23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. 24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did. his mother to John. (SIXTH DAY OF THE WEEK.) Jerusalem. CH. XXIII. 35-37, 39-43. 35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. 36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, 37 And saying, If thou be the King of the Jews, save thyself. John xix. 23, four parts.] We have here an incidental allusion to a practice well known at that time. The malefactor about to be crucified, having borne his own cross to the place of execution, was stripped, and made to drink a stupefying potion; the cross was then laid on the ground, the sufferer distended upon it, and four soldiers, two on each side, were employed in driving four large nails through his hands and feet. For this service they had a right to his clothes, as a perquisite. See Dr. Harwood's Introd., cited in HORNE's Introd., vol i. pp. 94, 95. Luke xxiii. 36, vinegar.] Here the common drink of the Roman soldiers is offered by them to Jesus on the cross, while they are deriding him; which is a different act from that in Matth. xxvii. 34, 48, as appears by the place assigned to it. NEWCOME. § 154. The Jews mock at Jesus on the cross. He commends MATTHEW. CH. XXVII. 39-44. MARK. CH. XV. 29-32. 42 He saved others; himself he 32 Let Christ the King of Israel cannot save. If he be the King of descend now from the cross, that we Israel, let him now come down from may see and believe. And they that the cross, and we will believe him. were crucified with him, reviled him. 43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God." 44 The thieves also which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. 155. Darkness prevails. Christ expires on the cross. CH. XXVII. 45-50. 45 Now, from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. CH. XV. 33-37. 33 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land, until the ninth hour. a Ps. xxii. 7, 8. Luke xxiii. 39, one of the malefactors.] What was true of only one of the malefactors, is attributed to both in the concise relations of Matthew and Mark; the plural being often used in the Gospels for the singular. This the Evangelists themselves show in some instances. Compare Mark vii. 17, and Matth. xv. 15; Mark v. 31, and Luke viii. 45; Matth. xiv. 17, and Mark vi. 38, Luke ix. 13, John vi. 8, 9; Matth. xxvi. 8, and Mark xiv. 4, John xii. 4; Matth. xxiv. 1, and Mark xiii. 1; Matth. xxvii. 37, and John xix. 19; Matth. xxvii. 48, and Mark xv. 36, John xix. 29. See also Luke xxii. 67. In the following places, the plural is used, while the sense shows that one is spoken of. John xi. 8, Luke xx. 21, 39, and xxiv. 5, Matth. xv. 1, 12. — The Evangelists, therefore, when from attention to brevity they avoid particularizing, (SIXTH DAY OF THE WEEK.) CH. XXIII. 44-46. 44 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Jerusalem. often attribute to many what is said or done by single persons; nor does any striking peculiarity in the case omitted, lead them to deviate from their manner; for instance, the case of Judas, Matth. xxvi. 8, and the parallel places. NEWCOME. Luke xxiii. 44, over all the earth.] The objection urged by infidels, upon this passage, against the veracity of the Evangelists, from the silence of profane writers concerning so remarkable an event, is met and answered by Bp. Watson in his Reply to Gibbon, Let. 5. The word translated earth, in Luke, is the same which is rendered land, in the others, and applies equally to both. Taken in the latter sense, it may limit the darkness to Judea. But the Evangelists do not mention the degree of darkness; if therefore it was slight, though it extended over the whole globe, the objection of its not being recorded by Pliny or Seneca vanishes at once. 155. Darkness prevails. Christ expires on the cross. MATTHEW. CH. XXVII. 45-50. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? a 47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. 48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. 49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. MARK. CH. XV. 33-37. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 35 And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. 36 And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. 50 Jesus, when he had cried again 37 And Jesus cried with a loud with a loud voice, yielded up the voice, and gave up the ghost. ghost. § 156. The vail of the Temple rent. The graves opened. CH. XXVII. 51-56. CH. XV. 38-41. 51 And behold, the vail of the tem- 38 And the vail of the temple was ple was rent in twain from the top to rent in twain, from the top to the the bottom and the earth did quake, bottom. and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept, arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54 Now, when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. 39 And when the centurion which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God. 55 And many women were there 40 There were also women looking (beholding afar off) which followed on afar off, among whom was Mary a Ps. xxii. 1. Matth. xxvii. 48, vinegar.] Hil or Hila was the old Syriac for vinegar. Hence one of the bystanders, hearing our Saviour's exclamation on the cross, thought he wanted vinegar to alleviate his thirst, and straightway filled a spunge. See BUCHANAN's Researches, p. 153. Matth. xxvii. 49, Elias.] The Jews gave a literal interpretation to Mal. iv. 5, expecting Elijah to appear in person, as the forerunner of the Messiah; and hence they, on this occasion, sneeringly adverted to the want of this testimony to the mission of Christ. JONES, Lect. 147. This incidental allusion to the popular opinion, by Matthew and Mark, may be noticed as additional evidence of their veracity. (SIXTH DAY OF THE WEEK.) Jerusalem. LUKE. CH. XXIII. 44-46. 45 And the sun was darkened, 46 And when Jesus had cried with JOHN. CH. XIX. 28-30. 28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.a 29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus therefore had rea loud voice, he said, Father, into ceived the vinegar, he said, It is thy hands I commend my spirit and finished: and he bowed his head, and and having said thus, he gave up the gave up the ghost. ghost. 45 The women at the cross. (SIXTH DAY OF THE WEEK.) Jerusalem. CH. XXIII. 45, 47-49. And the vail of the tem ple was rent in the midst. 47 Now, when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. 48 And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the a Ps. lxix. 22. Matth. xxvii. 55, afar off.] This and the parallel verses are reconciled with John xix. 25, by the following observation in Wall's critical notes, p. 116. "Mary stood as yet, (John xix. 25,) so nigh the cross as to hear what Christ said. But at the time of his departure, Matthew, Mark and Luke say, the women stood afar off." See also Watson's Reply to Gibbon, Let. 5, (Evangelical Family Library, Vol. xiv. pp. 276, 277.) It is natural to suppose that our Lord's relations and friends, mentioned in John xix. 25, were too much struck with commiseration and grief to remain long near the cross; and that they would retire from the horror of the concluding scene. NEWCOME. 32 |