Mat 27:2, 11, Mar 15:1, Joh 18:28 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 2. And when they had bound him . He was bound when they took him in the garden, . Probably when he was tried before the sanhedrim, in the palace of Caiaphas, he had been loosed from his bonds--being there surrounded by multitudes, and supposed to be safe. As they were about to lead him to another part of the city now, they again bound him. The binding consisted, probably, in nothing more than tying his hands. Pontius Pilate the governor . The governor, appointed by the Romans, over Judea. The governor commonly resided at Caesarea; but he came up to Jerusalem usually at the great feasts, when most of the Jews were assembled, to administer justice, and to suppress tumults, if any should arise. The title which Pilate received was that of governor , or procurator . The duties of the office were chiefly to collect the revenues due to the Roman emperor, and, in certain cases, to administer justice. Pilate was appointed governor of Judea by Tiberius, then emperor of Rome. John says that they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the hall of judgment--that is, to the part of the praetorium , or governor's palace, where justice was administered. The Jews did not, however, enter in themselves, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the passover. In , it is said, that whosoever touched an unclean thing should be unclean, For this reason they would not enter into the house of a heathen , lest they should contract some defilement that would render them unfit to keep the passover. (n) "him to"

Matthew 27:2

Verse 2. And when they had bound him. He was bound when they took him in the garden, Jn 18:12. Probably when he was tried before the sanhedrim, in the palace of Caiaphas, he had been loosed from his bonds--being there surrounded by multitudes, and supposed to be safe. As they were about to lead him to another part of the city now, they again bound him. The binding consisted, probably, in nothing more than tying his hands.

Pontius Pilate the governor. The governor, appointed by the Romans, over Judea. The governor commonly resided at Caesarea; but he came up to Jerusalem usually at the great feasts, when most of the Jews were assembled, to administer justice, and to suppress tumults, if any should arise. The title which Pilate received was that of governor, or procurator. The duties of the office were chiefly to collect the revenues due to the Roman emperor, and, in certain cases, to administer justice. Pilate was appointed governor of Judea by Tiberius, then emperor of Rome. John says Jn 18:28 that they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the hall of judgment--that is, to the part of the praetorium, or governor's palace, where justice was administered. The Jews did not, however, enter in themselves, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the passover. In Nu 19:22, it is said, that whosoever touched an unclean thing should be unclean, For this reason they would not enter into the house of a heathen, lest they should contract some defilement that would render them unfit to keep the passover.

(n) "him to" Mt 20:19

Matthew 27:11

Verse 11. And Jesus stood before the governor. Many things are omitted by Matthew in the account of this trial, which are recorded by the other evangelists. A much more full account is found in Jn 18:28-40.

And the governor asked him, etc. This question was asked on account of the charge which the Jews brought against Jesus, of "perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar," Lk 23:2. It was on this charge that, after consultation, they had agreed to arraign him before Pilate. They had condemned him for blasphemy; but they well knew that Pilate would altogether disregard an accusation of that kind. They therefore attempted to substitute a totally different accusation from that on which they had professed to find him guilty; to excite the jealousy of the Roman governor, and to procure his death on a false charge of treason against the Roman emperor.

Thou sayest. That is, thou sayest right, or thou sayest the truth. We may wonder why the Jews, if they heard this confession, did not press it upon the attention of Pilate as a full confession of his guilt. It was what they had accused him of. But it might be doubtful whether, in the confusion, they heard the confession; or, if they did, Jesus took away all occasion of triumph by explaining to Pilate the nature of his kingdom, Jn 18:36. Though he acknowledged that he was a king, yet he stated fully that his kingdom was not of this world, and that therefore it could not be alleged against him as treason against the Roman emperor. This was done in the palace, apart from the Jews; and fully satisfied Pilate of his innocence, Jn 18:38.

Mark 15:1

MARK Chapter 15.

Verses 1-15. See the principal events in this chapter explained in Mt 27.

(u) "consultation" Ps 2:2, Mt 27:1, Lk 23:1, Jn 18:28, Acts 3:13, 4:26

John 18:28

Verse 28. See Mt 27:1,2.

Hall of judgment. The praetorium--the same word that in Mt 27:27, is translated common hall. Mt 27:27. It was the place where the Roman praetor, or governor, heard and decided cases brought before him. Jesus had been condemned by the Sanhedrim, and pronounced guilty of death (Mt 26:66); but they had not power to carry their sentence into execution (Jn 18:31), and they therefore sought that he might be condemned and executed by Pilate.

Lest they should be defiled. They considered the touch of a Gentile to be a defilement, and on this occasion, at least, seemed to regard it as a pollution to enter the house of a Gentile. They took care, therefore, to guard themselves against what they considered ceremonial pollution, while they were wholly unconcerned at the enormous crime of putting the innocent Saviour to death, and imbruing their hands in their Messiah's blood. Probably there is not anywhere to be found among men another such instance of petty regard to the mere ceremonies of the law and attempting to keep from pollution, at the same time that their hearts were filled with malice, and they were meditating the most enormous of all crimes. But it shows us how much more concerned men will be at the violation of the mere forms and ceremonies of religion than at real crime, and how they endeavour to keep their consciences at ease amid their deeds of wickedness by the observance of some of the outward ceremonies of religion--by mere sanctimoniousness.

That they might eat the passover. Mt 26:2, Mt 26:17. This defilement, produced by contact with a Gentile, they considered as equivalent to that of the contact of a dead body (Lev 22:4-6; Nu 5:2), and as disqualifying them to partake of the passover in a proper manner. The word translated passover means properly the paschal lamb which was slain and eaten on the observance of this feast. This rite Jesus had observed with his disciples the day before this. It has been supposed by many that he anticipated the usual time of observing it one day, and was crucified on the day on which the Jews observed it; but this opinion is improbable. The very day of keeping the ordinance was specified in the law of Moses, and it is not probable that the Saviour departed from the commandment. All the circumstances, also, lead us to suppose that he observed it at the usual time and manner, Mt 26:17,19. The only passage which has led to a contrary opinion is this in John; but here the word passover does not, of necessity, mean the paschal lamb. It probably refers to the feast which followed the sacrifice of the lamb, and which continued seven days. Comp. Nu 28:16,17. The whole feast was called the Passover, and they were unwilling to defile themselves, even though the paschal lamb had been killed, because it would disqualify them for participating in the remainder of the ceremonies (Lightfoot).

(s) "Then led they Jesus" Mt 27:2, Mk 15:1, Lk 23:1 (4) "the hall of judgment" or, "Pilate's house" (t) "lest they should be defiled" Acts 10:28