Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 26]
far as I am concerned; I need no longer your watchful interest"
(Bruce). It may be a sad query as Goodspeed: "Are you still
sleeping and taking your rest?" So Moffatt. This use of \loipon\
for now or henceforth is common in the papyri. {The hour is at
hand} (\•ggiken h• h•ra\). Time for action has now come. They
have missed their chance for sympathy with Jesus. He has now won
the victory without their aid. "The Master's time of weakness is
past; He is prepared to face the worst" (Bruce). {Is betrayed}
(\paradidotai\). Futuristic present or inchoative present, the
first act in the betrayal is at hand. Jesus had foreseen his
"hour" for long and now he faces it bravely.
26:46 {He is at hand} (\•ggiken\). The same verb and tense used
of the hour above, present perfect active of \eggiz•\, to draw
near, the very form used by John the Baptist of the coming of the
kingdom of heaven (Mt 3:2). Whether Jesus heard the approach of
the betrayer with the crowd around him or saw the lights or just
felt the proximity of the traitor before he was there (J. Weiss),
we do not know and it matters little. The scene is pictured as it
happened with lifelike power.
26:47 {While he yet spake} (\eti autou lalountos\). It was an
electric moment as Jesus faced Judas with his horde of helpers as
if he turned to meet an army. {Let us go} (\ag•men\), Jesus had
said. And here he is. The eight at the gate seemed to have given
no notice. Judas is described here as "one of the twelve" (\heis
t•n d•deka\) in all three Synoptic Gospels (Mr 14:43; Mt 26:47;
Lu 22:47). The very horror of the thing is thus emphasized, that
one of the chosen twelve apostles should do this dastardly deed.
{A great multitude} (\ochlos polus\). The chief priests and
Pharisees had furnished Judas a band of soldiers from the
garrison in Antonia (Joh 18:3) and the temple police (Lu
22:52) with swords (knives) and staves (clubs) with a hired
rabble who had lanterns also (Joh 18:3) in spite of the full
moon. Judas was taking no chances of failure for he well knew the
strange power of Jesus.
26:48 {Gave them a sign} (\ed•ken autois s•meion\). Probably just
before he reached the place, though Mark (Mr 14:44) has "had
given" (\ded•kei\) which certainly means before arrival at
Gethsemane. At any rate Judas had given the leaders to understand
that he would kiss (\phil•s•\) Jesus in order to identify him for
certain. The kiss was a common mode of greeting and Judas chose
that sign and actually "kissed him fervently" (\katephil•sen\,
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/MT26.RWP.html (10 of 16) [28/08/2004 09:03:28 a.m.]