The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (43 page)

26:65 tore his robes:
A gesture of extreme distress and wrongdoing—the Mosaic Law forbade the
high priest
to tear his sacred vestments (Lev 10:6; 21:10).
blasphemy:
The council charges Jesus with blaspheming the name of God and issues a death sentence (Lev 24:16). The Romans, however, reserved for themselves the sole authority to administer capital punishment in NT Palestine (Jn 18:31). For this reason, the council delivers Jesus to the Roman governor, Pilate (27:2), in hopes of enforcing their judgment (CCC 591, 596). 
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26:73 your accent:
Peter's Galilean
accent
was foreign to natives of Jerusalem (Mk 14:70). 
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26:74 the cock crowed:
Peter is unwilling to identify with Jesus and denies even knowing him. Hearing the cock, he recalls Jesus' prophecy (26:34) and probably his foolish over-confidence (26:35).
See note on Mt 26:34
. •
Morally
(St. Laurence Giustiniani,
de Christi agone,
chap. 9): Peter typifies man's proneness to sin. The cock is the informed conscience that accuses us of sins, reminding us of God's commandments and stirring the soul to contrition. As with Peter, the informed conscience directs sinners away from despair and toward genuine repentance. 
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27:1 took counsel:
Depicts the conspiracy of Jesus' adversaries (12:14; 22:15; 26:4). • Matthew's description of the plot alludes to Ps 2:2 (Acts 4:25-27). In context, David describes rulers who "take counsel together, against the Lord and his anointed" (i.e., the Messiah). 
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27:2 Pilate the governor:
Pontius Pilate, the Roman procurator of Judea, Idumea, and Samaria from
A.D.
26 to 36. He is known from first-century sources as a harsh tyrant. Although he considers Jesus innocent of a capital crime (27:23), he lacks the integrity to release him by his own authority. He is now immortalized in the Apostles' Creed as responsible for the suffering and Crucifixion of Christ. 
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27:5 hanged himself:
The suicide of Judas is difficult to interpret. Matthew describes a hanging, but Acts 1:18 suggests his death involved a headlong fall whereby his "bowels gushed out". Since both the hanging (Mt) and the fall (Acts) seem to involve some height or elevation related to the incident, the two accounts should be considered complementary, although the precise course of events is unknown.
See note on Mt 26:56
. 
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27:6 blood money:
The priests deem it inappropriate to use Judas' betrayal money as a religious donation to the Temple. 
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27:8-10
An allusion to OT passages from both
Jeremiah
and Zechariah. • The central scenario of buying a
potter's field
links these prophets.
(1)
Jeremiah made a famous visit to a potter (Jer 18:1-11) and was commissioned by God to purchase a field (Jer 32:6-9),
(2)
while Zechariah narrates how the wicked shepherds of Israel valued the Lord at a mere "thirty shekels of silver" (Zech 11:12), a price so worthless it was thrown away to a "potter" (see text note
q
at Zech 11:13). The wider context of Jeremiah gives these oracles a geographical focus: the prophet also smashed a potter's vessel in the gate overlooking the valley of Hinnom (i.e., Gehenna / Topheth) as a sign that Jerusalem and Judea would be destroyed for shedding innocent blood (Jer 19:1-15). Ancient tradition locates Judas' burial site
(Field of Blood)
in this same valley of Hinnom, precisely where Jeremiah smashed the pot and foretold its destiny as a future graveyard (Jer 19:11). Matthew may think of the smashed vessel, originally a sign of Judea's demise, as also a prophetic sign of Judas' destruction. 
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27:11 King of the Jews?:
The Jerusalem leaders give Jesus a title with obvious political overtones. The concern is whether Jesus represents a challenge to the authority of Rome; if so, Pilate would have legal cause to execute him for sedition. 
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27:19 a dream:
Matthew alone records this episode with Pilate's
wife.
As in the Infancy Narratives, dreams are channels for divine warning and instruction (1:20; 2:12-13, 22). 
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27:24 a riot:
The same word is translated "tumult" (Gk.
thorybos
) in Mt 26:5. The Jerusalem leaders originally hoped to avoid a public upheaval but now instigate one to their own advantage.
washed his hands:
Pilate's vain gesture to excuse himself from the responsibility of Jesus' death.
See note on Mt 27:2
. 
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27:25 His blood be on us:
An oath formula (cf. Josh 2:1719). The Jerusalem mob invokes a curse upon itself, staking their lives to their decision. Sadly, their oath was rash and inappropriate; they did not take seriously the responsibilities attached to crucifying Jesus. Their guilt eventually brought judgment on the Holy City (cf. Jer 26:15; Acts 5:28; CCC 597598).
See note on Mt 5:33
. 
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27:27 praetorium:
The residence of a Roman official (Pilate) in Jerusalem. 
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27:28 a scarlet robe:
The military cloak of a Roman soldier. 
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27:29 King of the Jews!:
A title suggested by the Sanhedrin and used mockingly by the soldiers (Lk 23:2). It is also the transcription on Jesus' Cross (27:37). The wise men are the only figures in Matthew to use the title in a positive and honorable way (2:2). •
Allegorically:
the title and articles used to slander Jesus signify his kingship and triumph over sin. The scarlet robe (27:28) represents Jesus' defeat of Satan through his shed blood; the crown of thorns (27:29) points to the crown of glory that adorns Jesus at his Ascension; the reed (27:29) signifies the scepter of his heavenly kingdom. Through these images, Christ's victory is paradoxically announced in the midst of his apparent defeat. 
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27:33 Golgotha:
An Aramaic term meaning "skull". The Vulgate translation of this word (Lat.
Calvariae
) is the source of the modern term "Calvary". Golgotha lies outside Jerusalem's walls (Jn 19:20) and probably acquired its name as a site commonly used for executing criminals. 
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27:34 gall:
A mixture of herbs and myrrh used as a narcotic (cf. Mk 15:23). Jesus' refusal of painkillers signifies his total acceptance of the Father's will and the extent of his sacrificial love (cf. Jn 10:17-18; Rom 5:8). 
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27:35 crucified him:
Crucifixion was designed to facilitate a slow and torturous death. Victims died from a combination of blood loss and asphyxiation.
See note on Mk 15:24
.
divided his garments:
An allusion to Ps 22:18. This psalm is quoted by Jesus before his death (Mt 27:46; cf. Jn 19:24). 
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27:45 sixth hour . . . ninth hour:
i.e., from noon until 3
P.M.
See note on Mt 20:1
. • The phenomena surrounding the Crucifixion recall Amos 8:8-10. In context, Amos prophesies the day of the Lord, when God would judge his enemies and the sinners of his people. On this day, the land would "tremble", the sun would "go down at noon", and there would be "lamentation" like the "mourning for an only son". •
Symbolically
(St. Cyprian,
De bono patientiae,
7): the disturbances of Good Friday signify creation's distress over the death of its Creator. The sun in particular withdraws its rays to look away, lest it be forced to gaze upon the crime of Jesus' enemies. 
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27:46 Eli, Eli:
A mixed Hebrew and Aramaic quotation of Ps 22:1. Matthew elsewhere alludes to the psalm in 27:35 (Ps 22:18), 27:39 (Ps 22:7), and 27:43 (Ps 22:8). • In context, Ps 22 depicts the plight of a righteous sufferer. Although innocent, he is mocked and abused by the ungodly. He thus turns to God in his distress and petitions God for deliverance. By citing the psalm's opening line, Jesus expresses his agony as he experiences the full brunt of rejection. This evokes the entire plot of Ps 22, where the sufferer's humiliation gives way to his vindication. Thus Jesus does not consider his Passion meaningless or a mark of failure; still less does he succumb to a sin of despair. Rather, he "trusts in God" (27:43) and surrenders his spirit to the Father (Lk 23:46). Like the innocent sufferer of Ps 22, he is confident that God will turn his misery into victory (cf. Lk 23:43). 
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