The Jewish Annotated New Testament (202 page)

1
–2:
(Mk 15.1; Lk 23.1).
Pilate
, Roman governor in Judea from 18–36 ce, known for cruelty (Tacitus,
Ann
. 15.44; Josephus,
J.W
. 2.166–77;
Ant
. 18.35,55–64,85–89,177).

3
:
He repented
, a point unique to Matthew.
Thirty pieces of silver
, see 26.15n.

4
:
Innocent blood
, cf. Deut 27.25; Jer 19.4. Judas (27.4), Jewish leaders (26.59), Pilate (27.23–25), Pilate’s wife (27.19), crowds (27.18), and the centurion (27.54) proclaim Jesus’ righteousness and innocence.

5
:
Hanged himself
, Matthew is the only gospel that includes this account (contrast Acts 1.16–20), paralleling the death of David’s betrayer, Ahithophel (2 Sam 17.23).

6
:
Blood money
, money related to death cannot be used for holy purposes.

9
–10:
A combination of Zech 11.12–13; Jer 18.1–19; 32.6–15.

27.11
–26: Jesus before Pilate
(Mk 15.2–5; 23.1–7,13–25; Jn 18.29–19.16).

11
:
King of the Jews
, Pilate would view a Jewish “king” as a threat to the Empire.

14
:
Gave him no answer
, see 26.63n.; 1 Tim 6.13.

15
:
Release a prisoner
, Rome sometimes released prisoners but not those “plainly worthy of death” (
Ant
. 20.215; cf.
m. Pesah
. 8.6).

16
:
Mk 15.7; Lk 23.25. Rome would not release a
notorious prisoner. Jesus Barabbas
, Aram, lit., “son of [the/a] father.” Some early manuscripts lack “Jesus.” The name “Barabbas” appears in rabbinic literature (
b. Ber
. 18b). The names make a theological point: the innocent “Jesus ‘son of the father’” pays the ransom for his guilty counterpart.

19
–20:
His wife
, mentioned only by Matthew (cf.
Acts Pil
. 2.1). Her
dream
recollects Joseph (Mt 1–2).

22
:
Crucified
, Roman method of execution for insurrectionaries, sometimes in large groups; it was usually preceded by scourging or whipping (Josephus,
J.W
. 5.11.449–51). The victim was nailed (through the wrists) or bound to the transverse piece; part of the punishment was the public exposure (victims were often naked) and the lingering nature of the death, by asphyxiation, as the victim’s exhaustion made it progressively more difficult, and then impossible, to raise the body in order to breathe.

24
:
Washed his hands
, linked to purification or redemption (Deut 21.1–9; Ps 26.6; 73.13). Pilate, failing to uphold justice, is complicit in Jesus’ execution.

25
:
His blood be on us and on our children
, this unique Matthean addition resulted in Jews throughout the generations being blamed for Jesus’ death (cf. Jer 26.15; see also 21.37–39n.). Matthew’s first readers likely related the verse to the Jerusalem population, devastated in 70 CE.

27.27
–54: The crucifixion
(Mk 15.16–41; Lk 23.26–49; Jn 19.17–37).

27
–31: Mocking
. Mk 15.16–20; Lk 23.26–32; Jn 19.1–2;
Gos. Pet
. 2.5–3.9. Matthew’s theme of prophetic fulfillment continues (20.19; cf. Isa 50.6; Jer 48.17; cf. Ps 22.7).
Cohort
, around 600 men.
Scarlet robe
, a Roman soldier’s tunic (contrast with the other Gospels’ “purple,” a royal color; see Mk 15.17; Jn 19.2).

32
:
Cyrene
, in modern-day Libya; there was in the first century a large Jewish community there.

33
:
Golgotha,
Gk transliteration of the Aram, “skull.”

34
:
Offered him wine
, to dull the pain (Prov 31.6;
b. Sanh
. 43a; cf. Mk 15.23).
He would not drink it
, see 26.29.

35
:
Divided his clothes
, Ps 22.18.

38
:
Two bandits
, see 20.21n.

39
:
Derided him
(Gk, lit., “blasphemed him”), 9.3n.; Ps 22.7–8; 109.25.

40
:
Destroy the temple
, see 1.11n., 23.38n., 24.1–2n.
If you are the Son of God
, recalls the devil’s challenge (4.3,5; see also 26.61).

46
:
Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani
, Ps 22.1. The first two words are in Hebrew, followed by Aramaic, the vernacular of the period; the psalm, which informs much of the description of the crucifixion, ends on a triumphal note.

47
:
Elijah
(Heb “Eli-yahu”), the prophet expected to announce the messiah/messianic age (11.14–15n.). According to rabbinic tradition, Elijah aided the righteous in their time of need
(b. Avodah Zara
17b;
Ta
‘
an
. 21a).

51
–53:
Ex 26.31–35; Heb 9.8; 10.19.

48
:
Sour wine
, Ps 69.21.

51
:
Curtain of the temple,
could symbolize the Temple destruction, Jesus’ function as the “forgiver of sins” and the “divine presence,” thereby replacing the Temple (12.6; 21.12–13n.; 23.38n.; see also 1.23; 18.20; 28.20; cf.
Acts Pil
. 11.1), or divine mourning.
Earth shook
, Gk “seismos,” lit., “earthquake” (see 8.24n.; 24.7; 28.2; cf. Judg 5.4; Isa 24.19–22; 29.6; Ps 18.6–8; Rev 6.12; 8.5; 11.13,19). No non-Christian sources record these events.

52
:
Saints,
Gk “hagioi,” lit., “holy ones.”
Were raised
, many Jews expected a general resurrection as part of the messianic age (see Jn 11.24).

54
:
Centurion
, see 8.8,10n.

27.55
–56: Women witnesses. 55:
Provided for him
, women served as patrons (see Lk 8.1–3). Matthew mentions female followers by name for the first time (see 27.61).

56
:
Mary Magdalene
, on Magdala, see 15.39n.
Mary the mother of James and Joseph
, otherwise unknown.
Mother of the sons of Zebedee
, see 20.20n.

27.57
–61: Jesus’ entombment
(Mk 15.42–47; Lk 23.50–56; Jn 19.38–42).

57
–58:
When it was evening
, burials were not permitted on the Sabbath (
m. Shabb
. 23.5; see also Jn 19.31). Jewish law requires that the deceased be buried quickly (Deut 21.22–23; cf. Tob 1.17–18; 2.3–7;
m. Ber
. 3.1;
b. Ber
. 14b). No mention is made of what happens to the other crucified men.
Arimathea
, a Judean town of uncertain location.
Rich
, see Isa 53.9. Later Christian traditions have Joseph conducting missionary work in Britain.

61
:
The wife of Zebedee does not go to the tomb.

27.62
–66: Pharisees ironically remember the prediction.

62
:
Day of Preparation
, Gk “paraskeuē,” “making ready,” an ambiguous term. It appears in the NT here and in Mk 15.42; Lk 23.54, where it means the day preceding the Sabbath (Passover has already begun); in Jn 19.14,31,42, where it means the day preceding Passover, although 19.42 implies that Passover fell on a Sabbath.

63
:
After three days …,
Hos 6.2; cf.
Gos. Pet
. 8.28–32.

64
:
Command the tomb to be made secure
, Dan 6.17;
Apoc. Mos
. 42.1.

28.1
–10: The empty tomb
(Mk 16.1–8; Lk 24.1–11; Jn 20.1–18).

1
:
First day of the week
, Sunday, the third day after Jesus’ death. Some Jews believed the soul departed from the body after three days (
y. Mo’ed Qat
. 8.5;
b. Yebam
. 16.3;
b. Sanh
. 90b–91a;
b. Shabb
. 151b;
Gen. Rab
. 100;
Sem
. 8.1).
Went to see the tomb
, women as well as men were allowed to visit and attend to tombs, for both male and female deceased persons.

2
:
Cf.
Acts Pil
. 13.
Great earthquake
, see 8.24n.; 27.51–53n.

3
:
Clothing white as snow
, Dan 7.9; 10.6; cf. Rev 1.14; 2.18; 1QS 3.20; 1QM 13.9–10.

4
:
Became like dead men
, the guards are more frightened than the women.

6
:
He is not here
, many Jews believed in bodily resurrection, which would occur at the dawn of the messianic age (Dan 12.2; Josephus,
J.W
. 2.158,163; 3.374;
Ant
. 10.277–80; 16.397–98; 18.14;
Pss. Sol
. 3.12–13; 5.12–13;
1 En
. 22.13;
b. Sanh
. 90b;
Gen. Rab
. on Gen. 95).