and notes might bring the report before him, and ask there, and oh. xxvi 32). The evangelist's him to to.ke measures to ascertain the truth, objeot being to set forth Christ in his oba- and, if necessary, to punish the delinquents. raoter as King and Lawgiver, he puts aside We (11p.iis, empho.tio) will persuade him. all other incidents in order to give prominence Suoh persue.sion usuu.lly took the form of to this appearance, where Jesus announces bribery, Roman ofllcie.le being notoriously his supreme authority (ver. 18), gives the venal (oomp. Acts xxiv. 26); but perhu.ps oommission to his apostles, and promises the rulers intended to make him believe his perpetUBl presence (vers. 19, 20). Into that the story was not true, but merely a a mountain ( T~ ~pos, the mountain), where ruse to keep the pc,pule.ce quiet. The (o~ instead of or) .Jesus had appointed them. soldiers must have fully believed in the We do not know the locality intended, thougl! Sanhedrists' assertion, or they would never it must have been some spot familiar to the have imperilled their Ii vee by promulgating disciples, and was probably plainly desig•  614 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [on. xxvm. 1-20.