§ 134. The washing of the disciples' feet by their Lord and Master was an impressive lesson, that they should live in harmony and love and humility one with another. The occasion of this act was their previous contention, as related by Luke in § 133. Compare Luke 24, 26 sq. with John 13, 16 sq. John's narrative is supplementary to that of Luke; and therefore he does not speak of the contention itself, because the latter had already described it.

On the phrase "before the feast of the passover," v. 1, see above in Introd. Note, p. 200.-The phrase " supper being come," v. 2, is here equivalent to "during supper;" see v. 4 and v. 12. The time of the action was probably after they had taken their places at table, and before they had partaken of the proper meal; perhaps between the first and second cups of wine; see p. 199 above.

§ 135. The sequence of the transactions during the supper appears to have been the following: The taking of their places at table; the contention; the first cup of wine; the washing of the disciples' feet and reproof (SS 133, 134); the pointing out of the traitor and his departure (§ 135); the foretelling of Peter's denial (§ 136); institution of the Lord's Supper (§ 137), Luke's order differs from that of Matthew and Mark, in placing by anticipation the institution of the Eucharist before the pointing out of the traitor, etc. He was apparently led to this by the mention of the first cup of wine, vv. 17. 18. Afterwards he returns and narrates the previous circumstances.

etc.

In the present section, Jesus first declares that one of the twelve shall betray him; they in amazement inquire, "Lord, is it I? is it I?" and Peter makes a sign to John, leaning on Jesus' bosom, that he should ask, who it was. John does so; and Jesus gives him privately a sign by which he may know the traitor, viz. the sop. The amazement and inquiry still continuing, Jesus gives the sop to Judas; who then conscience-smitten, but desiring to conceal his confusion, asks as the others had done, "Lord, is it I?" Jesus answers him, and he immediately goes out, before the institution of the Eucharist; comp. John 13, 26 sq.-For John 13, 28. 29, see Introd. Note, p. 204.

§ 136. Mark says, "Before the cock crow twice," v. 30; the other Evangelists have simply, "Before the cock crow;" see Note on § 144.

§ 137. The institution of the Lord's Supper took place obviously at the close of the passover-meal, and in connection with the "cup of blessing," or third cup, which terminated the meal proper; comp. 1 Cor. 10, 16, and see p. 199 above. With this view accords the expression "after supper," in Luke 22, 20; and so 1 Cor. 11, 25. Matthew and Mark speak of Jesus as breaking the bread "as they were eating;" which implies nothing more than "during the meal," while they were yet eating; and does not require the institution of the bread to be separated from that of the cup.

§ 142. Matthew relates that our Lord went away thrice and prayed. Mark speaks of his going away twice only, but mentions his coming again the third time, v. 41; and therefore accords with Matthew. According to Luke, Jesus goes away and prays, and an angel strengthens him; after which he prays the

"more earnestly," v. 44. The three Evangelists, therefore, agree in their narratives.

§ 143. Jesus advances to meet the crowd, and declares himself to be the person whom they sought. At the same time Judas, in order to fulfil his bargain, comes up and salutes him with a kiss.

§ 144. An oriental house is usually built around a quadrangular interior court; into which there is a passage (sometimes arched) through the front part of the house, closed next the street by a heavy folding gate, with a smaller wicket for single persons, kept by a porter. In the text, the interior court, often paved or flagged, and open to the sky, is the place where the attendants made a fire; and the passage beneath the front of the house, from the street to this court, is the porch in Matth. 26, 71. Mark 14, 68. The place where Jesus stood before the high priest, may have been an open room or place of audience on the ground-floor, in the rear or on one side of the court; such rooms, open in front, being customary. It was close upon the court; for Jesus heard all that was going on around the fire, and turned and looked upon Peter; Luke 22, 61.

Peter's first denial took place at the fire in the middle of the court, on his being questioned by the female porter.-Peter then, according to Matthew and Mark, retreats into the porch or passage leading to the street, where he is again questioned, and makes his second denial. Luke and John do not specify the place. The Evangelists differ in their statements here, as to the person who now questioned him. Mark says the same maid saw him again, and began to question him, v. 69; Matthew has "another maid," v. 71; Luke writes "another," i. e. another man, v. 58; while John uses the indefinite form, they said. As, according to Matthew (v. 71) and Mark (v. 69), there were several persons present, Peter may have been interrogated by several.-The third denial took place an hour after, probably near the fire, or at least within the court, where our Lord and Peter could see each other; Luke 22, 61. Here Matthew and Mark speak of several interrogators, Luke has still "another," and John specifies the servant of the high priest.

The three denials are here placed together for convenience, although during the intervals between them the examination of Jesus was going on before the high priest; the progress of which is given in § 145.

Mark relates that the cock crowed twice, vv. 68. 72; the others speak only of his crowing once. This accords also with their respective accounts of our Lord's prophecy; see § 136. The cock often crows irregularly about midnight or not long after; and again always and regularly about the third hour or daybreak. When therefore "the cock-crowing" is spoken of alone, this last is always meant. Hence the name cock-crowing, for the third watch of the night, which ended at the third hour after midnight; Mark 13, 35. Mark therefore here relates more definitely; the others more generally.

§ 145. This examination by Caiaphas, John 18, 19-23, took place soon after Peter's first denial; see § 144. Not improbably the high-priest again withdrew, after having sent off messengers to convoke the Sanhedrim, which met

at early dawn, Luke 22, 66.—Luke 22, 63-65 is transposed, in accordance with Matthew and Mark.

§ 146. On John 18, 28, see Introd. Note, p. 201.

§ 149. The scarlet robe of Matth. 27, 28, and the purple robe of John 19, 2, are put for the paludamentum or red military cloak worn by officers; see Adam's Rom. Antiqq. p. 371. The Greek word in Matthew signifies properly coccusdyed, crimson, and seems to be nearly synonymous with purple; just as purplered and crimson are often interchanged in English.

§ 150. On the phrase "preparation of the passover," v. 14, see the Introd. Note, p. 202. In the same verse, the expression "about the sixth hour," does not accord with the "third hour" of Mark 15, 25; see in § 153. But the "third hour" of Mark, as the hour of the crucifixion, is sustained by the whole course of the transactions and circumstances; as also by the fact stated by Matthew, Mark, and Luke, that the darkness commenced at the sixth hour, after Jesus had already for some time hung upon the cross; see § 155. The reading sixth in John is therefore probably an early error of transcription for third, arising out of the similarity of the Greek numeral letters. Indeed, this last reading is found in two of the best manuscripts, as well as several other authorities; so that its external weight is marked by Griesbach as nearly or quite equal to that of the common reading; while the internal evidence in its favour is certainly far greater. The suggestion of some commentators, that John here computes the hours from midnight, seems to be without any historical foundation. The time also which would thus result, viz. sunrise, would be much too early for the course of events.

§ 151. Judas repented, it would seem, as soon as he saw that Jesus was delivered over to be crucified. Till then he had hoped, perhaps, to enjoy the reward of his treachery, without involving himself in the guilt of his Master's blood.

According to Matthew (v. 5), Judas "strangled," i. e. hanged himself. Luke says in Acts 1, 18, "falling headlong he burst asunder in the midst." These two accounts are not inconsistent with each other; the rope breaking, the fall might easily be such as to cause the bursting of the abdomen.

In Acts 1, 18 the word "purchased" is to be taken as expressing the idea: he gave occasion to purchase, was the occasion of purchasing. For such an usage, see Matth. 27, 60. Rom. 14, 15. 1 Cor. 7, 16. 1 Tim. 4, 16. etc.

The quotation in Matth. 27, 9. 10, is found, not in Jeremiah, but in Zech. 11, 12 sq. The reading Jeremiah is therefore most probably an early error of a transcriber, misled by a reminiscence of Jer. 18, 1 sq. The Syriac version, the earliest of all, as also several other versions and manuscripts, have simply "by the prophet;" which is apparently the true reading. Other later authorities read Zechariah.

$152. Jesus bore his cross at first; but he being probably faint from exhaustion, Simon was compelled to bear it after him.

The "vinegar mingled with gall" of Matthew 27, 34, is the same with the

"wine mingeld with myrrh" of Mark 15, 23, viz. cheap acid wine mingled with bitter myrrh. Such a drink was given to persons about to be executed, in order to stupify them. See Lightfoot Hor. Heb. on Matth. 27, 34.

§ 153. Various slight transpositions in the verses are made in this Section, in order to present their parallelism to the eye.-On the four different forms of the title on the cross, see Note on § 15.

§ 154. According to Matthew and Mark, both the malefactors reviled Jesus; while according to Luke, one was penitent. In the former Evangelists, there is here an enallage of number; the plural being put for the singular. This is often done, where the predicate relates strictly to one subject, while yet the writer expresses the idea generally. So Matth. 26, 8 comp. John 12, 4. Matth. 2, 20. 9, 8. Mark 7, 17 comp. Matth. 15, 15. Mark 5, 31 comp. Luke 8, 45. Matth. 24, 1 comp. Mark 13, 1. John 19, 29 comp. Matth. 27, 48. etc.

For the "vinegar" in Luke 23, 36, see note on § 155.

In John 19, 25, the marginal reading of the English version is the proper one, viz. Clopas instead of Cleophas. It is strictly a Greek form of a Hebrew name, which is elsewhere represented by Alpheus.-The Cleopas of Luke 24, 18, is a different name of regular Greek derivation, and belongs to another person.

§ 155. In Matth. 27, 46 Eli is the Hebrew word for my God; and in Mark 15, 34 Eloi is the corresponding Aramæan word for the same.

The "vinegar" in Matth. 22, 48 and the parallel verses, is here the posca or common drink of the Roman soldiers, viz. cheap acid wine mingled with water. In Matthew and Mark the sponge is said to be put upon a reed; in John, upon hyssop. Here probably a stalk or stem of hyssop is to be understood; the cross not being of any great height. The particular plant designated by the hyssop of the Hebrews, has not yet been fully ascertained by botanists. It probably included not only the modern hyssop of the shops, but also other aromatic plants, as mint, wild marjoram, etc.

§ 156. Matth. 27, 55. 56, etc. refers to a later point of time than John 19, 25 sq. Mary and the other women had now retired to a distance from the scene of suffering.

§ 157. On the phrase: "that sabbath-day was an high day," John 19, 31, see Introd. Note, p. 203.

It was according to custom among the Jews, that the bodies of persons publicly executed should be taken down and buried before sunset. Thus Josephus, B. J. 4. 5. 2: "So great care did the Jews take respecting sepulture, that even the bodies of those condemned to be crucified they took down and buried before sunset."

18*

PART IX.

OUR LORD'S RESURRECTION, HIS SUBSEQUENT APPEARANCES, AND

HIS ASCENSION.

§§ 159-173.

INTRODUCTORY NOTE.

A FULL discussion upon this part of the Gospel History, embracing a review of the main difficulties in the way of harmonizing the accounts of the four Evangelists, was published by the author of these Notes, in the Bibliotheca Sacra for Feb. 1845, p. 162 sq. To this the student is referred for a more complete examination of the subject.

It is no doubt true, that more of these apparent difficulties are found in this short portion of the Gospels, than in almost all the rest. This has its cause in the circumstance, that each of the sacred writers here follows an eclectic method, and records only what appertained to his own particular purpose or experience. Thus many of the minor and connecting facts have not been preserved; and the data are therefore wanting to make out a full and complete harmony of all the accounts, without an occasional resort to something of hypothesis. Had we all the facts, we may well rest assured, that this part of the sacred history would at once prove to be as exact, as consistent, and as complete, as any and every other portion of the Word of God.

The general results of the investigations upon which we are now entering, may be presented in the following summary view of the events and circumstances connected with our Lord's resurrection and ascension, in the order of their occurrence.

The resurrection took place at or before early dawn on the first day of the week; when there was an earthquake, and an angel descended and rolled away the stone from the sepulchre and sat upon it; so that the keepers became as dead men from terror. At early dawn, the same morning, the women who had attended on Jesus, viz. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Joanna, Salome, and others, went out with spices to the sepulchre in order further to embalm the Lord's body. They inquire among themselves, who should remove for them the stone which closed the sepulchre. On their arrival they find the stone already rolled away. The Lord had risen. The women knowing nothing of all that had taken place, were amazed; they enter the tomb, and find not the body of the Lord, and are greatly perplexed. At this time Mary Magdalene, impressed with the idea that the body had been stolen away, leaves the sepulchre and the other women, and runs to the city to tell Peter and John.

The other women remain still in the tomb; and immediately two angels appear, who announce unto them that Jesus is risen from the dead, and give them a charge in his name for the Apostles. They go out quickly from the sepulchre, and proceed in haste to the city to make this known to the disciples. On the way Jesus meets them, permits them to embrace his feet, and renews the same charge to the Apostles. The women relate these things to the disciples; but their words seem to them as idle tales, and they believe them not.