4 saying, "I have sinned, in that I have delivered up inno

cent' blood." And they said, "What is that to us? see 5 thou to that." And he cast down the pieces of silver in the 6 temple, and withdrew, and went and hanged himself. And the chief-priests took the pieces of silver, and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury; because it is the 7 price of blood." And they took counsel, and bought with 8 them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field hath been called The field of blood, unto this day. 9 (Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by the prophet [Jeremiah]*, saying," And I took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him who was valued, whom they of the sons of 10 Israel valued; and3 they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me.")

11

And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor 12 asked him, saying, "Art thou the King of the Jews?" And Jesus said unto him, "Thou sayest truly." And when he was accused by the chief-priests and the elders, he answered 13 nothing. Then Pilate saith unto him, "Hearest thou not 14 how many things they witness against thee?" But Jesus answered him to no one matter; so that the governor wondered greatly.

15

Now at that feast the governor was accustomed to release 16 unto the multitude one prisoner, whom they would. And 17 they had then a noted prisoner, called Barabbas t. When therefore they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, "Whom will ye that I release unto you; Barabbas ‡,

2

' righteous, Mss. Or, strangled himself, N, n. was choked with anguish, W. 3 and I gave, Mss. and N.

* The quotation is from Zech, xi. 12, 13. The word Jeremiah was probably inserted in the text through the mistake of some early transcriber. Matthew often omits the name of the prophet whose words he quotes. Bp. Pearce.

+ Some very ancient authorities, cited by Origen, read "Jesus the son of Abbas," which Michaelis says is undoubtedly the original reading. See Griesbach and Marsh's Mich. v. i. p. 316, 516. The word "Jesus" was omitted in later copies in honour to the name.

Or, Jesus the son of Abbas. See the preceding note.

18 or Jesus that is called Christ?" (For he knew that through 19 envy' they had delivered him up: and while he was sitting

on the judgement-seat, his wife had sent unto him, saying, "Have thou nothing to do with that righteous man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of 20 him.") But the chief-priests and the elders persuaded the

multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas, and destroy 21 Jesus. Then the governor spake and said unto them, "Which of the two will ye that I release unto you?" And 22 they said, "Barabbas." Pilate saith unto them, "What

then shall I do to Jesus, that is called Christ?" They all 23 say [unto him], "Let him be crucified." And the governor

said, "Why, what evil hath he done?" But they cried out 24 exceedingly, saying, "Let him be crucified." Now when Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a disturbance was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood 25 of this righteous man: see ye to it." And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us, and on our chil26 dren." Then he released Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him up to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus with them into the judgement-hall, and gathered unto him the whole 28 band. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet 29 robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns*, they

27

put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they kneeled down before him, and derided him, saying, "Hail,

Or, hatred, N. m.

* More probably of acanthus, or bearsfoot, which grew in abundance in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem. The design was to insult, not to torture. See Bp. Pearce; also Priestley and Gilpin in loc. It does not seem probable that they would have had recourse to so unusual an instrument of cruelty as a crown of thorns. The primate remarks that no authority is found for the use of anavlos plurally to express the plant acanthus; but it seems warranted by analogy. Virgil gives the acanthus the epithet of soft. Georg. iv. 137.

30 King of the Jews." And they spat on him; and took the 31 reed, and struck him on the head. And when they had de

rided him, they stripped him of the robe, and put his own garments on him, and led him away to crucify him.

32 And as they were coming out, they met with a Cyrenian, named Simon: whom they compelled to carry his cross. 33 And when they were come to a place called Golgotha, 34 which signifieth a place of skulls, they gave him vinegar1 to drink, mingled with gall: and when he had tasted of it he 35 would not drink. And when they had crucified him, they 36 parted among them his garments, casting lots*. And, sit37 ting down, they watched him there. And they set up over

his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING 38 OF THE JEWS. At the same time two robbers were crucified with him: one on his right hand, and another on his left.

39

And those who passed by reviled him, shaking their heads, 40 and saying, "Thou who destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the son of God, 41 come down from the cross." In like manner the chief-priests 42 also, and the scribes and elders' derided him, and said, "He saved others; cannot he save himself3? If he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will 43 believe in him. He trusted in God; let him now deliver him, if he will have him: for he said, 'I am the Son of 44 God." The robbers + also, that were crucified with him, reproached him in the same manner.

1 Some Mss. read wine. 2 Many Mss. add, “and Pharisees." 3 himself he cannot save, N.

999

The received text adds, "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet,They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots." This clause is omitted in the Alex. Vat. and Ephr, and many other valuable manuscripts, and in most of the ancient versions. It was probably a marginal note.

+ The plural for the singular. See Luke xxiii. 39; as in Matt. xxi. 7, comp. with Mark xi. 7; also Matt. xxvi. 40, with Mark xiv. 37; Acts ii. 33, with v. 35; Heb. i. 13, with v. 3; Matt. ix. 8; John vi. 45; Acts xiii. 40. Sn. See Simpson's Ess, vi. viii.

45

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the 46 land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus

cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, My God, my God, why hast thou for47 saken me? Then some of those who stood there, when they 48 heard it, said, "This man calleth for Elijah.” And im

mediately one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it about a reed, and gave him to drink. 49 And the rest said, "Forbear: let us see whether Elijah 50 will come and save him." Then Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, expired'.

51

And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two, from the top to the bottom: and the earth quaked, and the rocks 52 were rent; and the sepulchres were opened; and many bo53 dies of saints who slept arose: and they came out of the sepulchres after the resurrection of Jesus, and entered into the holy city, and appeared to many.

54

55

Now when the centurion, and those who were with him watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and the things which had passed, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was a son of a god."

*

And many women were there, beholding at a distance; who had also followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto 56 him among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and of Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

57

Now when it was evening, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself also was a disciple of 58 Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.

Gr. gave up the spirit, or breath; his spirit, N. i. e. breathed his last. * the Son of God, N. See ver. 40, 43: a Son of God, W. The centurion was probably a heathen, and therefore would regard Christ as a son of one of their numerous deities. "The Son of God" in Jewish phraseology signified the Messiah. See Matt. xvi. 16; Luke xxiii. 47, where the language of the centurion is, "Certainly this was a righteous man."

59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a 60 clean linen cloth; and laid it in his own new sepulchre,

which he had hewn in a rock: and he rolled a great stone 61 to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary; sitting over against the sepulchre.

62

Now on the morrow, which followeth the day of preparation, the chief-priests and the Pharisees came together unto 63 Pilate, saying, "Sir, we remember that this deceiver said, while he was yet alive, Within' three days I will rise 64 again.' Command therefore that the sepulchre be made secure till the third day; lest his disciples come2 and steal him away, and say to the people, He is risen from the dead:' 65 so the last deceit will be worse than the first." "Pilate said unto them, "Take a guard: depart, secure it as ye know." 66 So they went and secured the sepulchre; having sealed the stone, and set the guard. CH. XXVIII. But after the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene, and the 2 other Mary, to view the sepulchre. And, lo, there had been a great earthquake*: for an angel of the Lord had descended from heaven, and had come near and rolled back 3 the stone from the door, and was sitting upon it. Now his appearance was as lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 and for fear of him the keepers trembled, and became as 5 dead men. But the angel spake and said to the women,

"Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, who was 6 crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said: come, 7 see the place where the Lord lay t. And depart quickly,

Gr. after. Le Clerc, L'Enfant, and Beausobre, dans, N. m. by night, R. T. and N. 3 But Pilate, R. T. 4 a great disturbance had happened, W. 5 sitten on, N. See W.

*Or, messenger, Sn. Luke says there were two persons, whom he calls men in shining garments. Luke xxiv. 4.

+"where he lay" is the reading of the Vat. Ms. and of the Ethiopic and some other ancient versions.