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Matthew 27

When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:

And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.

And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.

Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.

Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value;

And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.

And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.

And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.

Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?

And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.

Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.

And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.

Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?

For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.

When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.

But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.

Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.

And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.

When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.

And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.

And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.

And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,

They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: 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.

And sitting down they watched him there;

And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.

And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,

And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,

He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.

And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.

The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.

Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:

Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.

When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple:

He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.

And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.

Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,

Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.

Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.

Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.

So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

What does Matthew 27:14 mean?

Explanation

The verse Matthew 27:14 refers to the scene in which Jesus is standing before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, during His trial before His crucifixion.

In this scenario, Jesus chooses not to respond to the accusations made against Him by the chief priests and elders.

Pilate is portrayed as being "marvelled greatly" or astonished by Jesus' silence.

The literal meaning is clear: Jesus did not say a word in His defense.

The deeper meaning points to a fulfillment of prophecy (as mentioned in Isaiah 53:7) and can also suggest that Jesus' mission and identity were beyond the need for a verbal defense.

His silence might also reflect the deep injustice of the trial, where an innocent man chose not to retaliate or defend himself.

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Historical Context

Matthew was written in a period where early Christians were trying to understand and interpret the life and death of Jesus. The governor in the verse, Pontius Pilate, was a real historical figure who served as the prefect of the Roman province of Judea from AD 26-36.

The cultural context was one of Roman legal procedure, in which a defendant would typically speak in their own defense. Pilate's marvel at Jesus' silence can be seen within this legal framework where the accused's silence was unexpected.

Theological Insights

From a theological perspective, this verse is significant in several aspects:

Fulfillment of Prophecy: As Isaiah 53:7 predicts the Messiah would be silent before His accusers, Jesus' silence could be seen as a fulfillment of this prophecy.
Sovereignty of God: Some theologians may interpret this moment as a reflection of Christ's submission to God's will, understanding that His crucifixion was necessary for the salvation of humanity.
Sinlessness of Christ: The fact that Jesus did not defend Himself might be viewed as a statement of His innocence; He had no need to argue against the charges because they were false.

Practical Applications

The verse provides a powerful lesson in restraint and humility.

In life, one might face false accusations or judgments, and there are times where silent dignity might be more impactful than verbal defense.

It also demonstrates the strength found in staying true to one's principles, even under severe pressure.

Cross-References

Isaiah 53:7 – "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth."
John 19:9 – "And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer."
1 Peter 2:23 – "Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously."

Language Study

In the original Greek, the key phrases are "οὐκ ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ πρὸς οὐδὲ ἓν ῥῆμα" (ouk apekrithē autō pros oude hen rhēma), which translates to "He did not answer him to not even one word." The Greek word for "word" (ῥῆμα - rhēma) can indicate a matter or thing, implying Jesus said nothing about the charges against Him.

"Marvelled" (ἐθαύμασεν - ethaumazen) captures Pilate's sense of wonder or surprise.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In other cultural and religious contexts, the silent acceptance of suffering can also be found.

For example, in Buddhism, there is a noble silence about one's own hardships, emphasizing inner peace and enlightenment over outer expression.

In Stoic philosophy, there is a similar idea of accepting one's fate without complaint.

Scientific Perspectives

Modern psychology might look at Jesus' silent behavior as emotional regulation or non-defensive responding, both of which are seen as healthy responses to stress or confrontation.

From a stress-response perspective, choosing not to react can limit the escalation of conflict.

Commentaries

Various Biblical scholars and commentators have different perspectives on this verse:

William Barclay notes that Jesus remained silent to fulfill the prophecy from Isaiah and to remain true to His role as the Suffering Servant of God.
John Gill discusses that Christ's silence was significant because it was voluntary, and Pilate was astonished as he expected Jesus to defend Himself vehemently.
Matthew Henry comments on how Christ's example is one of patience and meekness under wrongful suffering which Christians should emulate.

Matthew 27

Matthew 27

What does Matthew 27:14 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Matthew 27:14 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?