Matthew 27: Summary and Commentary

Verse 1

27:1-2 The Jewish leaders were ready to level charges against Jesus before Pilate so that he would order Jesus’ execution. Pilate, a Gentile, fulfills Jesus’ prediction (20:19).

27:1 The charge of blasphemy (26:65-66), though sufficient for the death penalty among Jews, would not convince a Roman judge. Hence, the leading priests and the elders conspired together to prepare a more political charge consistent with capital offenses in Roman law (see 27:11-26; Luke 23:2).

Verse 2

27:2 Tiberius Caesar appointed Pilate to be the governor (or prefect) of Judea. Pilate ruled primarily from Caesarea, not Jerusalem, from AD 26 to AD 36. Though he had sovereign power in Judea, Pilate was ultimately responsible to the legate of Syria, the central authority in the eastern portion of the Roman Empire. Josephus records several instances where Pilate’s disregard for the sanctity of Jewish customs led to revolt.

Verse 3

27:3-10 There are two accounts of Judas’s death—this one and Acts 1:18-19. There are differences between the two: (1) Matthew states that the priests bought the field (Matt 27:6-7), while Acts seems to suggest that Judas bought it (Acts 1:18); (2) Matthew reports that Judas committed suicide by hanging himself (Matt 27:5), while Acts enigmatically refers to a fall and an abdominal rupture (Acts 1:18); (3) Matthew implies that the field of blood was so named because it became a place of burial (Matt 27:7-8), while Acts suggests that it was because of Judas’s violent death there (Acts 1:19). The two accounts are compatible if one takes the account in Acts as describing the effects of the actions described in Matthew.

27:3 Judas was filled with remorse (Greek metamelomai), but he did not repent (Greek metanoeō), which would have changed his heart and resulted in obedience and a relationship with God based on faith.

Verse 4

27:4 an innocent man: Jesus’ innocence is a dominant theme in the narrative of his suffering (see 23:35; 26:55-56, 59-60; 27:18-19, 24; see also Luke 23:47).

Verse 5

27:5 hanged himself: Judas’s suicide resulted from a guilt-stricken, unrepentant conscience. His death satisfied Old Testament law regarding the punishment of a false witness (see Deut 19:16-21).

Verse 7

27:7 Foreigners were Gentiles who died in Jerusalem. An asset whose owner could not be traced was used for public charity. In this instance, unclean money was used to buy an unclean place for unclean people.

Verse 8

27:8 Field of Blood is a way of describing a cemetery (cp. Acts 1:18-19).

Verse 9

27:9-10 the prophecy of Jeremiah: The citation is from Zech 11:12-13. Matthew might merely have been conforming to the Jewish custom of citing books by referring to the first book in the particular scroll—the first book in the scroll containing Zechariah would have been Jeremiah. Or, Matthew might have thought of similar passages in Jeremiah (Jer 19:1-13; 18:2-6; 32:6-15) along with Zech 11:12-13. • Matthew sees a striking resemblance between Zechariah’s actions and those of the leading priests. Both contexts deal with the rejection of God’s messenger who was to be king of God’s people.

Verse 11

27:11-26 The Roman trial included an initial hearing before Pilate (27:11-14), one before Herod Antipas (Luke 23:6-16), and a second hearing before Pilate (Matt 27:15-26).

27:11 king of the Jews: The Sanhedrin’s original charge of blasphemy (26:65-66; 27:1) held no interest to the Romans, who saw it as a Jewish religious question (cp. Acts 25:18-20). The charge was therefore changed to incriminate Jesus in Roman eyes as a political rebel (see Luke 23:2).

Verse 15

27:15 Pilate’s custom seems out of character; he was not known for wanting to please his Jewish subjects. However, if Pilate’s position with Caesar was precarious at this point (see study note on John 19:12; see Philo, On the Embassy to Gaius 159–161), then this gesture may have been to keep the peace and thus avoid negative attention from Rome.

Verse 16

27:16 notorious prisoner . . . named Barabbas: Elsewhere he is called a “revolutionary” (Mark 15:7; John 18:40), a term that also denotes a robber or insurrectionist (see Luke 23:19). To the zealots, Barabbas was a hero.

Verse 19

27:19 through a terrible nightmare (cp. 1:20): It is ironic that a pagan recognizes and takes a stand for Jesus’ innocence, while the Jewish crowd does not.

Verse 24

27:24 The responsibility is yours! The priests had said the same thing to Judas (27:4).

Verse 25

27:25 all the people (see 21:43): This does not mean every living Jew. Instead, those urging Jesus’ condemnation are representative of all of unbelieving Israel, whose actions bring consequences for the nation as a whole (e.g., the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70). • We will take responsibility for his death—we and our children (see 23:35; 2 Sam 1:16; 14:9; Jer 51:35; Acts 5:28; 18:6; 20:26): Christians have at times misunderstood and misused this verse in persecution of Jews, but it is not an indictment against Jews in general.

Verse 26

27:26 When a man was flogged, he was beaten with whips that had leather thongs at the end, some with sharp bone, lead, or rock fragments stuck to the ends of the thongs (see also Deut 25:1-3; 1 Kgs 12:11, 14; Acts 16:22; 22:25; 2 Cor 11:24-25).

Verse 27

27:27-31 In the Jewish trial Jesus was mocked as a prophet (26:67-68); here he is mocked as a king.

27:27 The governor’s soldiers were auxiliary troops recruited from non-Jewish residents of Palestine. • Their headquarters was located at the official residence of the governor in Jerusalem (the Antonia Fortress on the northwest corner of the Temple compound).

Verse 28

27:28-29 The scarlet robe was probably the cloak of a soldier meant to emulate royal garb solely for the purpose of ridiculing Jesus. • Weaving thorn branches into a crown was a mockery of Jesus as king.

Verse 32

27:32-44 Ironically, the taunts and ridicule of the crowd express the truth about Jesus: He is the Son of God and King of Israel, the Messiah.

27:32 Normally, the victim carried his own cross. Only the crossbeam was carried; the vertical pole would be waiting at the crucifixion site. Simon might have been forced because Jesus was weak from the effects of scourging. The act of enlisting Simon might also have been a further mockery. Jesus was treated as one who deserved a servant even though he was being marched to his death.

Verse 34

27:34 Giving Jesus wine mixed with bitter gall was probably intended for ridicule (see Ps 69:21). It was also a sedative—Jesus probably rejected it in order to suffer fully for our sins (see Isa 53:10). • Gall, otherwise known as wormwood, is a bitter narcotic made from the oil of Artemisia (cp. Mark 15:23).

Verse 35

27:35 they . . . nailed him to the cross: Crucifixion, though not generally practiced by Jews, was a widespread Roman punishment for military and political offenders, particularly slaves, rebels, and insurrectionists. The sheer cruelty and the public spectacle of crucifixion worked as a powerful social deterrent. Victims were flogged and then crucified naked, adding to the humiliation. It was seen as the most painful of all possible deaths; it involved intense suffering, exposure to weather and insects, suffocation, and often a final violent thrust of a spear to end life. Further, since crucifixion was a curse from God (Deut 21:22-23), the act was particularly heinous to Jewish sensibilities. Paradoxically, what was so despicable among humans has become the instrument of our salvation. Jesus previously had instructed his disciples to take up their crosses and follow him (Matt 16:24).

Verse 37

27:37 The official charge was fastened to the cross above the criminal’s head; Jesus was crucified for political sedition.

Verse 38

27:38 Crucifying Jesus between two convicted revolutionaries added further humiliation and guilt by association.

Verse 40

27:40 if you are the Son of God: This taunt recalls Jesus’ temptation at the very beginning of his public ministry (4:1-11), in which the devil appealed to Jesus’ privileged status in order to tempt him to avoid suffering (see also 16:21-23).

Verse 45

27:45 Darkness symbolizes the judgment of God or, more specifically, the arrival of the day of the Lord (see Amos 5:18, 20; 8:9-10; also Jer 4:27-28; 13:16; 15:9).

Verse 46

27:46 Eli, Eli: This cry means My God, my God, but the similarity in sound accounts for the people’s confusion (27:47). • My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Jesus was experiencing God’s wrath for the sins of humanity.

Verse 47

27:47 It was widely believed that Elijah would return before the day of the Lord (11:14-15; 17:10-13; Mal 4:5).

Verse 48

27:48 The sour wine was vinegar. The drink was probably designed to mock Jesus (cp. Ps 69:21 with Matt 27:34) by pretending to help assuage his thirst. Others have suggested that it was given as an act of genuine kindness.

Verse 50

27:50 Each of the four Gospels highlights different aspects of Jesus’ last moments. • released his spirit: This emphasizes the sovereignty of Jesus in that he released himself to death (see also John 19:30). • shouted out again (see Matt 27:46): This cry was Jesus’ final prayer (see Luke 23:46).

Verse 51

27:51 The significance of the splitting of the curtain in the Temple is that the wall dividing people from God has been torn down by the death of Jesus Christ (see also Eph 2:11-22; Heb 6:19; 9:1–10:25). • The earth shook, rocks split apart: These are portents of the arrival of judgment (see Exod 19:18; Judg 5:4; Ps 18:7; Joel 3:14-17; Amos 8:8-10). Josephus records the appearance about AD 30 of a star resembling a sword and a spontaneous opening of the gates of the Temple (Josephus, War 6.5.3-4).

Verse 52

27:52-53 tombs opened: Jesus’ climactic death inaugurated the Kingdom of God by breaking the powers of death and establishing the final resurrection (see Isa 26:19; Dan 12:2; 1 Cor 15:1-58; Col 1:18; Heb 2:14-15). • These godly ones either did not enter the city until after Jesus’ resurrection or they were not raised until then, with Jesus as the firstfruits (see 1 Cor 15:20, 23; Col 1:18). If that is the case, Matthew has included this episode to form a more powerful commentary on the impact of Jesus’ death.

Verse 54

27:54 The Roman officer and the other soldiers were Gentiles. • the Son of God: This may be an unqualified affirmation that Jesus is the unique Son of God (see 14:33; 16:16) or possibly a more general affirmation of Jesus’ innocence (see Luke 23:47). They are responding to the earthquake and all that had happened as evidence of divine interest in this occasion.

Verse 58

27:58 In Roman crucifixion, the bodies of criminals were often left to rot. Deut 21:22-23 prohibits a body from remaining on a cross or a gallows overnight. Joseph’s action was in accordance with Jewish law, while his motivation was probably his loyalty to Jesus. • Pilate issued an order: Pilate was accommodating, probably because he did not believe Jesus was guilty of insurrection (see Matt 27:24-26).

Verse 59

27:59-60 Burial customs were important in Judaism, especially in contrast to the Greeks and Romans, who cremated their dead. Leaving a corpse unburied was the severest form of judgment (Deut 21:22-23; 2 Kgs 9:37; Ps 79:3; Jer 16:4, 6; Ezek 29:5; Rev 11:9). Death was lamented and mourned (Mark 5:38-39); the body was washed (Acts 9:37), anointed (Matt 26:6-13; John 12:3, 7; 19:39), and wrapped in burial cloths (Matt 27:59; see Gen 50:2-3). The body was placed in a tomb (see Matt 23:27) that had been tunneled into a rock or carved into the side of a cave wall. The entrance to a tomb was often closed with a huge stone and sealed to prevent ceremonial uncleanness or robbery. • clean linen . . . new tomb: Both reflect ceremonial purity. Joseph had purchased the tomb for his own family, but it had not yet been used.

Verse 62

27:62-66 This incident bolsters the truth of Jesus’ resurrection—it is inconceivable that Matthew would fabricate such a story since witnesses abounded who could have countered the claims.

Verse 4

Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood—What a testimony this to Jesus! Judas had been with Him in all circumstances for three years; his post, as treasurer to Him and the Twelve (Joh 12:6), gave him peculiar opportunity of watching the spirit, disposition, and habits of his Master; while his covetous nature and thievish practices would incline him to dark and suspicious, rather than frank and generous, interpretations of all that He said and did. If, then, he could have fastened on one questionable feature in all that he had so long witnessed, we may be sure that no such speech as this would ever have escaped his lips, nor would he have been so stung with remorse as not to be able to keep the money and survive his crime.

And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that—"Guilty or innocent is nothing to us: We have Him now—begone!" Was ever speech more hellish uttered?

Verse 5

And he cast down the pieces of silver—The sarcastic, diabolical reply which he had got, in place of the sympathy which perhaps he expected, would deepen his remorse into an agony.

in the temple—the temple proper, commonly called "the sanctuary," or "the holy place," into which only the priests might enter. How is this to be explained? Perhaps he flung the money in after them. But thus were fulfilled the words of the prophet—"I cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord" (Zac 11:13).

and departed, and went and hanged himself—For the details, see on Act 1:18.

Verse 6

And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury—"the Corban," or chest containing the money dedicated to sacred purposes (see on Mat 15:5).

because it is the price of blood—How scrupulous now! But those punctilious scruples made them unconsciously fulfil the Scripture.

Verse 9

Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying— (Zac 11:12-13). Never was a complicated prophecy, otherwise hopelessly dark, more marvellously fulfilled. Various conjectures have been formed to account for Matthew's ascribing to Jeremiah a prophecy found in the book of Zechariah. But since with this book he was plainly familiar, having quoted one of its most remarkable prophecies of Christ but a few chapters before (Mat 21:4-5), the question is one more of critical interest than real importance. Perhaps the true explanation is the following, from LIGHTFOOT: "Jeremiah of old had the first place among the prophets, and hereby he comes to be mentioned above all the rest in Mat 16:14; because he stood first in the volume of the prophets [as he proves from the learned DAVID KIMCHI] therefore he is first named. When, therefore, Matthew produceth a text of Zechariah under the name of JEREMY, he only cites the words of the volume of the prophets under his name who stood first in the volume of the prophets. Of which sort is that also of our Saviour (Luk 24:41), "All things must be fulfilled which are written of Me in the Law, and the Prophets, and the Psalms," or the Book of Hagiographa, in which the Psalms were placed first."

Verse 51

SIGNS AND CIRCUMSTANCES FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF THE LORD JESUS—HE IS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS, AND BURIED—THE SEPULCHRE IS GUARDED. ( = Mar 15:38-47; Luk 23:47-56; Joh 19:31-42). (Mat. 27:51-66)

And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom—This was the thick and gorgeously wrought veil which was hung between the "holy place" and the "holiest of all," shutting out all access to the presence of God as manifested "from above the mercy seat and from between the cherubim"—"the Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest" (Heb 9:8). Into this holiest of all none might enter, not even the high priest, save once a year, on the great day of atonement, and then only with the blood of atonement in his hands, which he sprinkled "upon and before the mercy seat seven times" (Lev 16:14) —to signify that access for sinners to a holy God is only through atoning blood. But as they had only the blood of bulls and of goats, which could not take away sins (Heb 10:4), during all the long ages that preceded the death of Christ the thick veil remained; the blood of bulls and of goats continued to be shed and sprinkled; and once a year access to God through an atoning sacrifice was vouchsafed—in a picture, or rather, was dramatically represented, in those symbolical actions—nothing more. But now, the one atoning Sacrifice being provided in the precious blood of Christ, access to this holy God could no longer be denied; and so the moment the Victim expired on the altar, that thick veil which for so many ages had been the dread symbol of separation between God and guilty men was, without a hand touching it, mysteriously "rent in twain from top to bottom"—"the Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was NOW made manifest!" How emphatic the statement, from top to bottom; as if to say, Come boldly now to the Throne of Grace; the veil is clean gone; the mercy seat stands open to the gaze of sinners, and the way to it is sprinkled with the blood of Him—"who through the eternal Spirit hath offered Himself without spot to God!" Before, it was death to go in, now it is death to stay out. See more on this glorious subject on Heb 10:19-22.

An Earthquake—The Rocks Rent—The Graves Opened, that the Saints Which Slept in Them Might Come Forth after Their Lord's Resurrection (Mat 27:51-53).

and the earth did quake—From what follows it would seem that this earthquake was local, having for its object the rending of the rocks and the opening of the graves.

and the rocks rent—"were rent"—the physical creation thus sublimely proclaiming, at the bidding of its Maker, the concussion which at that moment was taking place in the moral world at the most critical moment of its history. Extraordinary rents and fissures have been observed in the rocks near this spot.

Verse 52

And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose—These sleeping saints (see on Th1 4:14) were Old Testament believers, who—according to the usual punctuation in our version—were quickened into resurrection life at the moment of their Lord's death, but lay in their graves till His resurrection, when they came forth. But it is far more natural, as we think, and consonant with other Scriptures, to understand that only the graves were opened, probably by the earthquake, at our Lord's death, and this only in preparation for the subsequent exit of those who slept in them, when the Spirit of life should enter into them from their risen Lord, and along with Him they should come forth, trophies of His victory over the grave. Thus, in the opening of the graves at the moment of the Redeemer's expiring, there was a glorious symbolical proclamation that the death which had just taken place had "swallowed up death in victory"; and whereas the saints that slept in them were awakened only by their risen Lord, to accompany Him out of the tomb, it was fitting that "the Prince of Life . . . should be the First that should rise from the dead" (Act 26:23; Co1 15:20, Co1 15:23; Col 1:18; Rev 1:5).

and went into the holy city—that city where He, in virtue of whose resurrection they were now alive, had been condemned.

and appeared unto many—that there might be undeniable evidence of their own resurrection first, and through it of their Lord's. Thus, while it was not deemed fitting that He Himself should appear again in Jerusalem, save to the disciples, provision was made that the fact of His resurrection should be left in no doubt. It must be observed, however, that the resurrection of these sleeping saints was not like those of the widow of Nain's son, of Jairus' daughter, of Lazarus, and of the man who "revived and stood upon his feet," on his dead body touching the bones of Elisha (Kg2 13:21) —which were mere temporary recallings of the departed spirit to the mortal body, to be followed by a final departure of it "till the trumpet shall sound." But this was a resurrection once for all, to life everlasting; and so there is no room to doubt that they went to glory with their Lord, as bright trophies of His victory over death.

The Centurion's Testimony (Mat 27:54).

Verse 54

Now when the centurion—the military superintendent of the execution.

and they that were with him watching Jesus, saw the earthquake—or felt it and witnessed its effects.

and those things that were done—reflecting upon the entire transaction.

they feared greatly—convinced of the presence of a Divine Hand.

saying, Truly this was the Son of God—There cannot be a reasonable doubt that this expression was used in the Jewish sense, and that it points to the claim which Jesus made to be the Son of God, and on which His condemnation expressly turned. The meaning, then, clearly is that He must have been what He professed to be; in other words, that He was no impostor. There was no medium between those two. See, the similar testimony of the penitent thief—"This man hath done nothing amiss"—on Luk 23:41.

The Galilean Women (Mat 27:55-56).

Verse 55

And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus—The sense here would be better brought out by the use of the pluperfect, "which had followed Jesus."

from Galilee, ministering unto him—As these dear women had ministered to Him during His glorious missionary tours in Galilee (see on Luk 8:1-3), so from this statement it should seem that they accompanied him and ministered to His wants from Galilee on His final journey to Jerusalem.

Verse 56

Among which was Mary Magdalene—(See on Luk 8:2).

and Mary the mother of James and Joses—the wife of Cleophas, or rather Clopas, and sister of the Virgin (Joh 19:25). See on Mat 13:55-56.

and the mother of Zebedee's children—that is, Salome: compare Mar 15:40. All this about the women is mentioned for the sake of what is afterwards to be related of their purchasing spices to anoint their Lord's body.

The Taking Down from the Cross and the Burial (Mat 27:57-60).

For the exposition of this portion, see on Joh 19:38-42.

The Women Mark the Sacred Spot that They Might Recognize It on Coming Thither to Anoint the Body (Mat 27:61).

Verse 61

And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary—"the mother of James and Joses," mentioned before (Mat 27:56).

sitting over against the sepulchre—(See on Mar 16:1).

The Sepulchre Guarded (Mat 27:62-66).

Verse 62

Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation—that is, after six o'clock of our Saturday evening. The crucifixion took place on the Friday and all was not over till shortly before sunset, when the Jewish sabbath commenced; and "that sabbath day was an high day" (Joh 19:31), being the first day of the feast of unleavened bread. That day being over at six on Saturday evening, they hastened to take their measures.

Verse 63

Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver—Never, remarks BENGEL, will you find the heads of the people calling Jesus by His own name. And yet here there is betrayed a certain uneasiness, which one almost fancies they only tried to stifle in their own minds, as well as crush in Pilate's, in case he should have any lurking suspicion that he had done wrong in yielding to them.

said, while he was yet alive—Important testimony this, from the lips of His bitterest enemies, to the reality of Christ's death; the corner-stone of the whole Christian religion.

After three days—which, according to the customary Jewish way of reckoning, need signify no more than "after the commencement of the third day."

I will rise again—"I rise," in the present tense, thus reporting not only the fact that this prediction of His had reached their ears, but that they understood Him to look forward confidently to its occurring on the very day named.

Verse 64

Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure—by a Roman guard.

until the third day—after which, if He still lay in the grave, the imposture of His claims would be manifest to all.

and say unto the people, he is risen from the dead—Did they really fear this?

so the last error shall be worse than the first—the imposture of His pretended resurrection worse than that of His pretended Messiahship.

Verse 65

Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch—The guards had already acted under orders of the Sanhedrim, with Pilate's consent; but probably they were not clear about employing them as a night watch without Pilate's express authority.

go your way, make it as sure as ye can—as ye know how, or in the way ye deem securest. Though there may be no irony in this speech, it evidently insinuated that if the event should be contrary to their wish, it would not be for want of sufficient human appliances to prevent it.

Verse 66

So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone—which Mark (Mar 16:4) says was "very great."

and setting a watch—to guard it. What more could man do? But while they are trying to prevent the resurrection of the Prince of Life, God makes use of their precautions for His own ends. Their stone-covered, seal-secured sepulchre shall preserve the sleeping dust of the Son of God free from all indignities, in undisturbed, sublime repose; while their watch shall be His guard of honor until the angels shall come to take their place.

Next: Matthew Chapter 28