Matthew 27:43

27:35-44 It was usual to put shame upon malefactors, by a writing to notify the crime for which they suffered. So they set up one over Christ's head. This they designed for his reproach, but God so overruled it, that even his accusation was to his honour. There were crucified with him at the same time, two robbers. He was, at his death, numbered among the transgressors, that we, at our death, might be numbered among the saints. The taunts and jeers he received are here recorded. The enemies of Christ labour to make others believe that of religion and of the people of God, which they themselves know to be false. The chief priests and scribes, and the elders, upbraid Jesus with being the King of Israel. Many people could like the King of Israel well enough, if he would but come down from the cross; if they could but have his kingdom without the tribulation through which they must enter into it. But if no cross, then no Christ, no crown. Those that would reign with him, must be willing to suffer with him. Thus our Lord Jesus, having undertaken to satisfy the justice of God, did it, by submitting to the punishment of the worst of men. And in every minute particular recorded about the sufferings of Christ, we find some prediction in the Prophets or the Psalms fulfilled.

Matthew 27:43 . his looks like a mere echo of Psalm 22:9 (not a literal quotation from the Sept[153], however, rather recalling Isaiah 36:5 ) rather than a word likely to be spoken by the Sanhedrists. What did they know about the personal piety of Jesus? Probably they were aware that He used to call God “Father,” and that may be the basis of the statement, along with the confession of Sonship before the Sanhedrim: θεοῦ εἰμι υἱός .— νῦν , now is the time for testing the value of His trust; a plausible wicked sneer.— εἰ θέλει αὐτόν , if He love Him, an emphatic if, the love disproved by the fact.— θέλει is used in the sense of love in the Sept[154] ( Psalm 18:20 ; Psalm 41:12 ). Palairet gives examples of a similar use in Greek authors. [153] Septuagint. [154] Septuagint.

(43) Let him deliver him now. —It seems at first hardly conceivable that priests and scribes could thus have quoted the very words of Psalm 22:8 , and so have fulfilled one of the great Messianic prophecies. But (1) we must remember that they, ignoring the idea of a suffering Christ, would not look on the Psalm as Messianic at all, and (2) that their very familiarity with the words of the Psalm would naturally bring its phraseology to their lips when occasion called for it. Only they would persuade themselves that they were right in using it, while David’s enemies were wrong.

Matthew 27:43 . Πέποιθεν , He trusted ) cf. the end of the verse.— εἶπε γὰρ , κ . τ . λ ., for He said , etc.) We may consider that this was either uttered by those who were passing by, or added by the Evangelist for the sake of explanation. The LXX. in Psalms 22(21):8, have ἥλπισεν ἐπὶ Κύριον , ῥυσάσθω Αὐτόν · σωσάτω Αὐτὸν , ὅτι θέλει Αὐτόν , He trusted in the Lord, let Him deliver Him: let Him save Him, since He delighteth in Him .

Matthew 27:43 In the mouth of the members of Sanhedrim , who in Matthew 27:41 are introduced as joining in the blasphemies of the passers-by, and who, Matthew 27:42 , have likewise the inscription over the cross in view, the jeering assumes a more impious character. They now avail themselves even of the language of holy writ , quoting from the 22d Psalm (which, moreover, the Jews declared to be non -Messianic), the 5th verse of which is given somewhat loosely from the LXX. ( ἤλπισεν ἐπὶ κύριον , ῥυσάσθω αὐτόν , σωσάτω αὐτόν , ὅτι θέλει αὐτόν ). θέλει αὐτόν ] is the rendering of the Heb. חָפִץ בּוֹ , and is to be interpreted in accordance with the Septuagint usage of θέλειν (see Schleusner, Thes. II. p. 51, and comp. on Romans 7:21 ): if He is the object of his desire, i.e. if he likes Him; comp. Tob 13:6 ; Psalm 18:19 ; Psalm 41:11 . In other instances the LXX. give the preposition as well, rendering the Hebrew ( 1 Samuel 18:22 , al.) by θέλειν ἔν τινι . Fritzsche supplies ῥύσασθαι ; but in that case we should have had merely εἰ θέλει without αὐτόν ; comp. Colossians 2:18 . ὅτι θεοῦ εἰμι υἱός ] The emphasis is on θεοῦ , as conveying the idea: I am not the son of a man, but of God, who in consequence will be certain to deliver me. Comp. Wis 2:18 . Observe further the short bounding sentences in which their malicious jeering, Matthew 27:42 f., finds vent.

He saved others - It does not seem probable that they meant to admit that he had actually saved others, but only that he "pretended" to save them from death by miracles, or that he claimed to be the Messiah, and thus affirmed that he "could" save them. This is, therefore, cutting irony. If he be the King of Israel ... - It may seem strange to some that Jesus did not vindicate by a miracle his claims to be the Messiah, and come down from the cross. But the time had come for him to make an atonement. He had given full and sufficient proof that he was the Christ. Those who had rejected him, and who mocked and taunted him, would have been little likely to admit his claims if he had come down from the cross, since they had set at naught all his other miracles. They said this for the purpose of insult; and Jesus chose rather to suffer, though his character was assailed, than to work a new miracle for their gratification. He had foretold his death, and the time had come; and now, amid revilings, and gibes, and curses, and the severe sarcasms of an angry and apparently triumphant priesthood, he chose to die for the sins of the world. To this they added "insult" to God, profanely calling upon him to interpose by miracle and save him, if he was his friend; and all this when their prophets had foretold this very scene, and when they were fulfilling the predictions of their own Scriptures. See the Isaiah 53 notes, and Daniel 9:24-27 notes.