Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 26]
verse 49), though the compound verb sometimes in the papyri has
lost its intensive force. Bruce thinks that Judas was prompted by
the inconsistent motives of smouldering love and cowardice. At
any rate this revolting ostentatious kiss is "the most terrible
instance of the \hekousia phil•mata echthrou\ (Pr 27:6)," the
profuse kisses of an enemy (McNeile). This same compound verb
occurs in Lu 7:38 of the sinful woman, in Lu 15:20 of the
Father's embrace of the Prodigal Son, and in Ac 20:37 of the
Ephesian elders and Paul.
26:50 {Do that for which thou art come} (\eph' ho parei\).
Moffatt and Goodspeed take it: "Do your errand." There has been a
deal of trouble over this phrase. Deissmann (_Light from the
Ancient East_, pp. 125 to 131) has proven conclusively that it is
a question, \eph' ho\ in late Greek having the interrogative
sense of \epi ti\ (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 725). The use of
\eph' ho\ for "why here" occurs on a Syrian tablet of the first
century A.D. 50 that it "was current coin in the language of the
people" (Deissmann). Most of the early translations (Old Latin,
Old Syriac) took it as a question. So the Vulgate has _ad quid
venisti_. In this instance the Authorized Version is correct
against the Revised. Jesus exposes the pretence of Judas and
shows that he does not believe in his paraded affection (Bruce).
26:51 {One of them that were with Jesus} (\heis t•n meta I•sou\).
Like the other Synoptics Matthew conceals the name of Peter,
probably for prudential reasons as he was still living before
A.D. 68. John writing at the end of the century mentions Peter's
name (Joh 18:10). The sword or knife was one of the two that
the disciples had (Lu 22:38). Bruce suggests that it was a
large knife used in connexion with the paschal feast. Evidently
Peter aimed to cut off the man's head, not his ear (\•tion\ is
diminutive in form, but not in sense, as often in the _Koin•_).
He may have been the leader of the band. His name, Malchus, is
also given by John (Joh 18:10) because Peter was then dead and
in no danger.
26:52 {Put up again thy sword} (\apostrepson t•n machairan sou\).
Turn back thy sword into its place. It was a stern rebuke for
Peter who had misunderstood the teaching of Jesus in Lu 22:38
as well as in Mt 5:39 (cf. Joh 18:36). The reason given by
Jesus has had innumerable illustrations in human history. The
sword calls for the sword. Offensive war is here given flat
condemnation. The Paris Pact of 1928 (the Kellogg Treaty) is
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