Ver. 1.—And straightway in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him up to Pilate. Straightway in the morning (ev0éws mpwi). The proceedings recorded in the last chapter terminated probably between five and six; the cock- crowing helps to fix the time. Now came the more formal trial. The whole San- hedrim united in consultation, All the proceedings hitherto had been irregular and illegal. Now, for form’s sake, they tried him afresh. But there was another law which was also violated. It was now Friday. In capital cases, sentence of con- demnation might not legally be pronounced on the day of the trial. Yet our Lord was tried, condemned, and crucified on the same day. They “ bound him,” that he might be impeded in any attempt toescape. They “ carried him away ” (dajveyxay), with the semblance of force; although we know that he went “as a lamb to the slanghter.” How truly might it be said of these chief priests and elders, “ Their feet are swift to shed blood!” And delivered him up to Pilate. Judwa now was added to the pro- vince of Syria, and governed by procurators, of whom Pontius Pilate was the fifth. It was necessury for the Jews to deliver Ubrist ever to the pewer of life and deatl had been taken from them since they became subject to the Romans. “It is not lawful for us,” they say (John xviii. 31) “to put any man to death ;” that is to say, they could uot put to death without the authority of the governor. Our Lord predicted of himself, “ They shall deliver him to the Gentiles.”
Ver. 2.—Art thou the King of the Jews} It appears from St. Luke (xxiii. 1—5) that when Pilate demanded particularly what the charves against Jesus were, on account of which the Jews urged that be should be srucified, they alleged these three things:
Roman power ; because the |
| (1) that he perverted the nation; (2) that he forbade to give tribute to Cesar; (8) that he said that he was Christ, a King. Whereupon Pilate, who had heard by many of the blameless life, the pure doctrine, and the famous miracles of Jesus, goes at once to the point, and asks him, “ Art thou the King of the Jews?”—a question which, of course, affected the position of Cesar. Our Lord’s answer, Thou sayest (av Acye:s), was in the affirmative, amounting to this— “Thou sayest that which is true.”
Ver. 3.—And the chief priests accused him of many things. The words in the Authorized Version, * but he answered nothing,” are not to be found here in any of the best manuscripts or versions. But they are to be found in St. Matthew (xxvii. 12); and Pilate’s question in the next verse confirms St. Matthew’s statement, and makes the sentence unuecessary here. Our Lord answered nothing, because all that they had to say against him was manifestly false or frivolous, and unworthy of any reply. St. Augustine says on this, “ The Saviour, who is the Wisdom of God, knew how to overcome by keeping silence.”
Ver. 4.—It would seem that Pilate had led Jesus out of his palace, into which the Jewish priests could not enter (John | xviii. 28), lest they should be defiled by entering a house from which all leaven had not been scrupulously removed. This would have been a violation of their re ligious scruples; and therefore he went out into the open court, and there heard the accusations of the chief priests. It is supposed tkat the building occupied by Pilate was the palace built or rebuilt by Herod near the gate of Jatta, north-west of Mount Zior. It was doubtless occasionally occupied by Pilate, and it was conveniently situated, being near to Herod’s palace—the old palace of the Asmoneans, between it and the temple.
Ver. 5.—Pilate marvelled. He marvelled that the innocent Saviour, wise and eloquent, standing before him in peril of his life
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should remain silent when thus vehemently accused by the leading men of the Jews. Pilate marvelled at his forbearance, his calmness, his contempt of death; from all of which he argued his absolute innocence and holiness, and resolved to do everything in his power to deliver him. The silence of a blameless life pleads more powerfully than any defence, however elaborate.
Ver. 6.—St. Mark omits here what took place next in the order of events, namely, the sending of our Lord by Pilate to Herod (Luke xxiii. 5). This was Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee; and Pilate, apparently convinced of our Lord’s inno- cence, hoped to escape the responsibility of condemning an innocent man, by handing him over to Herod; for Pilate had heard that our Lord was a Galilean. Moreover, he hoped to accomplish another good result, namely, to recover the favour of Herod, which was desirable on political grounds. The first intention failed; for Herod sent our Lord back to Pilate in mockery, “ array- ing him in gorgeous apparel” (wepiBaday éo077a Acumpav). But the second succeeded : “ Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day ” (Luke xxiii. 12), There was now, however, another resources. At the feast (kara éoprijv)—literally, at feast- time—he used to release unto them one prisoner, whom they asked of him (évzmep Arovvro). In St. John (xviii. 39) we read that Pilate said, “ Ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the Passover.”
Ver. 7—And there was one called Barabbas, lying bound with them that had made insurrection, men who in the ingur- rection had committed murder. Pilate appears to have thought of Barabbas, not doubting but that, by limiting their choice between him and Jesus, he would secure the liberation of our Lord. But Pilate little knew the temper of the chief priests and scribes, and their bitter hostility to
Christ. The word “Barabbas,” better written “ Bar-Abbas,”’ means “son of father.”
Ver. 8.—And the multitude weut up and began to ask him to do as he was wont to do unto them. Went up (dvaBds). This ia the reading to be preferred to the old reading, “ crying aloud” (avaBofeas). The reading avaBas is supported by the Sinaitic, the Vatican, and the Cambridge manu- scripts; also by the Old Italic, the Gothic, and other versions. The Aithiopic Version combines the two, “ going up and crying aloud.” The geographical pvusition of Pilate’s residence quite justifies the use of the term dvaBads.
Ver. 9.—Pilate doubtless hoped that they would ask for Jsgus. He knew that
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. [oa, xv. 1—4n.