Matthew 26:67

Matthew 26:67-68 . Then did they spit in his face, &c. — Spitting in the face was the greatest contempt and disgrace which could possibly be shown. See Numbers 12:14 . Buffeting, or striking a person with the fist on the temples, was esteemed one of the most disgraceful punishments by the Greeks, from whom the Romans might have adopted it. Smiting with the open palm of their hands, was such a dishonour as none but a slave ought to endure. “Because Matthew here says, that they who condemned Jesus spit in his face, and buffeted him: and Mark 14:65 , mentions the indignities which the servants in particular put upon him; it appears that he was smitten, blindfolded, and buffeted even by some of the council; who, to ridicule him for having pretended to be the great prophet foretold by Moses, bade him exercise his prophetical gift in guessing who it was that struck him; Prophesy unto us, thou Christ — It was hardly possible for those miscreants to invent any thing more expressive of the contempt in which they held our Lord’s pretensions to be the Messiah. Thus was the Judge of the world placed at the bar of his own creatures, falsely accused by the witnesses, unjustly condemned by his judges, and insulted by all. Yet, because it was agreeable to the end of his coming, he patiently submitted, though he could with a frown have made his judges, his accusers, and those who had him in custody, all to drop down dead in a moment, or to shrivel into nothing.” — Macknight.

Matthew 26:67-68 : to judicial injustice succeed personal indignities: spitting in the face ( ἐνέπτυσαν ), miting with the fist ( ἐκολάφισαν , not Attic, κονδυλίζω used instead), or with the open hand ( ἐρράπισαν , originally to beat with rods). Euthy. Zig. distinguishes the two last words thus: κολαφισμὸς is a stroke on the neck with the hollow of the hand so as to make a noise, ῥαπισμὸς a stroke on the face. The p petrators of these outrages in Mk. are τινὲς and οἱ ὑπηρέται , the former word presumably pointing to some Sanhedrists. In Mt. the connection suggests Sanhedrists alone. Incredible that they should condescend to so unworthy proceedings, one is inclined to say. Yet it was night, there was intense dislike and they might feel they did God service by disgracing a pretender. Hence the invitation to the would-be christ to prophesy ( προφήτευσον ) who smote him when he was struck behind the back or blindfolded ( Mark 14:65 ). Thus did they fill up the early hours of the morning on that miserable night. Sceptical critics, e.g. , Brandt, p. 69, also Holtz., H. C., suggest that the colouring of this passage is drawn from O. T. texts, such as Micah 4:14 (Sept[146] Matthew 5:1 , A. V[147]), Isaiah 50:6 ; Isaiah 53:3-5 , 1 Kings 22:24 , and that probably the texts created the “facts”.

(67) Then did they spit in his face. —We learn from St. Mark ( Mark 14:65 ) and St. Luke ( Luke 22:63 ) that these acts of outrage were perpetrated, not by the members of the Sanhedrin, but by the officers who had the accused in their custody, and who, it would seem, availed themselves of the interval between the two meetings of the council to indulge in this wanton cruelty. Here, also, they were unconsciously working out a complete correspondence with Isaiah’s picture of the righteous sufferer ( Isaiah 1:6 ). The word “buffeted” describes a blow with the clenched fist, as contrasted with one with the open palm.

Matthew 26:67 . Τότε , κ . τ . λ ., then , etc.) As if no outrage would now be unjust towards Him. The elders insult Him with greater subtlety, the multitude more grossly. He who assails the honour of God, deserves every contumely. Such an one they considered Jesus to be.— ἐκολάφισαν , they struck Him) with the fist, with the hand.— ἐῤῥάπισαν , they smote Him) with rods, for the attendants carried these. See Mark 14:65 . Chrysostom observes, οὐδὲν ταύτης τῆς πληγῆς ἀτιμότερον , nothing is more disgraceful than this blow .

Matthew 26:67 . Those to whom Matthew here refers are the members of the Sanhedrim (as are also the τινές of Mark 14:65 ). Μετὰ γὰρ τὴν ἄδικον καταδίκην ὡς ἄτιμόν τινα καὶ τριωβολιμαῖον λάβοντες , κ . τ . λ ., Euthymius Zigabenus. Coarse outburst of passion on the verdict being announced. A somewhat different form of the tradition is adopted by Luke ( Luke 22:63 ), who, moreover, represents the maltreatment here referred to as having taken place before the trial. The way in which harmonists have cut and carved upon the individual features of the narrative is altogether arbitrary. The account in John 18:22 has no connection with that now before us, but refers to an incident in the house of Annas, which the Synoptists have entirely omitted. ἐκολάφ .] buffetings, blows with the fist . Comp. the Attic expression κόνδυλος . ἐῤῥάπτ .] slaps in the face with the palm of the hand; ῥαπισμὸς δὲ τὸ πταίειν κατὰ τοῦ προσώπου , Euthymius Zigabenus; comp. Matthew 5:39 ; Hosea 11:5 ; Isaiah 50:6 ; Dem. 787, 23; Aristot. Meteor . ii. 8. 9; 3 Esdr. 4:30; Lobeck, ad Phryn . p. 176; Becker, Anecd . p. 300. It is in this sense that the word is usually taken. But Beza, Bengel, Ewald, Bleek, Lange, maintain that it is a blow with a rod that is meant (Herod. viii. 59; Anacr. vii. 2; Plut.

Them . xi.), the sense in which the word is commonly used by Greek authors, and which ought to be preferred here, because οἱ δέ (see on Matthew 28:16 ) introduces the mention of a different kind of maltreatment, and because in Mark 14:65 the ῥαπίζειν is imputed to the officers of the Sanhedrim, which, however, would not warrant us in identifying with the latter the οἱ δέ of Matthew.