Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 27].
epigraph•\) which was carried before the victim or hung around
his neck as he walked to execution was now placed above (\ep'
an•\) the head of Jesus on the projecting piece (\crux immurus\).
This inscription gave the name and home, {Jesus of Nazareth}, and
the charge on which he was convicted, {the King of the Jews} and
the identification, {This is}. The four reports all give the
charge and vary in the others. The inscription in full was: This
is Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews. The three languages
are mentioned only by John (Joh 19:20), Latin for law, Hebrew
(Aramaic) for the Jews, Greek for everybody. The accusation
(charge, cause, \aitia\) correctly told the facts of the
condemnation.
27:38 {Robbers} (\l•istai\). Not thieves (\kleptai\) as in
Authorized Version. See Mt 26:55. These two robbers were
probably members of the band of Barabbas on whose cross Jesus now
hung.
27:39 {Wagging their heads} (\kinountes tas kephalas aut•n\).
Probably in mock commiseration. "Jews again appear on the scene,
with a malice like that shewn in the trial before the Sanhedrin"
(McNeile). "To us it may seem incredible that even his worst
enemies could be guilty of anything so brutal as to hurl taunts
at one suffering the agonies of crucifixion" (Bruce). These
passers-by (\parat•roumenoi\) look on Jesus as one now down and
out. They jeer at the fallen foe.
27:40 {If thou art the Son of God} (\ei huios ei tou theou\).
More exactly, "If thou art a son of God," the very language of
the devil to Jesus (Mt 4:3) in the early temptations, now
hurled at Jesus under the devil's prompting as he hung upon the
Cross. There is allusion, of course, to the claim of Jesus under
oath before the Sanhedrin "the Son of God" (\ho huios tou theou\)
and a repetition of the misrepresentation of his words about the
temple of his body. It is a pitiful picture of human depravity
and failure in the presence of Christ dying for sinners.
27:41 {The chief priests mocking} (\hoi archiereis empaizontes\).
The Sanhedrin in fact, for "the scribes and elders" are included.
The word for mocking (\empaizontes, en,\ and \paiz•\, from
\pais\, child) means acting like silly children who love to guy
one another. These grave and reverend seniors had already given
vent to their glee at the condemnation of Jesus by themselves
(Mt 26:67f.).
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/MT27.RWP.html (9 of 15) [28/08/2004 09:03:31 a.m.]