§ 145. Jesus before Caiaphas. He declares himself to be the

CH. XIV. 55-65.

55 And the chief priests, and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found

none:

56 For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together.

57 And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying,

58 We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.

59 But neither so did their witness agree together.

60 And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?

61 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high

§ 144.] Matthew and Mark relate Peter's denials of Christ after his condemnation, and the insults consequent upon it. It is plain that they happened while the High Priest and council were sitting in judgment. But instances of recurring in this manner to what had been omitted in its proper place are common in the Gospels; and in this place the thread of the narration is preserved unbroken.

It having been expressly mentioned by each Evangelist, that Peter would thrice deny Jesus, we may conclude that each has related the three denials which Jesus foretold.

Peter's first denial. Peter was without, or beneath, in the hall of Caiaphas's house. Dr. Scott, on Matth. xxvi. 3, observes that aule signifies an house, (Luke xi. 21,) and that emphatically it signifies the king's house, or palace. But in Luke xxii. 55, it seems to signify a spacious apartment, probably the High Priest's judgment-hall. It was the place in which Jesus stood before the High Priest, (Luke xxii. 61,) and had an atrium or vesti bulum at its entrance. This was an unfit place for the tribunal of the High Priest at such an hour, (John xviii. 18.) Sir John Chardin says, "In the lower Asia the day is always hot; and in the height of summer the nights are as cold as at Paris in the month of March." It remains therefore that we understand it of a spacious chamber, such as Shaw mentions, Travels, 4to. pp. 207, 8.

Peter was not in the higher part, where Jesus stood before the High Priest; but without that division of the hall, and in the lower part, with the servants and officers. The damsel, who kept the door, had entered into the hall when she charged Peter.

Peter's second denial. Peter, having once denied Jesus, naturally retired from the

INTRODUCING THE SIXTH DAY OF THE WEEK.) Jerusalem.

LUKE.

CH. XXII. 54-62.

61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

62 And Peter went out and wept bitterly.

JOHN.

Christ, &c. (MORNING OF THE SIXTH DAY OF THE WEEK.)

CH. XXII. 63-71.

66 And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people, and the chief priests, and the scribes, came together, and led him into their council, saying,

Jerusalem.

CH. XVIII. 19-24.

67 Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe.

68 And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go.

69 Hereafter shall the Son of man

19 The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine.

20 Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple,

place where his accuser was, to the vestibule of the hall, (Matt. xxvi. 71); and it was the time of the first cock-crowing, or soon after midnight. After remaining here a short time, perhaps near an hour, another damsel sees him, and says to those who were standing by in the vestibule, that he was one of them. Peter, to avoid this charge, withdraws into the hall, and stands and warms himself, (John xviii. 25.) The damsel, and those to whom she had spoken, follow him; the communication between the places being immediate. Here a man enforces the charge of the damsel, according to Luke; and others urge it according to John, (though by him the plural may be used for the singular,) and Peter denies Jesus vehemently.

Peter's third denial. Peter was now in the hall. Observe Matt. xxvi. 75, and Luke xxii. 62. He was also within sight of Jesus, though at such a distance from him that Jesus could know what passed only in a supernatural way. About an hour after his second denial, those who stood by founded a charge against him on his being a Galilean, which, Luke says, one in particular strongly affirmed, (though here Matthew and Mark may use the plural for the singular,) and which, according to John, was supported by one of Malchus's relations. This occasioned a more vehement denial than before; and immediately the cock crew the second time. The first denial may have been between our twelve and one; and the second between our two and three. We must further observe, that Matt. xxvi. 57, lays the scene of Peter's denials in the house of Caiaphas; whereas the transactions of John xviii. 15-23 seem to have passed in the house of Annas. But John xviii. 24 is here transposed to its regular place, with Le Clerc. NEWCOME.

§ 146. The Sanhedrim lead Jesus away to Pilate. CH. XXVII. 1, 2, 11—14. WHEN the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.

2 And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

2 And Pilate asked him, Art thou vernor and the governor asked him, the King of the Jews? And he answering, said unto him, Thou sayest

saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. it.

Matt. xxvi. 68, Prophesy unto us.] Matthew alone states this fact; and he states nothing in explanation of it. The other Evangelists add another fact, which shows that the Jews were quite consistent in asking him to designate who struck him, namely, that they had previously "blindfolded him." Now the omissions of particulars are characteristic

Christ. (MORNING OF THE SIXTH DAY OF THE WEEK.) Jerusalem.

(SIXTH DAY OF THE WEEK.) Jerusalem. CH. XXIII. 1-5.

AND the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate.

2 And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cesar, saying, That he himself is Christ, a King.

3 And Pilate asked him saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it.

CH. XVIII. 28-38.

28 Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment-hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.

29 Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man?

30 They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee.

31 Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death:

32 That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die.

33 Then Pilate entered into the judgment-hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?

of one to whom it never occurs that they are wanted to make his statement credible, but who, conscious of his own integrity, states his facts and leaves them to their fate; and they cannot fairly be accounted for, upon any other supposition than the truth of the narrative. BLUNT, Veracity, &c., sec. i. 10.

§ 146. The Sanhedrim lead Jesus away to Pilate.

MATTHEW.

CH. XXVII. 1, 2, 11–14.

12 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.

13 Then saith Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?

MARK.
CH. XV. 1-5.

3 And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing.

4 And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee.

14 And he answered him to never 5 But Jesus yet answered nothing : a word; insomuch that the governor so that Pilate marvelled. marvelled greatly.

§ 147. Jesus before Herod.

John xviii. 36, then would my servants fight.] Jesus seems here almost to have challenged inquiry into the assault so lately committed by Peter upon the servant of the high priest. St. Luke, however, states a fact which accounts for their not making such inquiry, ch. xxii. 51. He touched his ear and healed him. An inquiry into the truth would have frustrated the malicious purpose of the enemies of Jesus, by proving his own compassionate nature, his submission to the laws, and his miraculous powers. BLUNT, Veracity, &c., sect. i. 19.

Luke xxiii. 7. was also at Jerusalem at that time.] Here is an obscure intimation that