Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 26]
26:66 {He is worthy of death} (\enochos thanatou estin\). Held in
the bonds of death (\en, ech•\) as actually guilty with the
genitive (\thanatou\). The dative expresses liability as in Mt
5:21 (\t•i krisei\) and as \eis\ and the accusative (Mt 5:22).
They took the vote though it was at night and they no longer had
the power of death since the Romans took it away from them. Death
was the penalty of blasphemy (Le 24:15). But they enjoyed
taking it as their answer to his unanswerable speeches in the
temple that dreadful Tuesday a few days before. It was unanimous
save that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus did not agree. They
were probably absent and not even invited as being under
suspicion for being secret disciples of Christ.
26:68 {Thou Christ} (\Christe\). With definite sneer at his
claims under oath in 26:63. With uncontrolled glee and abandon
like a lot of hoodlums these doctors of divinity insulted Jesus.
They actually spat in his face, buffeted him on the neck
(\ekolaphisan\, from \kolaphos\ the fist), and struck him in the
face with the palms of their hands (\erapisan\, from \rapis\, a
rod), all personal indignities after the legal injustice already
done. They thus gave vent to their spite and hatred.
26:69 {Thou also} (\kai su\). Peter had gone within (\es•\) the
palace (26:58), but was sitting {without} (\ex•\) the hall
where the trial was going on in the open central court with the
servants or officers (\hup•ret•n\, under rowers, literally,
26:58) of the Sanhedrin. But he could possibly see through the
open door above what was going on inside. It is not plain at what
stage of the Jewish trial the denials of Peter took place nor the
precise order in which they came as the Gospels give them
variously. This maid (\paidisk•\, slave girl) stepped up to Peter
as he was sitting in the court and pointedly said: "Thou also
wast with Jesus the Galilean." Peter was warming himself by the
fire and the light shone in his face. She probably had noticed
Peter come in with John the Beloved Disciple who went on up into
the hall of trial. Or she may have seen Peter with Jesus on the
streets of Jerusalem.
26:70 {I know not what thou sayest} (\ouk oida ti legeis\). It
was an affectation of extreme ignorance (Bruce) that deceived no
one. It was an easy and ancient dodge and easy subterfuge. Dalman
(_Words of Jesus_, 80f.) suggests that Peter used the Galilean
Aramaean word for know instead of the Judean Aramaean word which
betrayed at once his Galilean residence.
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/MT26.RWP.html (14 of 16) [28/08/2004 09:03:28 a.m.]