The continuation of the history of the passion.
The cheefe of the Ievves accuse him to Pilate the Gentil. • And (he seeking to deliuer him) they persuade the common people (vvho hitherto vvere alvvaies ready to defend him) not only to prefere the murderer Barabbas, but also to crie Crucifige (to the reprobation of the vvhole nation.) 16 After many illusions, 20 he is crucified by the Gentils. •9 Vvhich the Ievves seing, do triumph as if they had novv the victorie. 33 But euen then by many vvonderful vvorkes he declareth his might, 42 and finally is buried honorably.
1And straightway in the morning, the chief priests holding a consultation with the ancients and the scribes and the whole council, binding Jesus, led him away and delivered him to Pilate.E subito la mattina i principi de' sacerdoti con i seniori, e gli Scribi, e tutto il consesso, fatta insieme consulta, legato Gesù, lo condussero, e lo consegnarono a Pilato.AND forthvvith in the morning the cheefe Priests vvith the auncients and the Scribes and the vvhole councel, consulting together, binding IESVS led and deliuered him to Pilate.Et confestim mane consilium facientes summi sacerdotes cum senioribus, et scribis, et universo concilio, vincientes Jesum, duxerunt, et tradiderunt Pilato. 2And Pilate asked him: Art thou the king of the Jews? But he answering, saith to him: Thou sayest it.E Pilato lo interrogò: Tu se' il re de' Giudei? E Gesù gli rispose: Tu lo dici.And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Ievves? but he ansvvering, said to him, Thou saiest.Et interrogavit eum Pilatus: Tu es rex Judæorum ? At ille respondens, ait illi: Tu dicis. 3And the chief priests accused him in many things.E i principi de' sacerdoti lo accusavano di molte cose.And the cheefe Priests accused him in many things.Et accusabant eum summi sacerdotes in multis. 4And Pilate again asked him, saying: Answerest thou nothing? Behold in how many things they accuse thee.E Pilato di nuovo lo interrogò, dicendo: Non rispondi nulla? Vedi, di quante cose ti accusano.And Pilate againe asked him, saying, Ansvverest thou nothing? see in hovv many things they accuse thee.Pilatus autem rursum interrogavit eum, dicens: Non respondes quidquam ? vide in quantis te accusant. 5But Jesus still answered nothing: so that Pilate wondered.Ma Gesù non rispose più nulla, dimodoché Pilato ne faceva le maraviglie.But IESVS answered nothing more: so that Pilate marueled.Jesus autem amplius nihil respondit, ita ut miraretur Pilatus. 6Now on the festival day he was wont to release unto them one of the prisoners, whomsoever they demanded.Or egli era solito di liberare nella festa uno de' prigioni, qualunque avessero addomandato.And vpon the festiual day he vvas vvont to release vnto them one of the prisoners vvhomsoeuer they had demaunded.Per diem autem festum solebat dimittere illis unum ex vinctis, quemcumque petissent. 7And there was one called Barabbas, who was put in prison with some seditious men, who in the sedition had committed murder.Ed eravi uno per nome Barabba carcerato tra i sediziosi, il quale nella sedizione avea commesso omicidio.And there vvas one called Barabbas, vvhich vvas put in prison vvith seditious persons, vvho in a sedition had committed murder.Erat autem qui dicebatur Barrabas, qui cum seditiosis erat vinctus, qui in seditione fecerat homicidium.
8And when the multitude was come up, they began to desire that he would do as he had ever done unto them.E radunatosi il popolo, cominciò a domandare quello, che sempre lor concedeva.And when the multitude vvas come vp, they began to require according as alvvaies he did vnto them.Et cum ascendisset turba, cœpit rogare, sicut semper faciebat illis. 9And Pilate answered them and said: Will you that I release to you the king of the Jews?E Pilato rispose loro, e disse: Volete voi, che io vi disciolga il Re de' Giudei?And Pilate ansvvered them, and said, Vvil you that I release to you the King of the Ievves?Pilatus autem respondit eis, et dixit: Vultis dimittam vobis regem Judæorum ? 10For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him up out of envy.Imperocché sapeva, che per invidia, lo avevano tradito i sommi sacerdoti.For he knevv that the cheefe Priests for enuy had deliuered him.Sciebat enim quod per invidiam tradidissent eum summi sacerdotes. 11But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas to them.Ma i pontefici sommossero il popolo; perché liberasse loro piuttosto Barabba.But the cheefe Priests moued the people, that he should release Barabbas rather to them.Pontifices autem concitaverunt turbam, ut magis Barabbam dimitteret eis. 12And Pilate again answering, saith to them: What will you then that I do to the king of the Jews?Ma Pilato rispose di nuovo, e disse loro: Che volete voi dunque, che io faccia del re de' Giudei?And Pilate againe ansvvering, said to them, Vvhat vvil you then that I doe to the King of the Ievves?Pilatus autem iterum respondens, ait illis: Quid ergo vultis faciam regi Judæorum ? 13But they again cried out: Crucify him.Ma quelli gridarono: Crocifiggilo.But they againe cried, Crucifie him.At illi iterum clamaverunt: Crucifige eum. 14And Pilate saith to them: Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more: Crucify him.Pilato però diceva loro: Che male ha egli fatto? Ma quelli gridavan più forte: Crocifiggilo.And Pilate said to them, Vvhy, vvhat euil hath he done? But they cried the more, Crucifie him.Pilatus vero dicebat illis: Quid enim mali fecit ? At illi magis clamabant: Crucifige eum. 15And so Pilate being willing to satisfy the people, released to them Barabbas: and delivered up Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.E Pilato, volendo contentare il popolo, disciolse loro Barabba, e fatto flagellare Gesù, lo abbandonò ad essere crocifisso.And Pilate vvilling to satisfie the people, released to them Barabbas, and deliuered IESVS, hauing vvhipped him, for to be crucified.Pilatus autem volens populo satisfacere, dimisit illis Barabbam, et tradidit Jesum flagellis cæsum, ut crucifigeretur.
16And the soldiers led him away into the court of the palace: and they called together the whole band.E i soldati lo condussero nell'atrio del pretorio, e vi radunarono tutta la coorte.And the souldiars led him into the court of the Palace, and they call together the vvhole band:Milites autem duxerunt eum in atrium prætorii, et convocant totam cohortem, 17And they clothed him with purple: and, platting a crown of thorns, they put it upon him.E lo vestono di porpora, e intrecciata una corona di spine, gliela cingono.and they clothe him in purple, and platting a crovvne of thornes, they put it vpon him.et induunt eum purpura, et imponunt ei plectentes spineam coronam. 18And they began to salute him: Hail, king of the Jews.E principiarono a salutarlo: Evviva il re de' Giudei.And they began to salute him, Haile King of the Ievves.Et cœperunt salutare eum: Ave rex Judæorum. 19And they struck his head with a reed: and they did spit on him. And bowing their knees, they adored him.E percuotevangli la testa con una canna: e gli sputavano addosso, e piegato il ginocchio, lo adoravano.And they smote his head vvith a reede: and they did spit on him and bovving the knees, they adored him.Et percutiebant caput ejus arundine: et conspuebant eum, et ponentes genua, adorabant eum. 20And after they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him and put his own garments on him: and they led him out to crucify him.E dopo averlo schernito, lo spogliarono della porpora, e lo rivestirono delle sue vesti: e lo menarono fuori per crocifiggerlo.And after they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple, and put on him his ovvne garments, and they leade him forth to crucifie him.Et postquam illuserunt ei, exuerunt illum purpura, et induerunt eum vestimentis suis: et educunt illum ut crucifigerent eum. 21And they forced one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and of Rufus, to take up his cross.E costrinsero un passaggero, Simone di Cirene, padre di Alessandro, e di Rufo, che veniva di campagna, a prendere la croce di lui.And they forced a certaine man that passed by, Simon a Cyrenêan comming from the countrie, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to take vp his crosse.Et angariaverunt prætereuntem quempiam, Simonem Cyrenæum venientem de villa, patrem Alexandri et Rufi, ut tolleret crucem ejus. 22And they bring him into the place called Golgotha, which being interpreted is, The place of Calvary.E lo menarono al luogo detto Golgotha: che interpretato vuoi dir luogo del cranio.And they bring him into the place Golgotha, vvhich being interpreted is, The place of Caluarie.Et perducunt illum in Golgotha locum: quod est interpretatum Calvariæ locus.
23And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh. But he took it not.E davangli da bere del vino mescolato con mirra: e non lo accettò.And they gaue him to drinke vvine mingled vvith myrrhe: and he tooke it not.Et dabant ei bibere myrrhatum vinum: et non accepit. 24And crucifying him, they divided his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.E crocifissolo, divisero le sue vesti, tirando a sorte quello, che dovea averne ciascuno.And crucifying him, they deuided his garments, casting lottes vpon them, vvho should take vvhich.Et crucifigentes eum, diviserunt vestimenta ejus, mittentes sortem super eis, quis quid tolleret. 25And it was the third hour: and they crucified him.Era l'ora di terza, e lo crocifissero.And it vvas the third houre, and they crucified him.Erat autem hora tertia: et crucifixerunt eum. 26And the inscription of his cause was written over: THE KING OF THE JEWS.Ed eravi l'iscrizione del suo reato, dove era scritto: Il RE DE' GIUDEI.And the title of his cause vvas superscribed, KING OF THE IEWES.Et erat titulus causæ ejus inscriptus: Rex Judæorum. 27And with him they crucify two thieves: the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.E con lui crocifissero due ladroni: uno alla destra, e l'altro alla sua sinistra.And vvith him they crucifie tvvo theeues: one on the right hand, and an other on his left.Et cum eo crucifigunt duos latrones: unum a dextris, et alium a sinistris ejus. 28And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith: And with the wicked he was reputed.E fu adempita la scrittura, che dice: E stato noverato tra gli scellerati.And the Scripture vvas fulfilled that saith, And vvith the vvicked he vvas reputed.Et impleta est Scriptura, quæ dicit: Et cum iniquis reputatus est. 29And they that passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads and saying: Vah, thou that destroyest the temple of God and in three days buildest it up again:E quei, che passavano, lo bestemmiavano, scuotendo il capo, e dicendo: Va tu, che distruggi il tempio di Dio, e in tre giorni lo riedifichi.And they that passed by, blasphemed him, vvagging their heades, and saying, Vah, 'he that destroieth' the temple, and in three daies buildeth ′ it:Et prætereuntes blasphemabant eum, moventes capita sua, et dicentes: Vah ! qui destruis templum Dei, et in tribus diebus reædificas, 30Save thyself, coming down from the cross.Salva te stesso, scendendo di croce.saue thy self, comming dovvne from the crosse.salvum fac temetipsum descendens de cruce.
31In like manner also the chief priests, mocking, said with the scribes one to another: He saved others; himself he cannot save.Nello stesso modo anche i sommi Sacerdoti, e gli Scribi per ischerno dicevansi l'un l'altro: ha salvato gli altri, e non può salvare se stesso.In like maner also the cheefe Priests mocking, said vvith the Scribes one to an other, He saued others, him self he can not saue.Similiter et summi sacerdotes illudentes, ad alterutrum cum scribis dicebant: Alios salvos fecit; seipsum non potest salvum facere. 32Let Christ the king of Israel come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him, reviled him.Il Cristo re d'Israele scenda adesso dalla croce, affinchè vediamo, e crediamo. E quelli, ch'erano con esso crocifissi, lo svillaneggiavano.Let Christ the King of Israel come dovvne novv from the crosse: that vve may see and beleeue. And they that vvere crucified vvith him, railed at him.Christus rex Israël descendat nunc de cruce, ut videamus, et credamus. Et qui cum eo crucifixi erant, convitiabantur ei. 33And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole earth until the ninth hour.E all'ora sesta si ottenebrò tutta la terra sino all'ora nona.And vvhen it vvas the sixt houre, there vvas made darkenes vpon the vvhole earth vntil the ninthe houre.Et facta hora sexta, tenebræ factæ sunt per totam terram usque in horam nonam. 34And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying: Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabacthani? Which is, being interpreted: My God, My God, Why hast thou forsaken me?E all'ora nona Gesù con voce grande esclamò, dicendo: Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabacthani? Che s'interpreta: Dio mio, Dio mio, perché mi hai abbandonato?And at the ninthe houre IESVS cried out vvith a mightie voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lamma-sabacthani? Which is being interpreted, My God, my God, vvhy hast thou forsaken me?Et hora nona exclamavit Jesus voce magna, dicens: Eloi, eloi, lamma sabacthani ? quod est interpretatum: Deus meus, Deus meus, ut quid dereliquisti me ? 35And some of the standers by hearing, said: Behold he calleth Elias.E alcuni de' circostanti avendolo udito, dicevano: Ecco che chiama Elia.And certaine of the standers about hearing, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.Et quidam de circumstantibus audientes, dicebant: Ecce Eliam vocat. 36And one running and filling a sponge with vinegar and putting it upon a reed, gave him to drink, saying: Stay, let us see if Elias come to take him down.E uno corse, e inzuppata una spugna nell'aceto, e avvoltala intorno ad una canna gli dava da bere, dicendo: Lasciate, stiamo a vedere, se venga Elia a distaccarlo.And one running and filling a spunge vvith vinegre, and putting it about a reede, gaue him drinke, saying, Let be: let vs see if Elias come to take him dovvne.Currens autem unus, et implens spongiam aceto, circumponensque calamo, potum dabat ei, dicens: Sinite, videamus si veniat Elias ad deponendum eum.
37And Jesus, having cried out with a loud voice, gave up the ghost.Ma Gesù, mandata fuori una gran voce, spirò.And IESVS putting forth a mightie voice, gaue vp the ghost.Jesus autem emissa voce magna expiravit. 38And the veil of the temple was rent in two, from the top to the bottom.E il velo del tempio si squarciò in due parti da sommo a imo.And the vele of the temple vvas rent in tvvo, from the toppe to the bottome.Et velum templi scissum est in duo, a summo usque deorsum. 39And the centurion who stood over against him, seeing that crying out in this manner he had given up the ghost, said: Indeed this man was the son of God.E vedendo il centurione, che stava dirimpetto, come così esclamando era morto, disse: Veramente quest'uomo era Figliuolo di Dio.And the Centurion that stoode ouer against him, seeing that so crying he had giuen vp the ghost, said, In deede this man vvas the sonne of God.Videns autem centurio, qui ex adverso stabat, quia sic clamans expirasset, ait: Vere hic homo Filius Dei erat. 40And there were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalen and Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joseph and Salome,Ed eranvi ancora delle donne, che stavan da lungi a vedere: tralle quali era Maria Maddalena, e Maria madre di Giacomo il minore, e di Giuseppe, e Salome:And there vvere also vvomen looking on a farre of: among vvhom vvas Marie Magdalene, and Marie the mother of Iames the lesse and of Ioseph, and Salóme:Erant autem et mulieres de longe aspicientes: inter quas erat Maria Magdalene, et Maria Jacobi minoris, et Joseph mater, et Salome: 41Who also when he was in Galilee followed him and ministered to him, and many other women that came up with him to Jerusalem.Le quali lo seguivano anche, quando egli era nella Galilea, e lo servivano, e altre molte, le quali insieme con lui eran venute a Gerusalemme.and vvhen he vvas in Galilee, they folovved him, and ministred to him, and many other vvomen that came vp together vvith him to Hierusalem.et cum esset in Galilæa, sequebantur eum, et ministrabant ei, et aliæ multæ, quæ simul cum eo ascenderant Jerosolymam. 42And when evening was now come (because it was the Parasceve, that is, the day before the sabbath),E fattosi sera (perché era la parasceve, cioè il dì avanti al sabbato)And vvhen euening vvas come (because it vvas the Parasceue, vvhich is the Sabboth-eue)Et cum jam sero esset factum (quia erat parasceve, quod est ante sabbatum), 43Joseph of Arimathea, a noble counsellor, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, came and went in boldly to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus.Andò Giuseppe d'Arimatea, nobile decurione, che aspettava egli pure il regno di Dio, e arditamente si presentò a Pilato, e chiese il corpo di Gesù.came Ioseph of Arimathaea a noble Senatour, vvho him self also vvas expecting the kingdom of God: and he vvent in boldly to Pilate, and asked the body of IESVS.venit Joseph ab Arimathæa nobilis decurio, qui et ipse erat exspectans regnum Dei, et audacter introivit ad Pilatum, et petiit corpus Jesu.
44But Pilate wondered that he should be already dead. And sending for the centurion, he asked him if he were already dead.Ma Pilato si maravigliava, ch'ei fosse già morto. E chiamato il centurione, gli domandò, se fosse già morto.But Pilate marueled if he vvere novv dead. And sending for the Centurion, asked him if he vvere novv dead.Pilatus autem mirabatur si jam obiisset. Et accersito centurione, interrogavit eum si jam mortuus esset. 45And when he had understood it by the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.E informato che fu dal centurione, donò il corpo a Giuseppe.And vvhen he vnderstoode by the Centurion, he gaue the body to Ioseph.Et cum cognovisset a centurione, donavit corpus Joseph. 46And Joseph, buying fine linen and taking him down, wrapped him up in the fine linen and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewed out of a rock. And he rolled a stone to the door of the sepulchre.E Giuseppe, comperata una sindone, e distaccatolo, lo rinvolse nella sindone, e lo mise in un sepolcro scavato nel masso, e ribaltò una pietra al la bocca del sepolcro.And Ioseph bying sindon, and taking him dovvne, vvrapped him in the sindon, and laid him in a monument, that vvas hevved out of a rocke. And he rolled a stone to the doore of the monument.Joseph autem mercatus sindonem, et deponens eum involvit sindone, et posuit eum in monumento quod erat excisum de petra, et advolvit lapidem ad ostium monumenti. 47And Mary Magdalen and Mary the mother of Joseph, beheld where he was laid.E Maria Maddalena, e Maria madre di Giuseppe stavan osservando, dove fosse collocato.And Marie Magdalene and Marie of Ioseph beheld vvhere he vvas laid.Maria autem Magdalene et Maria Joseph aspiciebant ubi poneretur.
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about the year A.D. 33.
Ven. Bede
It was customary with the Jews to bind and deliver over to the Roman governors those whom they had condemned in their own councils; but we must not suppose that this was the first time they bound Jesus; for, as St. John informs us, when first they apprehended him, they put manacles upon him. (Ven. Bede)
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Theophylactus
It may be remarked upon this answer of our Lord, that he was not unwilling to answer the questions put to him by the governor, who condemned him contrary to his inclination, though he would not condescend to return an answer to the question of the high priests, as they were not worthy of the favour. (Theophylactus)
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The Gloss
This practice of releasing to the people any prisoner they might think proper, was instituted in order to captivate the will of the people; which was most commonly done on the festival day, when the Jews were assembled from the different provinces to Jerusalem. But that the blindness and malice of this people might be more apparent, the evangelist here describes the atrocious wickedness of the man they preferred to the Son of God. (Gloss.)
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St. Chrysostom
Since envy put to death the Author of life, Jesus Christ, how watchful should all Christians be against every degree of that sin. (St. Chrysostom, hom. xl. in Matt.)
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St. Augustine
St. Matthew says mixed with gall; for gall is here used for bitterness, and wine that has myrrh in it is a very strong bitter; although, perhaps, both gall and myrrh might have been ingredients to increase the bitterness. (St. Augustine)
Theophylactus
Or, in the confusion that was occasioned, some might have offered him one thing, some another; one person giving vinegar and gall, another wine mixed with myrrh. (Theophylactus)
St. Jerome
Wine mingled with myrrh may perhaps be used for vinegar. (St. Jerome)
Ven. Bede
This was given to criminals, to lessen their torments. Our Lord was pleased to taste the bitterness, but he would not permit the relief which the admittance of the same into his stomach might have afforded. Thus also were the scriptures fulfilled: they gave me gall for my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. (Psalm lxviii.) (Ven. Bede)
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Nicholas of Lyra
St. Mark is the only evangelist who says it was the third hour. St. John says it was the sixth. But these may easily be reconciled by supposing that he was crucified towards the end of the third hour, that is, about eleven of the clock, or half-past eleven, which being near the sixth hour, or twelve, the evangelist might say it was the sixth hour. (Nicholas of Lyra)
Challoner
The third hour. The ancient account divided the day into four parts, which were named from the hour from which they began: the first, third, sixth, and ninth hour. Our Lord was crucified a little before noon; before the third hour had quite expired; but when the sixth hour was near at hand. (Challoner)
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It was written on a board, or rather on parchment fixed to a board, (as Leipsius informs us) expressing the cause why he was crucified, viz. because he was the King of the Jews. And, indeed, Pilate himself was fully persuaded that he was the Messiah promised to the Jews: and though he knew him to be innocent, he connived the more at his death through fear lest he might attempt something against the Roman empire, if he were permitted to continue. At the same time, by putting up his cause, he wished to revenge himself of the Jews, for their importunity and obstinacy in compelling him, partly against his will, to condemn him to death. For what could be more ignominious to the Jews than to see their king crucified at their own request, and for no other reason than because he was their king, and they did not wish him to reign over them. Thus did they receive the king for whose coming they had so long sighed, and from whom they had expected delivery from the Roman yoke, and the subjugation of the whole world to their own power. (Sirinus)[perhaps (Tirinus) is meant here.]
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St. Jerome
Afterwards they saw Him arising out of the sepulchre whom they thought unable to descend from the cross. Where, O Jew, is thy infidelity? I ask you yourselves. You shall be your own judges. How much more astonishing is it to be able, when dead, to rise again, than, when living, to descend from the cross? You desired a small exertion of power, and a much greater is here performed: but still your infidelity would not be cured. All have turned out of the way, all have become useless. (St. Jerome)
Tirinus
If the Scribes and Pharisees did not believe in Christ when he rose from the dead, neither would they have believed in him had he left the cross. Though the scripture had foretold in many places that he was to suffer, Psalm xxi, They have dug my hands and feet; and Psalm xcv, They shall look upon him whom they have pierced; He shall reign from the tree: (and which St. Justin assures us the Jews had erased from the psalm) yet where can the Jews point out that it was foretold he should descend from the cross? (Tirinus)
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Dionysius
The centurion considered the crying out of our Saviour as an effect not of human, but divine power, since it generally happens that people at the moment the soul quits the body are reduced to so debilitated a state, that they are scarce able to utter the least word. Although Jesus was truly the natural, not the adoptive, Son of God, it is nevertheless probable that the centurion, being a Gentile, did not speak in this manner as if he knew Jesus to be the natural Son of God. He did not know that the Son of God was really true God, equal to the Father, but called him Son of God, as if adopted, on account of his extraordinary sanctity; or, perhaps, he might have called him the Son of God, in order to oppose the Jews, who called our Saviour a blasphemer, because he made himself the Son of God. (Dionysius)
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Ven. Bede
Ven. Bede thinks the word parasceve is derived from the Greek paraskeue, signifying a preparation. It was the day before the sabbath, on which the Jews were accustomed to prepare two meals, one for the parasceve, and another for the sabbath; the Jews not being allowed to dress any meat on the latter day, on account of its great solemnity. The Jews learnt this word of the Greeks, who lived among them in Jerusalem. (Ven. Bede)
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Witham
A noble Decurion. The Decurions among the Romans were first called so as having ten men under them, as the centurions were over a hundred. But some of the Decurions were also Counsellors in towns, as is here signified by the Greek word Bouleutes. (Witham)
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According to the description of those that have seen it, it is a kind of small chamber, the height of which, from top to bottom, is eight feet and an inch, its length six feet and one inch, and its breadth fifteen feet ten inches. Its entrance, or vestibule, which looks towards the east, is but four feet high, and two feet four inches wide. The place within, where our Lord's body was laid, takes up a whole side of the cave. The stone which was laid to secure the door of the sepulchre is still remaining, and according to Mr. Maundrell, is two yards and a quarter long, one broad, and one thick: but the particular parts of it are not visible, being all incrusted over with white marble, except in five or six little places, where it is left bare to receive the kisses and other devotions of pilgrims. (Mark Luke's Voyage to Asia Minor, Vol. 2:p. 12. and Maundrell's Journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem.)
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The third hour.... The ancient account divided the day into four parts, which were named from the hour from which they began; the first, third, sixth, and ninth hour. Our Lord was crucified a little before noon; before the third hour had quite expired; but when the sixth hour was near at hand.
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GOOD FRIDAY.
Concordance Mt. 27, 1.
Concordance Lu. 23, 1.
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Concordance Io. 18, 28.
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11. Cheefe Priests.] The Priests of the old Testament. Heretikes abuse the ignorant people with these naughtie Priests of the old Testament, to make that name odious, and to discredite the Priests of Christ in the new Testament. Euseb. Ec. But for these Priests, thou maist not maruel that they are so busy against Christ, partly because they were such as were intruded by the secular power of the Roman Emperour, Hist. li. • c. 6. ex Iosepho. and from yere to yere by bribery and frendship, not by succession according to the Law of Moyses: partly because the time was now come when the old Priesthod of Aaron should cease, and the new begin according to the order of Melchife dec: and for these causes cod suffered their former priueleges of wisedom and iudgemēt and discretion to decay in these later vsurpers, and that according to the Prophet saying, Ezech. 7, 26. The Law shal perish from the Priest and counsel from the Ancients. But the Priesthod of the new Testament is to continew vnto the end of the world, The Priesthod of the new Testament. and hath (as being the principal part of the Church) the assistāce of the Holy Ghost for euer promised, Io. 16, 1•. to teach it al truth: and for Peter the cheefe Priest thereof vnder Christ, Luc. 22. and 10. our Sauiour praied, That his faith should not faile: Executīg lawes against innocents. and to the rest he said, He that heareth you, heareth me.
••. To satisfie the people.] Pilate should haue suffered death, rather then by other mens prouocation or commaundement haue executed an innocent: as a Christian iudge should rather suffer al extremitie, Religious duty tovvard the bodies of Christ and his Saincts. then giue sentence of death against a Catholike man for his faith.
•6. Bying sindon.] This dutie done to Christes body after his departure, was exceding meritorious, and is therfore by holy write so often commended for an example to faithful men, to vse al honour and deuotion towards the bodies of Saincts and holy persons.
15:16
Concordance Io. 19, 2.
15:28
Concordance Esa. 53, 1•.
15:29
thou that destroi•st.
buildest.
15:30
So Heretikes say of the B. Sacrament, If it be Christ, let him saue him self from al iniuries.
15:34
Concordance Ps. 21, 1.
See (Mat. c. 27, 46) the blasphemous exposition of Caluin and his folovvers, and take heede thereof.
15:1
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 3.7
… and when they had bound Him, they led Him away, and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.” Mark’s version is to the like effect: “And straightway in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate.”
15:2
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 3.8
… “And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged Him, to be crucified.” The above is Mark’s recital of what occurred in presence of the governor.
15:3
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 50
… and I have tried him before you, and have not found in this man any cause of all that ye [12] seek against him: nor yet Herod: for I sent him unto him; and he hath done [13] nothing for which he should deserve death. So now I will chastise him, and let [14, 15] him go. The multitude all cried out and said, Take him from us, take him.
15:5
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Festal and Personal Letters of Athanasius 61
… For when Pilate had washed his hands, and acquiesced in the false accusation of the Jews of that day, the Lord answered him no more, but rather warned his wife in a dream, so that He that was being judged might be believed to be God not in word, but in power. While after vouchsafing Caiaphas no reply to his folly, He Himself by his promise
15:6
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles 9
… For, as he has said, “When he (Pilate) had determined to let Him go,” that it may not be imagined that he did this of favor, we read, “And he said, It is a custom with you to release one prisoner: will ye therefore that I release unto you this man? ( Matt. xxvii. 15 .) “But ye denied the Holy One and the Just.” (
15:8
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 50
… will ye that I [24] release unto you the King of the Jews? And they all cried out and said, Release not [Arabic, p. 190] unto us this man , but release unto us Barabbas. And this Barabbas was a [25] robber, who for sedition and murder, which was in the city, was cast into the [26] prison.
15:9
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 50
… And they all cried out and said, Release not [Arabic, p. 190] unto us this man , but release unto us Barabbas. And this Barabbas was a [25] robber, who for sedition and murder, which was in the city, was cast into the [26] prison. And all the people cried out and began to ask him to do as the custom was [27] that he should do with them.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 3.8
… The words, however, in which Pilate replied to the people when they asked him to release one prisoner according to the custom of the feast, are reported by this evangelist as follows: “But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?”
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Eusebius of Caesarea † AD 339 The Church History of Eusebius 3.7.8
8. Concerning those calamities, then, that befell the whole Jewish nation after the Saviour’s passion and after the words which the multitude of the Jews uttered, when they begged the release of the robber and murderer, but besought that the Prince of Life should be taken from their midst,
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Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 50
… [29] And the chief priests and the elders asked the multitudes to deliver Barabbas, and [30] to destroy Jesus. The judge answered and said unto them, Whom of the two will [31] ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate said unto them, And [32] Jesus which is called the Messiah, what shall I do with him?
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 3.13
… For, after giving us this statement, “And they cried again, Crucify him” (in which he gives us to understand that they had cried out before this, when they asked that Barabbas might be released to them), he has appended these words: “Then Pilate continued to say unto them, Why, what evil hath he done?”
15:15
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 50
… And Pilate said unto them a third time, What evil hath this man done? I have not found in him any cause to necessitate death: I will chastise him and [36] let him go. But they increased in importunity with a loud voice, and asked him to crucify him. And their voice, and the voice of the chief priests, prevailed. [37]
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St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 83
“Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 3.9
… “And the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Prætorium; and they called together the whole band. And they clothed Him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it on His head, and began to salute Him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they smote Him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon Him, and, bowing their knees, worshipped Him.”
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St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 3.9
… This is given by Mark, as follows: “And when they had mocked Him, they took off the purple from Him, and put His own clothes on Him.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 3.10
… “And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear His cross.” In like manner, Mark says: “And they led Him out to be crucified. And they compelled one Simon, a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear His cross.”
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St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 45
… and if you cannot believe them either, then have confidence in the print of the nails. If He descend into Hell, descend with Him. Learn to know the mysteries of Christ there also, what is the providential purpose of the twofold descent, to save all men absolutely by His manifestation, or there too only them that believe.
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Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 51
[25] And when they came unto a certain place called The skull, and called in the Hebrew Golgotha, they crucified him there: they crucified with him these two [26] malefactors, one on his right, and the other on his left. And the scripture was [27] [Arabic, p. 194] fulfilled, which saith, He was numbered with the transgressors.
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 13.29
… They gave Me also gall for My meat, and in My thirst, they gave Me vinegar to drink . Thou seest the clearness of the Prophets’ description. But what sort of gall put they into My mouth? They gave Him, it says, wine mingled with myrrh
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 3.11
… that is to say, a place of a skull.” So far as the place is concerned, they are most unmistakeably at one. The same Matthew next adds, “and they gave Him wine to drink, mingled with gall; and when He had tasted thereof, He would not drink.” This is given by Mark as follows: “And they gave Him to drink wine mingled with myrrh; and He received it not.”
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St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 3.12
39. Matthew goes on thus: “And after they crucified Him, they parted His garments, casting lots: and sitting down, they watched Him.” Mark reports the same incident, as follows: “And crucifying Him, they parted His garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 3.13
… For this writer says here, “And crucifying Him, they parted His garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 118.2
… and their notice of it is obscure, while his is in the plainest manner possible. For Matthew says, “And after they crucified Him, they parted His garments, casting lots.” Mark: “And they crucified Him, and parted His garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.”
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St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 3.13
40. Matthew continues thus: “And they set up over His head His accusation written, ‘This is Jesus the King of the Jews.’” Mark, on the other hand, before making any such statement, inserts these words: “And it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 116.8
… And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour.” The question, at what hour the Lord was crucified, because of the testimony supplied by another evangelist, who says, “And it was the third hour, and they crucified Him,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 117.1
… “And He, bearing His cross, went forth into the place that is called Calvary, but in Hebrew, Golgotha; where they crucified Him.” What else, then, is the meaning of the evangelist Mark saying, “And it was the third hour, and they crucified Him,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 64.5
5. But on this account we must not pass over that which hath come into mind, lest perchance the reading of the Divine Scriptures should disquiet any one. One Evangelist saith that the Lord was crucified at the sixth hour, and another at the third hour:
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St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 3.14
51. Matthew continues his narrative in the following terms: “Then were there two robbers crucified with Him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.” Mark and Luke give it also in a similar form.
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Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 51
[25] And when they came unto a certain place called The skull, and called in the Hebrew Golgotha, they crucified him there: they crucified with him these two [26] malefactors, one on his right, and the other on his left.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles 53
… 24 ) they acquit him, as undeserving not only of death, but also of bonds, and indeed would have released him entirely, if he had not appealed to Cæsar. But this was done providentially, that he should also depart with bonds. “Unto bonds,” he says, “as an evil doer.” ( 1 Tim. ii. 9 .) For if his Lord “was reckoned among the transgressors” (
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St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 3.15
… He trusted in God; let Him deliver him now, if He will: for he said, I am the Son of God.” Mark and Luke, although they report the words differently, nevertheless agree in conveying the same meaning, although the one passes without notice something which the other mentions.
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St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 88.6
… Such seemed He to the blind. For it is in the person of the Jews that Isaiah said this, “We saw Him, and He had no beauty nor comeliness.” When it was said, “If He be the Son of God, let Him come down from the Cross. He saved others, Himself He cannot save.”
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St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 3.16
53. Matthew continues his narrative in these terms: “The robbers also, which were crucified with Him, cast the same in His teeth.” Mark is quite in harmony with Matthew here, giving the same statement in different words.
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St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 3.17
54. Matthew proceeds in the following terms: “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.” The same fact is attested by two others of the evangelists.
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St Hilary of Poitiers † AD 367 De Trinitate or On the Trinity 10.31
31. Yet, I suppose, you will arm yourself also for your godless contention with these words of the Lord, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me
St Hilary of Poitiers † AD 367 De Trinitate or On the Trinity 10.71
71. If then He said, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 3.29
… how then, if He so spoke, is He God, and Word of the Father?” Yea, it is written that He wept, O God’s enemies, and that He said, ‘I am troubled,’ and on the Cross He said, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani,’ that is, ‘My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?’ and He besought that the cup might pass away
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Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 52
[1] And after that, Jesus knew that all things were finished; and that the scripture [2] might be accomplished, he said, I thirst. And there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and in that hour one of them hasted, and took a sponge, and filled it with that [3] vinegar,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 3.17
… “And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave Him to drink.” Mark presents it in a similar form: “And one ran, and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave Him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take Him down.”
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Rufinus of Aquileia † AD 411 A Commentary on the Apostles' Creed 27
27. Next it is written that “He gave up the ghost.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On the Holy Trinity 4.13
… Whence it was that the legs of the thieves were broken, in order that they might die directly, and be taken down from the cross before the Sabbath. And that He was found to be dead already, caused wonder. And it was this also, at which, as we read, Pilate marvelled, when the body of the Lord was asked of him for burial.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 3.18
55. Matthew proceeds as follows: “And Jesus, crying again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.” In like manner, Mark says, “And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.”
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St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 3.19
56. Matthew proceeds thus: “And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.” Mark’s version is also as follows: “And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.”
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St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Holy Spirit 2.6
… “Thou art My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.” He declared Him on the mount, saying: “This is My beloved Son, hear ye Him.” He declared Him in His Passion, when the sun hid itself, and sea and earth trembled. He declared Him in the Centurion, who said: “Truly this was the Son of God.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 84
… Mark at any rate saith, that “Pilate marvelled if He were already dead:” and that the centurion for this cause above all believed, because He died with power.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 3.20
… “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.” Mark offers this version: “And when the centurion which stood over against Him saw that He so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this was the Son of God.”
Theodoret of Cyrus † AD 458 Dialogues. The “Eranistes” or “Polymorphus” of the Blessed Theodoretus, Bishop of Cyrus 4.3.12
… The right wise Evangelist immediately adds “And having said thus He gave up the ghost.” So says Luke, and the blessed Mark similarly adds “He gave up the ghost.”
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St Jerome † AD 420 The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary 13
… among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.” Mark also,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 3.21
… “There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joseph, and Salome (who also, when He was in Galilee, followed Him, and ministered unto Him); and many other women which came up with Him unto Jerusalem.”
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St John Chrysostom † AD 407 A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles 3
… and resplendent not with wails, no, nor with numbers, but with the zeal of them that formed the assembly. They were “about an hundred and twenty,” it says. The seventy perhaps whom Christ Himself had chosen, and other of the more earnest-minded disciples, as Joseph and Matthias. ( v. 14 .) There were women, he says, many, who followed Him. (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Titus 6
Moral. For what reason then was He maintained by women? For women, it is said, followed Him, and ministered unto Him. (
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Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 52
… and they came and took it. And there came unto him Nicodemus also, who of old came unto Jesus by night; and he brought with him perfume [32] of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. And they took the body of Jesus, and wound it in the linen and the perfume, as was the custom of the Jews to bury.
Tertullian † AD 220 On Fasting 14
… else, if the apostle has erased all devotion absolutely “of seasons, and days, and months, and years,” why do we celebrate the passover by an annual rotation in the first month ? Why in the fifty ensuing days do we spend our time in all exultation? Why do we devote to Stations the fourth and sixth days of the week, and to fasts the “ preparation-day ?”
Eusebius of Caesarea † AD 339 The Church History of Eusebius martyrs-of-palestine.6.1
1. In the fourth year of the persecution against us, on the twelfth day before the Kalends of December, which is the twentieth day of the month Dius, on the day before the Sabbath,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On the Holy Trinity 4.6
… For He was crucified first by the voices of the Jews in the third hour, when it was the sixth day of the week. Then He hung on the cross itself at the sixth hour, and yielded up His spirit at the ninth hour. But He was buried, “now when the even was come,” as the words of the evangelist express it;
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 3.22
… And Pilate marvelled if He were already dead: and, calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether He had been any while dead. And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.”
Theodoret of Cyrus † AD 458 Dialogues. The “Eranistes” or “Polymorphus” of the Blessed Theodoretus, Bishop of Cyrus 3
… And Pilate marvelled if He were already dead; and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether He had been any while dead. And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph, and he brought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped Him in the linen, and laid Him in a sepulchre,”
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Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 52
… and he was a disciple of Jesus, but [26] was concealing himself for fear of the Jews. And he did not agree with the accusers [27] in their desire and their deeds: and he was looking for the kingdom of God.
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Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 52
… and he was a disciple of Jesus, but [26] was concealing himself for fear of the Jews. And he did not agree with the accusers [27] in their desire and their deeds: and he was looking for the kingdom of God. And this man went boldly, and entered in unto Pilate, and asked of him the body of [28] Jesus.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 84
… Mark at any rate saith, that “Pilate marvelled if He were already dead:”
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Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 52
… and he was looking for the kingdom of God. And this man went boldly, and entered in unto Pilate, and asked of him the body of [28] Jesus. And Pilate wondered how he had died already: and he called the officer of [29] the footsoldiers, and asked him concerning his death before the time.
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Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 52
[33] And there was in the place where Jesus was crucified a garden; and in that garden [34] a new tomb cut out in a rock,
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Festal and Personal Letters of Athanasius 59
6. And this above all shews the foolishness of those who say that the Word was changed into bones and flesh. For if this had been so, there were no need of a tomb. For the Body would have gone by itself to preach to the spirits in Hades. But as it was, He Himself went to preach, while the Body Joseph wrapped in a linen cloth, and laid it away at Golgotha
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 3.23
… and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.” Mark’s version is as follows: “And he bought fine linen, and took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen, and laid Him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.”
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St Jerome † AD 420 The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary 14
… Observe, he says, James and Joses are sons of Mary, and the same persons who were called brethren by the Jews. Observe, Mary is the mother of James the less and of Joses. And James is called the less to distinguish him from James the greater, who was the son of Zebedee, as Mark elsewhere states,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 3.24
61. Matthew proceeds thus: “And there was there Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.” This is given by Mark as follows: “And Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Joseph, beheld where He was laid.”
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St Bede † AD 735 in Marc. 4, 44
The Jews had a custom of delivering him whom they had condemned to death, bound to the judge. Wherefore after the condemnation of Christ, the Evangelist adds: And straightway in the morning the Chief Priests held a consultation with the elders and Scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate. But it must be observed, that they did not then first bind Him, but they bound Him on first taking Him in the garden by night, as John declares.
Theophylact † 1107
They then gave Jesus up to the Romans, but were themselves given up by God into the hands of the Romans, that the Scriptures might be fulfilled, which say, Recompense them after the work of their hands. (Ps. 28:5) It goes on: And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
St Bede † AD 735 ubi sup.
By Pilate’s asking Him about no other accusation, except whether He was King of the Jews, they are convicted of impiety, for they could not even find a false accusation against our Saviour. It goes on: And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest. He answers in this way so as both to speak the truth, and yet not to be open to cavil.
Theophylact † 1107
For His answer is doubtful, since it may mean, Thou sayest, but I say not so. 1And observe that He does somewhere answer Pilate, who condemned Him unwillingly, but does not choose to answer the priests and great men, and judges them unworthy of a reply. It goes on: And the Chief Priests accused him of many things.
St Augustine † AD 430 de Con. Evan. iii. 8
Luke has also laid open the false charges which they brought against Him; for he thus relates it: And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar, saying that he himself is Christ a King. (Luke 23:2) There follows: And Pilate asked him, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee.
St Bede † AD 735 ubi sup.
He indeed who condemns Jesus is a heathen, but he refers it to the people of the Jew’s as the cause. There follows: But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled. He was unwilling to give an answer, lest He should clear Himself of the charge, and be acquitted by the judge, and so the gain resulting from the Cross should be done away.
Theophylact † 1107
But Pilate wondered, because, though He was a teacher of the law, and eloquent, and able by His answer to destroy their accusations, He did not answer any thing, but rather bore their accusations courageously.
The Latin text
Beda
Habebant Iudaei hunc morem ut quem adiudicassent morti, ligatum iudici traderent; unde post condemnationem Christi subiungit Evangelista et confestim mane consilium facientes summi sacerdotes cum senioribus et Scribis et universo Concilio, vincientes Iesum duxerunt, et tradiderunt Pilato. Attamen notandum, quod non tunc primum ligaverunt eum; sed mox comprehensum nocte in horto, ut Ioannes declarat, ligaverunt
Theophylactus
Tradiderunt itaque Iesum Romanis; sed et ipsi a Deo traditi fuerunt in manibus Romanorum, ut adimplerentur Scripturae dicentes: secundum opera manuum eorum retribue illis. Sequitur et interrogavit eum Pilatus: tu es rex Iudaeorum?
Beda
Pilato nihil aliud criminis interrogante nisi utrum rex Iudaeorum sit, arguuntur impietatis Iudaei, quod nec falso quidem invenire potuerint quod obicerent salvatori. Sequitur at ille respondens ait illi: tu dicis. Sic respondet, ut verum diceret, et sermo eius calumniae non pateret
Theophylactus
Dubiam enim responsionem emisit: nam tu dicis potest sic intelligi: tu dicis hoc, sed ego non dico. Et nota, quod Pilato, qui invitus fert sententiam, aliqua in parte responderit; sacerdotibus autem et principibus respondere noluerit, indignosque sermone suo iudicaverit. Sequitur et accusaverunt eum summi sacerdotes in multis
Augustinus de Cons. Evang
Lucas etiam ista crimina quae falso obiecerunt aperuit: sic enim narrat: coeperunt accusare eum, dicentes: hunc invenimus subvertentem gentem nostram, et prohibentem tributa dare Caesari, et dicentem se Christum regem esse. Sequitur Pilatus autem rursus interrogabat eum, dicens: non respondes quicquam, vides in quantis te accusant?
Beda
Ethnicus quidem est qui condemnat Iesum; sed causam refert in populum Iudaeorum. Sequitur Iesus autem amplius nihil respondit, ita ut miraretur Pilatus. Nihil quidem respondere voluit, ne crimen diluens dimitteretur a praeside, et crucis utilitas differretur
Theophylactus
Mirabatur autem Pilatus: quia cum legis doctor esset, et eloquens, et potens responsione sua eorum accusationes infringere, non respondebat quicquam, sed magis accusationes viriliter sustinebat
15:6
St Bede † AD 735 ubi sup.
Pilate furnished many opportunities of releasing Jesus, in the first place contrasting a robber with the Just One. Wherefore it is said, Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.
The Gloss non occ.
Which indeed he was accustomed to do, to obtain favour with the people, and above all, on the feast day, when the people of the whole province of the Jews flocked to Jerusalem. And that the wickedness of the Jews might appear the greater, the enormity of the sin of the robber, whom they preferred to Christ, is next described. Wherefore there follows: And there was one Barabbas, who lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection. In which words their wickedness is shewn both from the heinousness of his signal crime, in that he had committed murder, and from the way in which he did it, because he had in doing it raised a sedition and disturbed the city, and also because his crime was notorious, for he was bound with seditious persons. It goes on: And the multitude, when it had come up, began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them.
St Augustine † AD 430 ubi sup.
No one can feel it a difficulty that Matthew is silent as to their asking some one to be released unto them, which Mark here mentions; for it is a thing of no consequence that one should mention a thing which another leaves out. There follows: But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? For he knew that the Chief Priests had delivered him for envy. Some one may ask, which were the words of which Pilate made use, those which are related by Matthew, or those which Mark relates; for there seems to be a difference between, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? as Matthew has it; and, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? (Matt. 27:17) as is here said. But since they gave to kings the name of Christs, he who said this man or that must have asked whether they wished the King of the Jews to be released unto them, that is, Christ. It makes no difference to the sense that Mark has said nothing of Barabbas, wishing only to mention what belonged to the Lord, since by their answer he sufficiently shewed whom they wished to have released to them. For there follows, But the Chief Priests moved the people that he should rather release unto them Barabbas.
St Bede † AD 735 ubi sup.
This demand which the Jews made with such toil to themselves still sticks to them. Because, when the choice was given to them, they chose a robber instead of Christ, a murderer instead of the Saviour, they deservedly lost their salvation and their life, and they subjected themselves to such a degree to robbery and sedition, that they lost their country and their kingdom which they preferred to Christ, and never regained their liberty, body or soul. Then Pilate gives another opportunity of releasing the Saviour, when there follows, And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I should do unto the King of the Jews?
St Augustine † AD 430 ubi sup.
It now is clear enough that Mark means by King of the Jews what Matthew means by the word Christ; for no kings but those of the Jews were called Christs. For in this place according to Matthew it is said, What then shall I do with Jesus which is called Christ? There follows, And they cried out again, Crucify him. (Matt. 27:22)
Theophylact † 1107
Now see the wickedness of the Jews, and the moderation of Pilate, though he too was worthy of condemnation for not resisting the people. For they cried out, Crucify; he faintly tries to save Jesus from their determined sentence, and again puts a question to them. Wherefore there follows, Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? For he wished in this way to find an opportunity for releasing Christ, who was innocent.
St Bede † AD 735 ubi sup.
But the Jews giving loose to their madness do not answer the question of the judge. Wherefore it goes on, And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him, that those words of the Prophet Jeremiah might be fulfilled, Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest, it crieth out against me. (Jer. 12:8) There follows, And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
Theophylact † 1107
He wished indeed to satisfy the people, that is, to do their will, not what was agreeable to justice and to God.
Pseudo-Jerome
Here are two goats; one is the scape goat, that is, one loosed and sent out into the wilderness of hell with the sin of the people; the other is slain, as a lamb, for the sins of those who are forgiven. The Lord’s portion is always slain; the devil’s part, (for he is the master of those men, which is the meaning of Barabbas,) when freed, is cast headlong into hell.
St Bede † AD 735 ubi sup.
We must understand that Jesus was scourged by no other than Pilate himself. For John writes, Pilate took Jesus, and scourged him, (John 13:1) which we must suppose that he did, that the Jews might be satisfied with His pains and insults, and cease from thirsting for His blood.
The Latin text
Beda
Multas liberandi salvatorem Pilatus occasiones dedit: primo latronem iusto conferens; unde dicitur per diem autem festum dimittere solebat illis unum ex vinctis quemcumque petissent
Glossa
Quod quidem solitus erat facere ut gratiam populi captaret, et praecipue in die festo, quando de tota provincia Iudaeorum populus Hierosolymam confluebat. Et ut maior Iudaeorum improbitas appareat, describitur consequenter enormitas culpae latronis, quem Iudaei Christo praetulerunt; unde sequitur erat autem qui dicebatur Barabbas, qui cum seditiosis vinctus erat, qui in seditione fecerat homicidium: in quo ostenditur et ex gravitate culpae notabilis, quod homicidium fecerat; et ex modo faciendi, quia cum perturbatione civitatis hoc fecerat, seditionem concitando; et etiam quia culpa eius manifesta erat, nam et cum seditiosis vinctus erat. Sequitur et cum ascendisset turba, coepit rogare sicut semper faciebat illis
, Augustinus de Cons. Evang
Nulla quaestio est quod Matthaeus tacet ipsos petiisse ut aliquis eis dimitteretur, quod Marcus hic dicit. Nihil enim interest si alius aliud tacet, quod alius commemorat. Sequitur Pilatus ergo respondit, et dixit: vultis dimittam vobis regem Iudaeorum? Sciebat enim quod per invidiam tradidissent eum summi sacerdotes. Quaeri potest quae verba Pilatus dixerit, utrum quae a Matthaeo, an quae a Marco referuntur? Aliud enim videtur esse: quem vultis dimittam vobis: Barabbam, an Iesum qui dicitur Christus? Ut Matthaeus refert; aliud: vultis vobis dimittam regem Iudaeorum? Ut hic dicitur. Sed quia christos reges dicebant, et qui dixit: illum an illum, manifestum est eum quaesisse an vellent dimitti regem Iudaeorum, idest Christum. Nihil autem interest sententiae quod hic tacuit Marcus de Barabba, hoc solum volens dicere quod ad dominum pertinebat; quandoquidem in eorum responsione satis et ipse ostendit quem sibi dimitti voluerint; nam sequitur pontifices autem concitaverunt turbam, ut magis Barabbam dimitteret eis
Beda
Haeret Iudaeis usque hodie sua petitio, quam tanto labore impetrarunt: quia enim data sibi optione, pro Iesu latronem, pro salvatore interfectorem elegerunt, merito salutem perdiderunt et vitam, et latrociniis ac seditionibus se intantum subdiderunt ut patriam regnumque suum, quod plus Christo amaverunt, perdiderint; et libertatem, corpus et animam numquam receperint. Deinde aliam occasionem dat Pilatus liberandi salvatorem, cum sequitur Pilatus autem respondens ait illis: quid ergo vultis faciam regi Iudaeorum?
Augustinus de Cons. Evang
Iam satis apparet quod id Marcus velit ostendere dicendo regem Iudaeorum, quod Matthaeus dicendo Christum: non enim dicebantur Christi reges, nisi Iudaeorum. In hoc enim loco secundum Matthaeum dicitur: quid igitur faciam de Iesu qui dicitur Christus? Sequitur at illi clamabant: crucifige eum
Theophylactus
Vide autem Iudaeorum pravitatem, et Pilati commensurationem; quamvis et ipse dignus sit condemnatione pro eo quod populo non resistebat. Illi namque clamabant crucifige; hic tentat humiliter ab illo praeiudicio eruere Iesum; et ideo rursus interrogat; unde sequitur Pilatus autem dicebat eis: quid enim fecit? Occasionem namque ex hoc sumere volebat ut Christum solveret innocentem
Beda
Iudaei vero insaniae suae satisfacientes, interrogationi praesidis non respondent; unde sequitur at magis clamabant: crucifige eum: ut impleretur illud Ieremiae: facta est mihi hereditas mea sicut leo in silva; dederunt super me vocem suam. Sequitur Pilatus autem volens satisfacere populo, dimisit illis Barabbam, et tradidit Iesum flagellis caesum ut crucifigeretur
Theophylactus
Volebat quidem satisfacere populo, idest eorum facere voluntatem, et non quod erat placitum iustitiae et Deo
Hieronymus
Hic duo hirci adsunt: unus apompaeos, idest emissarius, cum peccato populi in desertum Inferni absolutus dimittitur; alter pro peccatis absolutorum ut agnus occiditur. Pars domini semper mactatur; pars Diaboli, qui est magister eorum, quod sonat Barabbas, effrenata in Tartarum praecipitatur
Beda
Iesus autem flagellatus non ab alio quam ab ipso Pilato intelligendus est: scribit namque Ioannes: apprehendit Pilatus Iesum, et flagellavit; quod quidem ideo fecisse credendus est, ut satiati poenis ac opprobriis eius, Iudaei mortem ultra sitire desisterent
15:16
Theophylact † 1107
The vainglory of soldiers, ever rejoicing in disorder and in insult, here displayed what properly belonged to them. Wherefore it is said, And the soldiers led him away into the hall called Prætorium, and they call together the whole band, that is, the whole company of the soldiers, and they clothed him with purple as a king.
St Bede † AD 735 ubi sup.
For since He had been called King of the Jews, and the scribes and priests had objected to Him as a crime that He usurped rule over the Jewish people, they in derision strip Him of His former garments, and put on Him a purple robe, which ancient kings used to wear.
St Augustine † AD 430 de Con. Evan. iii. 9
But we must understand that the words of Matthew, they put on him a scarlet robe, Mark expresses by clothed him in purple; for that scarlet robe was used by them in derision for the royal purple, and there is a sort of red purple, very like scarlet. It may also be that Mark mentions some purple which the robe had about it, though it was of a scarlet colour.
St Bede † AD 735 ubi sup.
But instead of the diadem, they put on Him a crown of thorns, wherefore it goes on, And platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head. And for a royal sceptre they give Him a reed, as Matthew writes, and they bow before Him as a king, wherefore there follows, And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! And that the soldiers worshipped Him as one who falsely called Himself God, is clear from what is added: And bowing their knees, worshipped him, as though He pretended to be God.
Pseudo-Jerome
His shame took away our shame; His bonds made us free; by the thorny crown of His head, we have obtained the crown of the kingdom; by His wounds we are healed.
St Augustine † AD 430 ubi sup.
It appears that Matthew and Mark here relate things which took place previously, not that they happened when Pilate had already delivered Him to be crucified. For John says that these things took place at Pilate’s house; but that which follows, And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put on him his own clothes, must be understood to have taken place last of all, when He was already being led to be crucified.
Pseudo-Jerome
But in a mystic sense, Jesus was stripped of His clothes, that is, of the Jews, and is clothed in a purple robe, that is, in the Gentile church, which is gathered together out of the rocks. Again, putting it off in the end, as offending, He again is clothed with the Jewish people, for when the fulness of the Gentiles is come in, then shall all Israel be saved. (Rom. 11:25.)
St Bede † AD 735
Or else, by the purple robe, with which the Lord is clothed, is meant His flesh itself, which He gave up to suffering, and by the thorny crown which He carried is meant, the taking upon Him of our sins.
Theophylact † 1107
Let us also put on the purple and royal robe, because we must walk as kings treading on serpents and scorpions, and 1 having sin under our feet. For we are called Christians, that is, anointed ones, just as kings were then called anointed. Let us also take upon ourselves the crown of thorns, that is, let us make haste to be crowned with a strict life, with self-denials and purity.
St Bede † AD 735 ubi sup.
But they smite the head of Christ, who deny that He is very God. And because men are wont to use a reed to write with, they, as it were, smite the head of Christ with a reed, who speak against His divinity, and endeavour to confirm their error by the authority of Holy Writ. They spit in His face, who spit from them by their accursed words the presence of His grace. There are some also in this day, who adore Him, with a sure faith, as very God, but by their perverse actions, despise His words as though they were fabulous, and think the promises of that word inferior to worldly allurements. But just as Caiaphas said, though he knew not what it meant, It is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, (John 11:50) so also the soldiers do these things in ignorance.
The Latin text
Theophylactus
Militaris vana gloria semper inordinatis gaudens et opprobriis, sibi propria ostendebat; unde dicitur milites autem duxerunt eum in atrium praetorii, et convocant totam cohortem, idest totum ordinem militiae; et induunt eum purpura, sicut regem
Beda
Quia enim rex Iudaeorum fuerat appellatus, et hoc ei Scribae et sacerdotes crimen obiecerant, quod sibi in populo Israelitico usurparet imperium; illudentes hoc faciunt, ut nudatum pristinis vestibus induant purpura, qua reges veteres utebantur
Augustinus de Cons. Evang
Intelligitur autem quod Matthaeus ait: chlamydem coccineam circumdederunt ei, hic Marcum dixisse indutum purpura: pro regia enim purpura chlamys illa coccinea ab illudentibus adhibita erat; et est rubra quaedam purpura cocco simillima. Potest etiam fieri ut purpuram etiam Marcus commemoraverit, quam chlamys habebat, quamvis esset coccinea
Beda
Pro diademate autem ponunt ei coronam spineam: unde sequitur et imponunt ei plectentes spineam coronam. Pro sceptro autem regali dant calamum, ut Matthaeus scribit, et adorant quasi regem; unde sequitur et coeperunt salutare eum: ave, rex Iudaeorum. Et quod milites eum, quasi qui Deum seipsum falso dixisset, adorabant illudentes, patet ex hoc quod subditur et percutiebant caput eius arundine, et conspuebant eum, et ponentes genua adorabant eum, quasi falso se dixisset Deum
Hieronymus
Opprobria autem eius nostrum abstulere opprobrium; vincula eius nos liberos fecerunt; corona spinea capitis eius, diadema regni adepti sumus; vulneribus eius sumus sanati
Augustinus de Cons. Evang
Apparet autem Matthaeum et Marcum recapitulando ista posuisse, non quod tunc factum sit, cum eum Pilatus iam crucifigendum tradidisset. Ioannes enim apud Pilatum dicit haec gesta. Hoc autem quod sequitur, et postquam illuserunt ei, exuerunt eum purpura, et induerunt eum vestimentis suis, in fine factum intelligitur, cum iam adduceretur ad crucifigendum
Hieronymus
Mystice autem vestimentis suis nudatur Iesus, idest Iudaeis: purpura induitur, idest gentili Ecclesia, quae de scopulis collecta est. Item ea exutus in fine scandalizante, Iudaica rursum induitur plebe: cum enim intraverit plenitudo gentium, tunc omnis Israel salvus erit
Beda
Vel in purpura qua indutus est dominus, ipsa eius caro quam passionibus obiecit, insinuatur; in corona vero quam portabat spinea, nostrorum susceptio peccatorum
Theophylactus
Induamus et nos purpuram stolam regalem: quia ut reges ambulare debemus calcantes super serpentes et scorpiones, et suppeditantes peccatum: Christiani namque dicimur, idest uncti, sicut et tunc reges uncti dicebantur. Sumamus et coronam spineam, idest festinemus coronari vita arcta et abstinentiis et puritate
Beda
Caput autem Christi percutiunt qui eum verum Deum esse negant. Et quia per arundinem Scriptura solet confici, quasi arundine caput Christi feriunt qui divinitati illius contradicentes, errorem suum confirmare auctoritate sacrae Scripturae conantur. Spuunt in faciem eius qui gratiae praesentiam verbis execrandis respuunt. Sunt et hodie qui eum certa fide ut Deum verum adorant; sed perversis actibus verba eius quasi fabulosa despiciunt, ac promissa verbi illius temporalibus illecebris postponunt. Sicut autem Caiphas nescius dixit: oportet unum hominem mori pro populo, sic milites nescientes faciunt
15:20
The Gloss non occ.
After the condemnation of Christ, and the insults heaped upon Him when He was condemned, the Evangelist proceeds to relate His crucifixion, saying, And led him out to crucify him.
Pseudo-Jerome
Here Abel is brought out into the field by his brother, to be slain by him. Here Isaac comes forth with the wood, and Abraham with the ram caught in the thicket. Here also Joseph with the sheaf of which he dreamed, and the long robe steeped in blood. Here is Moses with the rod, and the serpent hanging on the wood. Here is the cluster of grapes, carried on a staff. Here is Elisha with the piece of wood sent to seek for the axe, which had sunk, and which swam to the wood; that is, mankind, which by the forbidden tree, fell down to hell, but by the wood of the cross of Christ, and by the baptism of water, swims to paradise.z Here is Jonah out of the wood of the ship sent down into the sea and into the whale’s belly for three days. There follows: And they compel Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.
Theophylact † 1107
Now John says that He Himself bare His cross, for both took place; for He first bore the cross Himself, until some one passed, whom they compelled, and who then carried it. But he mentioned the name of his sons, to make it more credible and the affirmation stronger, for the man still lived to relate all that had happened about the cross.
Pseudo-Jerome
Now since some men are known by the merits of their fathers, and some by those of their sons, this Simon, who was compelled to carry the cross, is made known by the merits of his sons, who were disciples. By this we are reminded, that in this life, parents are assisted by the wisdom and the merits of their children, wherefore the Jewish people is always held worthy of being remembered on account of the merits of the Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apostles. But this Simon who carries the cross, because he is compelled, is the man who labours for human praise. For men compel him to work, when the fear and love of God could not compel him.
St Bede † AD 735 ubi sup.
Or, since this Simon is not called a man of Jerusalem, but a Cyrenian, (for Cyrene is a city of Libya,) fitly is he taken to mean the nations of the Gentiles, which were once foreigners and strangers to the covenants, but now by obedience are heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. Whence also Simon is fitly interpreted ‘obedient,’ and Cyrene ‘an heir.’ But he is said to come from a country place, for a country place is called ‘pagos’ in Greek, wherefore those whom we see to be aliens from the city of God, we call pagans. Simon then coming out from the country carries the cross after Jesus, when the Gentile nations leaving pagan rites embrace obediently the footsteps of our Lord’s Passion. There follows: And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is being interpreted, the place of Calvary. There are places without the city and the gate, in which the heads of condemned persons are cut off, and which receive the name of Calvary, that is, of the beheaded. But the Lord was crucified there, that where once was the field of the condemned, there the standards of martyrdom might be lifted up.
Pseudo-Jerome
But the Jews relate, that in this spot of the mountain the ram was sacrificed for Isaac, and there Christ is made bald1, that is, separated from His flesh, that is, from the carnal Jews. There follows: And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh.
St Augustine † AD 430 de Con. Evan. iii. 11
This we must understand to be what Matthew expresses by, mixed with gall; for he put gall for any thing bitter, and wine mingled with myrrh is most bitter; although there may have been both gall and myrrh to make the wine most bitter.
Theophylact † 1107
a Or, they may have brought different things, in order, some vinegar and gall, and others wine mixed with myrrh.
Pseudo-Jerome
Or else, wine mingled with myrrh, that is, vinegar; by it the juice of the deadly apple is wiped away.
St Bede † AD 735 ubi sup.
Bitter the vine which bore the bitter wine, set before the Lord Jesus, that the Scripture might be fulfilled which saith, They gave me gall to eat, and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink. (Ps. 69:22)
St Augustine † AD 430 ubi sup.
That which follows, But he received it not, must’ mean, He received it not to drink, but only tasted it, as Matthew witnesses. And what the same Matthew relates, he would not drink, Mark expresses by, he received it not, but was silent as to His tasting it.
Pseudo-Jerome
He also refused to take sin for which He suffered, wherefore it is said of Him, I then paid the things that I never took. There follows: And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. (Ps. 68:5. Vulg.) In this place salvation is figured by the wood; the first wood was that of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; the second wood is one of unmixed good for us, and is the wood of life. The first hand stretched out to the wood caught hold of death; the second found again the life which had been lost. By this wood we are carried through a stormy sea to the land of the living, for by His cross Christ has taken away our torment, and by His death has killed our death.b With the form of a serpent He kills the serpent, for the serpent made out of the rod swallowed up the other serpents. But what means the shape itself of the cross, save the four quarters of the world; the East shines from the top, the North is on the right, the South on the left, the West is firmly fixed under the feet. Wherefore the Apostle says: That we may know what is the height, and breadth, and length, and depth. (Eph. 3:18) Birds, when they fly in the air, take the shape of a cross; a man swimming in the waters is borne up by the form of a cross. A ship is blown along by its yards, which are in the shape of the cross. The letter Tau is written as the sign of salvation and of the cross.
St Bede † AD 735 ubi sup.
Or else, in the transverse beam of the cross, where the hands are fixed, the joy of hope is set forth; for by the hands we understand good works, by its expansion the joy of him who does them, because sadness puts us in straits. By the height to which the head is joined, we understand the expectation of reward from the lofty righteousness of God; by the length, over which the whole body is stretched, patience, wherefore patient men are called long-suffering; by the depth, which is fixed in the ground, the hidden Sacrament itself. As long therefore as our bodies work here to the destruction of the body of sin, it is the time of the cross for us.
Theophylact † 1107
But their casting lots for His garments was also meant as an insult, as though they were dividing the clothes of a king; for they were coarse and of no great value. And John’s Gospel shews this more clearly, for the soldiers, though they divided every thing else into four parts, according to their number, cast lots for the coat, which was without seam, woven from the top throughout. (John 19:23)
Pseudo-Jerome
Now the garments of the Lord are His commandments, by which His body, that is, the Church, is covered; which the soldiers of the Gentiles divide amongst themselves, that there may be four classes with one faith, the married, and the widowed, those who bear rule, and those who are separatec. They cast lots for the undivided garment, which is peace and unity. It goes on: And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. Mark has introduced this truly and rightly, for at the sixth hour darkness overspread the earth, so that no one could move his head.
St Augustine † AD 430 de Con. Evan. iii. 13
If Jesus was given up to the Jews to be crucified, when Pilate sat down at his tribunal about the sixth hour, as John relates, how could He be crucified at the third hour, as many persons have thought from not understanding the words of Mark? First then let us see at what hour He might have been crucified, then we shall see why Mark said that He was crucified at the third hour. It was about the sixth hour when He was given up to be crucified by Pilate sitting on his judgment seat, as has been said, for it was not yet fully the sixth hour, but about the sixth, that is, the fifth was over, and some of the sixth had begun, so that those things which are related of the crucifixion of our Lord took place after the finishing of the fifth, and at the commencement of the sixth, until, when the sixth was completed and He was hanging on the cross, the darkness which is spoken of took place. Let us now consider, why Mark has said, It was the third hour. He had already said positively, And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments; as also the others declare, that when He was crucified His garments were divided. Now if Mark had wished to fix the time of what was done, it would have been enough to say, And it was the third hour, why did He add, and they crucified him, unless it was that he wished to point to something which had gone before, and which if enquired into would be explained, since that same Scripture was to be read at a time, when it was known to the whole Church at what hour our Lord was crucified, by which means any error might be taken away, and any falsehood be refuted. But because he knew that the Lord was fixed to the cross not by the Jews but by the soldiers, as John very plainly shews, he wished to intimate that the Jews had crucified Him, since they cried out, Crucify Him, rather than those who executed the orders of their chief according to their duty. It is therefore implied, that it took place at the third hour when the Jews cried out, Crucify Him, and it is most truly shewn that they crucified Him, when they so cried out. But in the attempt of Pilate to save the Lord, and the tumultuous opposition of the Jews, we understand that a space of two hours was consumed, and that the sixth hour had begun, before the end of which, those things occurred which are related to have taken place from the time when Pilate gave up the Lord, and the darkness overspread the earth. Now he who will apply himself to these things, without the hard-heartedness of impiety, will see that Mark has fitly placed it at the third hour, in the same place as the deed of the soldiers who were the executors of it is related. Therefore lest any one should transfer in his thoughts so great a crime from the Jews to the soldiers, he says it was the third hour, and they crucified him, that the fault might rather by a careful enquirer be charged to them, who, as he would find, had at the third hour cried out for His crucifixion, whilst at the same time it would be seen that what was done by the soldiers was done at the sixth hourd.
Pseudo-Augustine Quæst. Vet. et Nov. Test. 65
Therefore he wishes to imply that it was the Jews who passed sentence concerning the crucifixion of Christ at the third hour; for every condemned person is considered as dead, from the moment that sentence is passed upon him. Mark therefore shewed that our Saviour was not crucified by the sentence of the judge, because it is difficult to prove the innocence of a man so condemned.
St Augustine † AD 430 ubi sup.
Still there are not wanting persons who assert that the preparation, mentioned by John, Now it was the preparation about the sixth hour, was really the third hour of the day. For they say that on the day before the sabbath day, there was a preparation of the passover of the Jews, because on that sabbath, they began the unleavened bread; but however that the true passover, which is now celebrated on the day of our Lord’s Passion, that is, the Christian not the Jewish passover, began to be prepared, or to have its parasceue, from that ninth hour of the night, when His death began to be prepared by the Jews; for parasceue means preparation. Between that hour therefore of the night and His crucifixion occurs the sixth hour of preparation, according to John, and the third hour of the day, according to Mark. What Christian would not give in to this solution of the question, provided that we could find some circumstance, from which we might gather that this preparation of our Passover, that is, of the death of Christ, began at the ninth hour of the night? For if we say that it began when our Lord was taken by the Jews, it was still early in the night, but if when our Lord was carried away to the house of the father in law of Caiaphas, where also He was heard by the chief priests, the cock had not crowed; but if when He was given up to Pilate, it is very plain that it was morning. It remains therefore that we must understand the preparation of our Lord’s death to have commenced when all the Chief Priests pronounced, He is guilty of death. For there is nothing absurd in supposing that that was the ninth hour of the night, so that we may understand that Peter’s denial is put out of its order after it really happened. It goes on: And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Theophylact † 1107
They wrote this superscription, as the reason why He was crucified, thus wishing to reprove His vainglory in making Himself a king, that so the passers by might not pity Him, but rather hate Him as a tyrant.
Pseudo-Jerome
He wrote it in three languages, in Hebrew, Melech Jeudim; in Greek, βασιλεὺς ἐξομολογητῶν in Latin, Rex confessorum. These three languages were consecrated to be the chief, in the superscription on the cross, that every tongue might record the treachery of the Jews.
St Bede † AD 735 ubi sup.
But this superscription on the cross shews, that they could not even in killing Him take away the kingdom over them from Him who was about to render unto them according to their works. There follows: And with him they crucify two thieves, the one on his right hand, the other on his left.
Theophylact † 1107
They did this that men might have a bad opinion of Him, as though He also were a robber and a malefactor. But it was done by Providence to fulfil the Scriptures. There follows: And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.
Pseudo-Jerome
Truth was numbered with the wicked; He left one on His left hand, the other He takes on the right, as He will do at the last day. With a similar crime they are allotted different paths; one precedes Peter into Paradise, the other Judas into hell. A short confession won for him a long life, and a blasphemy which soon ended is punished with endless pain.
St Bede † AD 735 ubi sup.
Mystically, however, the thieves crucified with Christ signify those, who by their faith and confession of Christ undergo either the struggle of martyrdom, or some rules of a stricter discipline. But those who do these deeds for the sake of endless glory, are signified by the faith of the right hand robber; those again who do them for worldly praise copy the mind and the acts of the left hand robber.
Theophylact † 1107
Or else; the two robbers were meant to point out the two people, that is, the Jews and the Gentiles, for both were evil, the Gentile as transgressing natural law, but the Jew by breaking the written law, which the Lord had delivered to them; but the Gentile was penitent, the Jew a blasphemer unto the end. Between whom our Lord is crucified, for He is the corner stone, which binds us together.
The Latin text
Glossa
Post condemnationem Christi et contumelias condemnato illatas, ad crucifixionem eius narrandam Evangelista accedit dicens et educunt illum, ut crucifigerent eum
Hieronymus
Hic educitur Abel in agrum a fratre ut perimatur; hic adest Isaac cum lignis, et Abraham cum ariete vepribus haerente; hic etiam Ioseph cum fasce somniato, et tunica talari sanguine lita; hic adest Moyses cum virga et serpente suspenso in ligno; hic adest botrus in ligno portatus; hic adest Eliseus cum ligno ad quaerendam securim, quae in imo demersa est, et natavit ad lignum, idest genus humanum, quod a ligno vetito in Infernum decidit, per lignum crucis Christi, et per Baptismum aquae ad Paradisum natavit; hic adest Ionas de ligno forti in mare ventremque ceti triduo missus. Sequitur et angariaverunt quempiam praetereuntem Simonem Cyrenaeum venientem de villa, patrem Alexandri et rufi, ut tolleret crucem eius
Theophylactus
Ioannes autem ait, quod ipsemet baiulabat sibi crucem: utrumque enim fuit: nam ipse quidem primo baiulavit sibi crucem, donec praeteriit quidam quem angariaverunt, et tunc ille portabat. Dixit autem quorum filiorum erat pater ad maiorem fidem, et affirmationem: nam homo ille vivebat, qui poterat omnia quae circa crucem facta sunt, enarrare
Hieronymus
Cum autem alii per merita patrum suorum commemorentur, alii per merita filiorum suorum; hic Simon qui crucem in angaria portat, meritis filiorum suorum, qui erant discipuli, commemoratur. De hoc nos in praesenti vita admonemur, parentes adiuvari per natorum suorum sapientiam vel merita: ut populus Iudaicus propter patriarcharum et prophetarum et apostolorum merita semper commemoratur. Simon autem iste qui portat crucem in angaria, ipse est qui laborat pro laude humana: cogunt enim homines hunc laborare, quem non cogit timor et dilectio Dei
Beda
Vel quia Simon iste non Hierosolymita, sed Cyrenaeus esse perhibetur (Cyrene enim Lybiae civitas est), recte per eum populi gentium designantur, qui quondam peregrini et hospites testamentorum, nunc obediendo heredes sunt Dei, coheredes autem Christi. Unde apte Simon obediens, Cyrene heres interpretatur. De villa autem venisse refertur: villa enim Graece pagus dicitur: unde Paganos appellamus eos quos a civitate Dei alienos videmus. De pago igitur egrediens Simon crucem portat post Iesum, cum populus nationum, Paganis ritibus derelictis, vestigia dominicae passionis obedienter amplectitur. Sequitur et perduxerunt eum in Golgotha locum, quod est interpretatum Calvariae locus. Extra urbem et foris portam loca sunt in quibus truncantur capita damnatorum; Calvariae, idest decollatorum, sumpsere nomen. Propterea autem ibi crucifixus est dominus, ut ibi prius erat area damnatorum, ibi erigerentur vexilla martyrii
Hieronymus
Tradunt autem Iudaei quod in hoc montis loco immolatus est aries pro Isaac; et ibi decalvatur Christus; idest, a carne sua, carnali videlicet Iudaea, separatur. Sequitur et dabant ei bibere myrrhatum vinum
Augustinus de Cons. Evang
Hoc intelligendum est Matthaeum dixisse cum felle mixtum: fel quippe pro amaritudine posuit, et myrrhatum vinum amarissimum est: quamquam fieri possit ut et fel et myrrha vinum amarissimum redderent
Theophylactus
Vel ordinatione quadam existente, alii alia afferebant; quidam acetum et fel, quidam vinum myrrhatum
Hieronymus
Vel myrrhatum vinum, hoc est acetum; per hoc succus lethalis pomi abstergitur
Beda
Amara vitis amarum vinum fecit, de quo propinat dominum Iesum, ut impleatur quod scriptum est: dederunt in cibum meum fel, et in siti mea potaverunt me aceto
Augustinus de Cons. Evang
Quod autem subditur, et non accepit, intelligitur: non accepit ut biberet; gustavit autem, ut Matthaeus testis est et sicut idem Matthaeus ait: noluit bibere, hoc Marcus dixit et non accepit: tacuit autem quod gustavit
Hieronymus
Non accepit etiam id pro quo patitur; unde de eo dicitur: quae non rapui, tunc exsolvebam. Sequitur et crucifigentes eum, diviserunt vestimenta sua, mittentes sortem super eis, quis quid tolleret. Hoc loco figuratur salus per lignum. Primum lignum scientiae boni et mali fuit; secundum lignum boni tantum nobis et vitae lignum est. Extensio manus primae ad lignum mortem apprehendit; extensio autem secundae, vitam, quae perierat, invenit. Ligno hoc vehimur per mare undosum ad terram viventium: cruce enim sua Christus cruciatum nostrum absolvit, et morte sua mortem nostram necavit. Cum forma serpentis serpentem necat: quia serpente de virga facto, alii absorbentur serpentes. Ipsa autem species crucis quid est nisi forma quadrata mundi? Oriens de vertice fulget; Arctos dextra tenet; Auster laeva consistit; occidens sub plantis firmatur. Unde apostolus: ut sciamus quae sit altitudo et latitudo, et longitudo, et profundum. Aves quando volant ad aethera, formam crucis sumunt; homo natans per aquas, forma crucis vehitur; navis per maria, antenna cruci similata sufflatur; tau littera, signum salutis et crucis describitur
Beda
Vel in transverso ligno crucis, ubi figuntur manus, gaudium spei signatur; per manus enim opera, per latitudinem hilaritatem operantis intelligimus; quia tristitia facit angustias; per altitudinem, cui caput adiungitur, expectationem retributionis de sublimi iustitia Dei; per longitudinem, qua totum corpus extenditur, tolerantiam, unde longanimes dicuntur; per profundum quod terrae est infixum, ipsum sacramentum secretum. Quamdiu ergo hic agunt corpora nostra ut destruatur corpus peccati, tempus nobis est crucis
Theophylactus
Quod autem ponebant sortem super vestimenta eius, et hoc illudentes fecerunt, quasi regis vestimenta dividentes: etenim vilia erant, non valde pretiosa. Hoc autem Ioannes Evangelista plenius exponit, quia scilicet milites cetera in quatuor partes iuxta suum numerum dividentes, de tunica, quae inconsutilis erat, desuper contexta per totum, sortem miserunt
Hieronymus
Vestimenta autem domini, eius mandata sunt, quibus tegitur corpus eius, idest Ecclesia: quae dividunt inter se milites gentium, ut sint quatuor ordines cum una fide, idest coniugati et viduati, praepositi et separati. Sortiti sunt tunicam indivisam, quae est pax et unitas. Sequitur erat autem hora tertia, et crucifixerunt eum. Hoc vere et proprie Marcus intulit: nam sexta hora tenebrae suffuderunt terram, ut non quisquam potuisset movere caput
Augustinus de Cons. Evang
Si hora quasi sexta Pilato sedente pro tribunali traditus est Iesus crucifigendus Iudaeis, ut Ioannes refert; quomodo hora tertia crucifixus est, sicut verba Marci non intelligentes quidam putaverunt? Prius ergo qua hora crucifigi potuerit videamus; deinde videbimus cur hora tertia crucifixum dixerit Marcus. Hora erat quasi sexta cum traditus est crucifigendus a Pilato sedente pro tribunali, ut dictum est: non enim iam plena sexta erat, sed quasi sexta, idest peracta quinta, et aliquid etiam de sexta esse coeperat, ut peracta quinta et inchoata sexta, gererentur haec quae narrata sunt in crucifixione domini nostri, donec completa sexta, illo pendente fierent hae quae dicuntur tenebrae. Quaeramus autem iam cur dixerit Marcus erat autem hora tertia, et crucifixerunt eum. Iam certe dixerat et crucifigentes eum, diviserunt vestimenta eius; sic etiam ceteri attestantur, quod eo crucifixo vestimenta divisa sunt. Si enim rei gestae tempus voluit commemorare Marcus, sufficeret dicere: erat autem hora tertia: ut quid adiunxit et crucifixerunt eum? Nisi quia voluit aliquid recapitulando significare, quod quaesitum inveniretur cum Scriptura ipsa illis temporibus legeretur, quibus universae Ecclesiae notum erat qua hora dominus ligno suspensus est: unde posset huiusmodi vel error tolli, vel mendacium refutari. Sed quia sciebat a militibus suspensum dominum, non a Iudaeis, sicut Ioannes apertissime dicit; occulte ostendere voluit eos magis crucifixisse, qui clamaverunt ut crucifigeretur, quam illos qui ministerium principi suo secundum suum officium praebuerunt. Intelligitur ergo fuisse hora tertia, cum clamaverunt Iudaei ut dominus crucifigeretur; et verissime demonstratur tunc eos crucifixisse quando clamaverunt. In conatibus autem Pilati ad eripiendum dominum, et in tumultu Iudaeorum contradicentium consumptum tempus duarum horarum intelligimus, et circa horam fuisse sextam, qua nondum terminata, gesta sunt quae ab eo tempore quo Pilatus dominum tradidit usque ad tenebras factas narrantur. Facile autem videbit qui sine impietatis duritia voluerit attendere, quam opportuno loco Marcus hoc de tertia hora posuerit, ubi scilicet factum ministrorum militum commemoratum est. Ergo ne quisquam cogitationem tanti criminis aversus a Iudaeis in milites illos converteret, erat, inquit, hora tertia, et crucifixerunt eum: ut illi eum potius crucifixisse inveniantur quos hora tertia ut crucifigeretur clamare potuisse diligens inquisitor inveniet, cum adverterit hoc quod a militibus factum est, hora sexta factum esse
Augustinus de quaest. Nov. et Vet. Testam
Iudaeorum ergo sententiam de crucifixione Christi tertia hora datam vult intelligi. Omnis enim qui morti addicitur, ex eo iam mortuus computatur, quo sententiam excepit. Manifestavit ergo Marcus, quia non iudicis sententia salvator crucifixus est: difficile est enim innocentem probare eum qui sententia iudicis punitur
Augustinus de Cons. Evang
Quamquam non desint qui parasceve, quam Ioannes commemorat dicens: erat autem parasceve, hora quasi sexta, horam diei tertiam velint intelligi: dicunt enim, die quidem illo, quem dies sabbati sequebatur, parascevem fuisse Paschae Iudaeorum, quod ab eodem sabbato iam inciperet azyma; sed tamen verum Pascha, quod iam in passione domini celebratur, non Iudaeorum, sed Christianorum coepisse praeparari, idest parascevem habere, ab ea hora noctis nona, in eo quod dominus a Iudaeis occidendus praeparabatur: parasceve quippe interpretatur praeparatio. Ab illa ergo hora noctis usque ad eius crucifixionem occurrit hora parasceve sexta secundum Ioannem, et hora diei tertia secundum Marcum. Quis fidelis non huic faveat solutioni quaestionis? Si modo possit aliquis articulus conici, unde ab hora nona noctis coepisse parasceve Paschae nostrae, idest praeparationem mortis Christi, congruenter intelligamus. Si enim dicamus eam coepisse quando a Iudaeis apprehensus est dominus, adhuc noctis partes primae erant; sed quando ad domum perductus est soceri Caiphae, ubi et auditus est a principibus, adhuc gallus non cantaverat. Si autem quando Pilato traditus est iam mane fuisse apertissime scriptum est; restat ergo ut intelligamus tunc coepisse praeparationem mortis domini quando omnes principes sacerdotum dixerunt: reus est mortis. Non enim absurde coniciunt eo tempore nonam horam noctis esse potuisse, ut recapitulando intelligatur de Petri negatione postea dictum esse quod ante factum erat. Sequitur et erat titulus causae eius inscriptus: rex Iudaeorum
Theophylactus
Scripserunt autem hunc titulum, scilicet causam propter quam crucifixus est, quasi vituperantes eius opinionem qui regem seipsum faciebat, ut sic praetereuntes misereri non valerent, sed magis ei improperarent tamquam tyranno
Hieronymus
Scripserunt autem hoc tribus linguis: Hebraice melech ieudim, Graece basileus exomologyton, Latine rex confessorum. Hae tres linguae ad principatum in crucis titulo consecratae sunt, ut omnis lingua commemoraret perfidiam Iudaeorum
Beda
Titulus autem hic positus supra crucem illud ostendit, quia nec occidendo potuerunt efficere ut eum regem non haberent qui eis secundum sua opera redditurus est. Sequitur et cum eo crucifigunt duos latrones, unum a dextris et unum a sinistris eius
Theophylactus
Ut scilicet homines pravam opinionem contra eum conciperent, quod ipse latro et maleficus esset. Hoc autem dispensative factum est ad implendum Scripturam; unde sequitur et impleta est Scriptura quae dicit: et cum iniquis reputatus est
Hieronymus
Cum iniquis veritas deputata unum reliquit sinistrum, alterum assumit dexterum, sicut in die iudicii faciet: ex simili crimine tam dissimiles sortiuntur fines: alter antecedit Petrum in Paradisum, alter Iudam in Infernum. Confessio brevis vitam acquisivit longam: et blasphemia finita, poena plectitur aeterna
Beda
Mystice autem latrones qui cum domino crucifixi sunt, significant eos qui sub fide et confessione Christi, vel agonem martyrii, vel quaelibet arctioris disciplinae instituta subeunt. Sed qui hoc pro aeterna gloria gerunt, dexteri latronis fide designantur; qui vero humanae laudis intuitu, sinistri latronis mentem imitantur et actus
Theophylactus
Vel aliter. Indicium erant duo latrones duorum populorum, scilicet Iudaici et gentilis: ambo namque iniqui: gentilis quidem tamquam legem naturalem praetergrediens, Iudaicus vero scriptam legem quam ei tradiderat dominus; sed gentilis poenitens, Iudaicus usque in finem blasphemus: in quorum medio crucifigitur dominus: ipse enim est lapis angularis nos coniungens
15:29
Pseudo-Jerome
The foal of Judah (Gen. 49:11.) has been tied to the vine, and his clothes dyed in the blood of the grape, and the kids tear the vine, blaspheming Christ, and wagging their heads. Wherefore it is said: And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple.
Theophylact † 1107
For the passers by blasphemed Christ, reproaching Him as a seducer. But the devil moved them to bid Him come down from the Cross; for he knew that salvation was being won by the Cross, therefore he again proceeded to tempt Christ, so that if He came down from the Cross, he might be certain that He is not truly the Son of God, and so the salvation, which is by the Cross, might be done away. But He being truly the Son of God, did not come down; for if He ought to have come down, He would not have ascended there at all; but since He saw that in this way salvation must be effected, He underwent the crucifixion, and many other sufferings, unto the finishing of His work. It goes on: Likewise also the Chief Priests mocking said among themselves with the Scribes, He saved others, himself he cannot save. They said this, to do away with His miracles, as though those which He had done were but the semblance of them, for by working miracles He saved many.
St Bede † AD 735 ubi sup.
Thus also they confess, though against their will, that He saved many. Therefore your words condemn you, for He who saved others could have saved Himself. It goes on: Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.
Pseudo-Jerome
Afterwards they saw Him arise from the grave, though they would not believe that He could come down from the tree of the Cross. Where, O Jews, is your lack of faith? Your own selves I appeal to; your own selves I bring as judges. How much more wonderful is it that a dead man should arise, than that one yet living should choose to come down from the cross. Ye asked but small things, till greater should have come to pass; but your want of faith could not be healed by signs much greater than those for which you sought. Here all have gone out of the way, all are become abominable. (Ps. 14:4) Wherefore it goes on: And they that were crucified with him reviled.
St Augustine † AD 430 de Con. Evan. 3. 16
How can this be, when according to Luke one only reviled Him, but was rebuked by the other who believed on God; unless we understand that Matthew and Mark, who touched but slightly on this place, put the plural for the singular number?
Theophylact † 1107
Or else, both at first reviled Him, then one recognising Him as innocent, rebukes the other for blaspheming Him.
The Latin text
Hieronymus
Pullo Iudaeae ligato ad vitem, et eius pallio in sanguine uvae intincto, lacerant hoedi vineam, blasphemantes Christum, et moventes capita sua; unde dicitur et praetereuntes blasphemabant eum, moventes capita sua, et dicentes: vah, qui destruis templum Dei
Theophylactus
Transeuntes enim Christum blasphemabant, exprobrantes ei tamquam seductori. Diabolus autem movebat illos ad dicendum quod de cruce descenderet: quia enim noverat quod salus fiebat per crucem, rursus ingerebat se ad tentandum Christum, ut si a cruce descenderet, certus fieret quod non est vere filius Dei, et sic salus quae per crucem est, destrueretur. Sed ipse Dei verus existens filius non descendit: si enim descendere debuisset, non illuc a principio ascendisset; sed quia videbat quod per hunc modum salutem fieri oportebat, sustinuit crucifigi et multa alia pati, et perficere opus suum. Sequitur similiter et summi sacerdotes illudentes ad alterutrum cum Scribis dicebant: alios salvos fecit, se ipsum non potest salvum facere. Haec dicebant eius miracula abolentes, quasi ab eo secundum apparentiam perpetrata fuissent: operans namque miracula multos salvabat
Beda
Sic etiam nolentes confitentur quod alios salvos fecit. Itaque vos vestra condemnat sententia: qui enim alios salvos fecit, seipsum salvare poterat. Sequitur Christus rex Israel descendat nunc de cruce, ut videamus et credamus
Hieronymus
Et viderunt postea resurgentem de sepulcro, quem de crucis descendere non credebant posse patibulo. Ubi est, o Iudaei, infidelitas vestra? Vos ipsos consulo, vos ipsos iudices peto. Quanto mirabilius est mortuum posse resurgere, quam adhuc vivum de cruce velle descendere? Parva petistis, dum maiora provenerint; sed infidelitas vestra non potuit sanari signis multo fortioribus quam petistis. Hic omnes declinaverunt, simul inutiles facti sunt; unde sequitur et qui cum eo crucifixi erant, conviciabantur ei
Augustinus de Cons. Evang
Quomodo hoc verum est, quandoquidem unus eorum conviciatus est, secundum Lucae testimonium, alter et compescuit eum, et in Deum credidit; nisi intelligamus Matthaeum et Marcum breviter perstringentes hunc locum, pluralem numerum pro singulari posuisse?
Theophylactus
Vel duo a principio conviciabantur ei: deinde unus cognoscens ipsum innocentem, increpat alterum blasphemantem
15:33
St Bede † AD 735 ubi sup.
This most glorious light took away its rays from the world, lest it should see the Lord hanging, and lest the blasphemers should have the benefit of its light. Wherefore it goes on: And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
St Augustine † AD 430 de Con. Evan. 3, 17
Luke added to this account the cause of the darkness, that is, the darkening of the sun.
Theophylact † 1107
If this had been the time for an eclipse, some one might have said that this that happened was natural, but it was the fourteenth moon, when no eclipse can take place. There follows: And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani.
Pseudo-Jerome
At the ninth hour, the tenth piece of money which had been lost is found, by the overturning of the house.
St Bede † AD 735 ubi sup.
For when Adam sinned, it is also written that he heard the voice of the Lord, walking in paradise, in the cool after mid-day; (Gen. 3:8.) and in that hour when the first Adam by sinning brought death into the world, in that same hour the second Adam by dying destroyed death. And we must observe, that our Lord was crucified, when the sun was going away from the centre of the world; but at sunrise He celebrated the mysteries of His resurrection; because He died for our sins, but rose again for our justification. Nor need you wonder at the lowliness of His words, at the complaints as of one forsaken, when you look on the offence of the cross, knowing the form of a servant. For as hunger, and thirst, and fatigue were not things proper to the Divinity, but bodily affections; so His saying, Why hast thou forsaken me? was proper to a bodily voice, for the body is never naturally wont to wish to be separated from the life which is joined to it. For although our Saviour Himself said this, He really shewed the weakness of His body; He spoke therefore as man, bearing about with Him my feelings, for when placed in danger we fancy that we are deserted by God.
Theophylact † 1107
Or, He speaks this as man crucified by God for me, for we men have been forsaken by the Father, but He never has. For hear what He says; I am not alone, because the Father is with me. (John 16:32) Though He may also have said this as being a Jew, according to the flesh, as though He had said, Why hast thou forsaken the Jewish people, so that they have crucified Thy Son? For as we sometimes say, God has put on me, that is, my human nature, so here also we must understand thou hast forsaken me, to mean my nature, or the Jewish people. It goes on: And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.
St Bede † AD 735 ubi sup.
These however I suppose were Roman soldiers who did not understand the peculiarity of the Hebrew tongue, but, from His calling Eloi, thought that Elias was called by Him. But if the Jews are understood to have said this, they must be supposed to do this, as accusing Him of folly in calling for the aid of Elias. It goes on: And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone: let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. John shews more fully the reason why the vinegar was given to the Lord to drink, saying, that Jesus said, I thirst, (John 19:28.) that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. They however applied a sponge full of vinegar to His mouth.
Pseudo-Jerome
Here he points out a similitude for the Jews; a sponge on a reed, weak, dry, fit for burning; they fill it with vinegar, that is, with wickedness and guile.
St Augustine † AD 430 ubi sup.
Matthew has not related, that the man who brought the sponge filled with vinegar, but that the others spoke about Elias; from whence we gather that both said it.
Pseudo-Jerome
Though the flesh was weak, yet the heavenly voice, which said, Open me the gates of righteousness, (Ps. 117:19) waxed strong. Wherefore there follows: And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. We who are of the earth die with a very low voice, or with no voice at all; but He who descended from heaven breathed His last with a loud voice.
Theophylact † 1107
He who both rules over death and commands it dies with power, as its Lord. But what this voice was is declared by Luke: Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. For Christ would have us understand by this, that from that time the souls of the saints go up into the hands of God. (v. note u, p. 217) For at first the souls of all were held in hell, till He came, who preached the opening of the prison to the captives.
The Latin text
Beda
Clarissimum lumen mundo retraxit radios suos, ne aut pendentem videret dominum, aut impii blasphemantes sua luce fruerentur: unde dicitur et facta hora sexta tenebrae factae sunt per totam terram usque in horam nonam
Augustinus de Cons. Evang
Addidit autem Lucas, unde factae sunt tenebrae, idest, solem obscuratum
Theophylactus
Si autem tempus eclipsis fuisset, posset quis dicere quod naturalis fuisset haec passio; sed tunc decima quarta erat luna, cum naturalis eclipsis fieri nequit. Sequitur et hora nona exclamavit Iesus voce magna dicens: eli, eli
Hieronymus
Nona hora invenitur, eversa domo, decima drachma quae perierat
Beda
Nam et Adam peccante, scriptum est quod audiverit vocem domini Dei ambulantis in Paradiso ad auram post meridiem; et qua hora primus Adam peccando mortem huic mundo invexit, eadem hora secundus Adam mortem moriendo destruxit. Et notandum, quod recedente a centro mundi sole, crucifixus est dominus; oriente autem sole, resurrectionis suae mysteria celebravit: quia mortuus est propter peccata nostra, et resurrexit propter iustificationem nostram. Nec mireris verborum humilitatem, querimonias derelicti, cum formam servi scias, scandalum crucis videas. Sicut enim esurire et sitire et fatigari, non erant propria deitatis, sed corporales passiones; ita quod dicitur, ut quid dereliquisti me? Corporalis vocis erat proprium: quia solet secundum naturam corpus nullatenus velle a sibi coniuncta vita fraudari. Licet enim ipse salvator dicebat hoc; sed proprie ostendebat corporis fragilitatem: ut homo ergo loquitur in eos circumferens motus, quod in periculis positi a domino deseri nos putemus
Theophylactus
Vel hoc loquitur homo crucifixus Deo pro me: nos enim homines sumus derelicti, ipse numquam a patre derelictus fuit: audi enim quid dicit Ioannes: non sum solus, sed pater mecum est. Etsi etiam hoc pro Iudaeis dixerit quasi et ipse secundum carnem Iudaeus existens; ac si diceret: ut quid Hebraicum populum dereliquisti, ut tuum crucifigerent filium? Sicut enim aliquando consuevimus dicere: Deus induit me, idest meam naturam, scilicet humanam; sic et hic, dereliquisti me, oportet intelligere humanam naturam, vel Iudaicum populum. Sequitur et quidam de circumstantibus audientes, dicebant: ecce Eliam vocat
Beda
Sed hos arbitror milites fuisse Romanos, non intelligentes sermonis Hebraici proprietatem; sed ex eo quod dixit eli, eli, putantes ab eo Eliam vocatum. Si autem Iudaeos qui hoc dixerunt intelligere volueris; hoc faciunt, ut eum imbecillitatis infament, quod Eliae auxilium deprecetur. Sequitur currens autem unus, et implens spongiam aceto, et cetera. Quam ob causam domino acetum sit potui datum, Ioannes plenius ostendit dicens quod Iesus, ut consummaretur Scriptura, dixit: sitio. Illi autem spongiam plenam aceto, obtulerunt ori eius
Hieronymus
Innuit autem hic Iudaeorum similitudinem: spongiam super cannam infirmam, aridam, ignibus aptam implent aceto, hoc est malitia et dolo
Augustinus de Cons. Evang
De Elia vero non ipsum qui obtulit spongiam cum aceto, sed ceteros dixisse Matthaeus narravit; unde intelligimus et illum et ceteros hoc dixisse
Hieronymus
Infirmata autem carne, vox invaluit divina, quae dicit: aperite mihi portas iustitiae; unde sequitur Iesus autem emissa voce magna expiravit. Cum ima voce, sive sine voce nos morimur, qui de terra sumus; ille vero cum exaltata voce expiravit, qui de caelo descendit
Theophylactus
Et qui morti dominatur et praecipit, sicut dominus potestative expirat. Qualis autem haec vox fuerit, Lucas declarat: pater, inquit, in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum. Etenim Christus ex tunc per hoc nobis voluit declarare quod sanctorum animae in manus Dei ascendunt: nam prius ab Inferis omnium animae tenebantur, donec venit qui praedicavit captivis remissionem
15:38
The Gloss
After the Evangelist has related the Passion and the death of Christ, he now goes on to mention those things which followed after the death of our Lord. Wherefore it is said: And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
Pseudo-Jerome
The veil of the temple is rent, that is, the heaven is opened.
Theophylact † 1107
Again, God by the rending of the veil implied that the grace of the Holy Spirit goes away and is rent from the temple, so that the Holy of holies might be seen by all;e also that the temple will mourn amongst the Jews, when they shall deplore their calamities, and rend their clothes. This also is a figure of the living temple, that is, the body of Christ, in whose Passion His garment is torn, that is, His flesh. Again, it means another thing; for the flesh is the veil of our temple, that is, of our mind. But the power of the flesh is torn in the Passion of Christ, from the top to the bottom, that is, from Adam even down to the latest man; for also Adam was made whole by the Passion of Christ, and his flesh does not remain under the curse, nor does it deserve corruption, but we all are gifted with incorruption. And when the centurion who stood over against him saw. He who commands a hundred soldiers is called a centurion. But seeing that He died with such power as the Lord, he wondered and confessed.
St Bede † AD 735 ubi sup.
Now the cause of the centurion’s wonder is clear, that seeing that the Lord died in that way, that is, sent forth His spirit, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God. For no one can send forth his own spirit, but He who is the Creator of souls.
St Augustine † AD 430 de Trin. 4, 13
This also he most of all wondered at, that after that voice which He sent forth as a figure of our sin, He immediately gave up His spirit. For the spirit of the Mediator shewed that no penalty of sin could have had power to cause the death of His flesh; for it did not leave the flesh unwillingly, but as it willed, for it was joined to the Word of God in the unity of person.
Pseudo-Jerome
But the last are now made the first. The Gentile people confesses. The blinded Jew denies, so that their error is worse than the first.
Theophylact † 1107
And so the order is inverted, for the Jew kills, and the Gentile confesses; the disciples fly, and the women remain. For there follows: There were also women looking on afar off, amongst whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome.
Origen † AD 253 in Matt. Tract. 35
But it seems to me, that here three women are chiefly named, by Matthew and Mark. Two indeed are set down by each Evangelist, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James; the third is called by Matthew, the mother of the sons of Zebedee, but by Mark she is called Salome.
St Bede † AD 735 ubi sup.
He means by James the Less, the son of Alphæus, who was also called the brother of our Lord, because he was the son of Mary, our Lord’s mother’s sister, whom John mentions, saying, Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. (John 19:25) And he seems to call her Mary of Cleophas, from her father or some relation. But he was called James the Less, to distinguish him from James the Great, that is, the son of Zebedee, who was called amongst the first of the Apostles by our Lord. Further, it was a Jewish custom, nor was it thought blamable after the manners of an ancient people, that women should furnish to teachers food and clothing out of their substance. Wherefore there follows: Who also when he was in Galilee followed him, and ministered unto him. They ministered unto the Lord of their substance, that He might reap their carnal things whose spiritual things they reaped, and that He might shew forth a type for all masters, who ought to be content with food and clothing from their disciples. But let us see what companions He had with Him, for it goes on: And many other women which came up with him into Jerusalem.
Pseudo-Jerome
As the female sex through the Virgin Mary is not shut out from salvation, so it is not thrust away from the knowledge of the mystery of the cross, and of the resurrection, through the widow Mary Magdalene, and the others, who were mothers.
The Latin text
Glossa
Postquam narravit Evangelista passionem et mortem Christi, nunc prosequitur de his quae post mortem domini contigerunt; unde dicitur et velum templi scissum est in duo, a summo usque deorsum
Hieronymus
Velum templi scinditur, idest caelum aperitur
Theophylactus
Scissum est etiam velum, innuente Deo quod spiritus sancti gratia a templo recedit, et scinditur ut sancta sanctorum ab omnibus videnda essent, et quod templum lugebit in Iudaeis, cum calamitates deplorabunt, et vestimenta scindent. Hoc etiam et templum animatum, scilicet corpus Christi, ostendit, in cuius passione vestimentum eius laceratum est, scilicet caro. Et aliud etiam significat: caro namque velum est nostri templi, scilicet mentis nostrae; virtus autem carnis scissa est in Christi passionibus a summo usque deorsum, scilicet ab Adam usque ad ultimos homines: nam et Adam effectus est sanus per passionem Christi, et eius caro non manet sub maledicto, neque digna est corruptione: sed omnes incorruptione honorati sumus. Videns autem centurio. Centurio dicitur qui centum est militum princeps. Videns autem quod ita potestative et dominabiliter expirasset, miratus est, et confessus est
Beda
Manifesta autem causa miraculi centurionis exponitur, quod videns dominum sic expirasse, idest spiritum emisisse, dixerit vere homo hic filius Dei erat; nullus enim habet potestatem mittendi spiritum nisi qui animarum conditor est
Augustinus de Trin
Et hoc maxime miratus est, quod post illam vocem, in qua figuram peccati nostri edidit, continuo tradidit spiritum: demonstravit enim spiritus mediatoris, quod nulla poena peccati usque ad mortem carnis eius accesserit: quia non eam deseruit invitus, sed quomodo voluit, quippe Dei verbo ad unitatem personae coniunctus
Hieronymus
Novissimi autem nunc primi efficiuntur. Gentilis confitetur populus, Iudaea caecata negat, ut fiat eis error peior priore
Theophylactus
Et sic ordo convertitur, dum Iudaei occidunt et gentilis confitetur; discipuli fugiunt, et mulieres expectant; sequitur enim erant autem et mulieres de longe aspicientes, inter quas erat Maria Magdalene, et Maria, Iacobi minoris et Ioseph mater, et Salome. Salome dicta est mater filiorum Zebedaei
Origenes in Matth
Opinatus autem sum hoc videns apud Matthaeum et Marcum, hic tres praecipuas mulieres nominatas: et duas quidem uterque Evangelista exponit, Mariam Magdalene, et Mariam Iacobi; tertia autem a Matthaeo dicitur mater filiorum Zebedaei; a Marco autem tertia illa Salome appellatur
Beda
Iacobum autem minorem dicit Iacobum Alphaei, qui et frater domini dicebatur, eo quod esset filius Mariae materterae domini, cuius meminit Ioannes dicens: stabant iuxta crucem Iesu mater eius, et soror matris eius Maria Cleophae, et Maria Magdalene. Mariam autem Cleophae videtur eam dicere a patre, sive a cognatione. Vocabatur autem minor Iacobus ad distinctionem maioris Iacobi, videlicet filii Zebedaei, qui inter primos apostolos vocatus est a domino. Consuetudinis autem Iudaicae fuit, nec ducebatur in culpam more gentis antiquo, ut mulieres de sua substantia victum atque vestitum praeceptoribus ministrarent; unde sequitur et cum esset in Galilaea, sequebantur eum, et ministrabant ei. Ministrabant domino quidem de substantia sua: ut meteret earum carnalia, cuius illae metebant spiritualia, et ut typum ostenderet magistrorum, quod victu atque vestitu ex discipulis deberent esse contenti. Sed videamus quales comites habuerit; sequitur enim et aliae multae, quae simul cum eo ascenderant Hierosolymam
Hieronymus
Sicut non excluditur muliebris sexus a salute per Mariam virginem, ita non repellitur a mysterii crucis scientia et resurrectionis per viduam Mariam Magdalenam et ceteras matres
15:42
The Gloss non occ.
After the passion and death of Christ, the Evangelist relates His burial, saying, And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathæa.
St Bede † AD 735 ubi sup.
What is called parasceue in Greek, is in Latin præparatio; by which name those Jews, who lived amongst Greeks, used to call the sixth day of the week, because on that day they used to prepare what was necessary for the rest of the sabbath day. Because then man was made on the sixth day, but on the seventh the Creator rested from all His work, fitly was our Saviour crucified on the sixth day, and thus fulfilled the mystery of man’s restoration. But on the sabbath, resting in the tomb, He was waiting for the event of the resurrection, which was to come on the eighth day. So we must also in this age of time be crucified to the world; but in the seventh day, that is, when a man has paid the debt to death, our bodies indeed must rest in the grave, but our souls after good works in hidden peace with God; till in the eighth period, even our bodies themselves, glorified in the resurrection, receive incorruption together with our souls. But the man who buried the body of the Lord must needs by his righteous merits have been worthy, and by the nobility of worldly power able to perform this service. Therefore it is said, An honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God. He is called in Latin, decurio, because he is of the order of the curia, and served the office of a provincial magistracy; this officer was also called curialis, from his care of civic duties. Arimathæa is the same as Ramathain, the city of Elkanah and Samuel.
Pseudo-Jerome
It is interpreted, taking down, of which was Joseph, who came to take down the body of Christ from the cross. There follows: Came and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.
Theophylact † 1107
He was bold with a praiseworthy boldness; for he did not consider within himself, I shall fall from my rich estate, and I shall be expelled by the Jews, if I beg for the body of Him, who was condemned as a blasphemer. It goes on: And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead. For he thought that He should continue long alive upon the cross, as also the thieves used to live long, upon the instrument of their execution. It goes on: And calling unto him the centurion, he asked him if he had been any while dead; that is, before the time when other executed persons usually died. There follows: And when he knew it of the centurion, (that is, that He was dead,) he gave the body to Joseph.
St Bede † AD 735 ubi sup.
But it was not an obscure person, nor a man of mean rank, who could come to the governor and obtain the body. There follows: And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen.
Theophylact † 1107
Burying the precious body preciously; for being a disciple of our Lord, he knew how greatly the Lord’s body ought to be honoured.
St Bede † AD 735 ubi sup.
By this however, according to a spiritual meaning, we may understand that the body of the Lord should not be wrapped in gold or gems, or silk, but in a clean linen cloth. Hence it became a custom in the Church that the sacrifice of the altar should not be celebrated in silk, or in a dyed cloth, but in linen produced from the earth, just as the body of the Lord was wrapped in clean linen; as, we read in the Pontifical acts, it was ordered by the blessed Sylvesterf. Though it has also another meaning, that he who receives Jesus in a pure mind wraps Him in clean linen. There follows: And laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre. It is said that the sepulchre of the Lord is a round cell, hewn out of the rock which was around it, so high, that a man standing upright could scarcely touch the roof with his outstretched hand; and it has an entrance to the east, to which the great stone was rolled, and placed upon it. In the northern part of it is the tomb itself, that is, the place where our Lord’s body lay, made of the same rock, seven feet in length, raised three palms higher than the floor. It is not open from above, but on the south side, the whole of which is open, and through which the body was brought in. The colour of the sepulchre and of the recess is said to be a mixed white and red.
Pseudo-Jerome
By the burial of Christ we rise again, by His going down into hell we mount up into heaven; here is found the honey in the mouth of the dead lion.
Theophylact † 1107
Let us too imitate Joseph, taking to ourselves the body of Christ by Unity, and let us place it in a sepulchre, hewn out of the rock, that is, in a soul recollected, never forgetful of God; for this is a soul hewn out of the rock, that is, out of Christ, for He is our rock, who holds together our strength. We ought also to wrap Him in linen, that is, to receive Him in a pure body; for the linen is the body which is the clothing of the soul. We must, however, not throw open, but wrap Him up; for He is secret, closed and hidden. There follows: And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.
St Bede † AD 735
We read in Luke, that His acquaintances and the women who had followed Him stood afar off. When these then who were known to Jesus returned home after the burial of His body, the women alone, who were bound to Him with a closer love, after following the funeral, took care to see how He was laid, that they might be able at a fitting season to offer Him the sacrifice of their devotion. But on the day of the parasceue, that is, of the preparation, the holy women, that is, humble souls, do the same, when they burn with love for the Saviour, and diligently follow the steps of His Passion in this life, where their future rest is to be prepared; and they weigh with a pious minuteness the order in which His passion was accomplished, if perchance they be able to imitate it.
Pseudo-Jerome
These things also fit the Jewish people, which finally is believing, which is ennobled by faith to become the child of Abraham. It lays aside its despair, it waits for the kingdom of God, it goes in to the Christians, that it may be baptized; which is implied by the name of Pilate, which is interpreted, ‘One who works with a hammer,’ that is, he who subdues the iron nations, that he may rule them with a rod of iron. It seeks for the sacrifice, that is, the viaticum, which is given to penitents at their last end, and wraps it up in a heart clean and dead to sin; it makes it firm in the safeguard of faith, and shuts it up with the covering of hope, through works of charity; (for the end of the commandment is charity;) (1 Tim. 1:5) whilst the elect, who are the stars of the sea, are looking on from afar, for, if it be possible, the very elect shall be offended.
The Latin text
Glossa
Post passionem et mortem Christi, Evangelista sepulturam eius narrat, dicens et cum iam sero esset factum, quia erat parasceve, quod est ante sabbatum, venit Ioseph ab Arimathaea
Beda
Parasceve Graece, Latine praeparatio dicitur: quo nomine Iudaei qui inter Graecos morabantur sextam sabbati appellabant, eo quod in illo ea quae requiei sabbati necessaria essent praeparare solerent. Quia ergo sexta die homo factus est, septima autem die conditor ab omni opere suo requievit; recte salvator sexta die crucifixus humanae restaurationis implevit arcanum. Sabbato autem in sepulcro quiescens, resurrectionis, quae octava die ventura erat, expectabat eventum. Sic et nos in hac quidem saeculi aetate mundo necesse est crucifigi; in septima vero die, idest cum mortis quis debitum solvit, corpora quidem in tumulis, animas autem secreta in pace cum domino post bona opera oportet quiescere, donec octava aetate etiam corpora ipsa resurrectione glorificata cum animabus incorruptionem accipiant. Talem autem esse decebat qui corpus domini sepeliret, qui etiam per iustitiam meritorum tali ministerio dignus esset, et per nobilitatem potentiae saecularis facultatem posset obtinere ministrandi; et ideo dicitur, quod erat nobilis decurio expectans regnum Dei. Decurio vocatur quod sit de ordine curiae, et officium curiae administraret, qui etiam curialis a procurando munera civilia solet appellari. Arimathaea autem ipsa est Ramathain civitas Helcanae et Samuelis
Hieronymus
Quae interpretatur deponens, de qua fuit Ioseph, qui venit ad deponendum corpus Christi de cruce. Sequitur et audacter introivit ad Pilatum, et petiit corpus Iesu
Theophylactus
Audet ausum laudabilem: non enim excogitavit: a divitiis decidam, et expellar a Iudaeis, si corpus petam eius qui est blasphemus condemnatus. Sequitur Pilatus autem mirabatur si iam obiisset. Putabat enim quod diu viveret in cruce, sicut et latrones in patibulo vivebant diu. Sequitur et accersito centurione, interrogavit eum si iam mortuus esset, scilicet ante horam qua ceteri mori consueverunt. Sequitur et cum cognovisset a centurione, scilicet quod mortuus esset, donavit corpus Ioseph
Beda
Non autem quilibet ignotus aut mediocris ad praesidem accedere, et crucifixi corpus poterat impetrare. Sequitur Ioseph autem mercatus sindonem, et deponens eum, involvit in sindone
Theophylactus
Pretiosum corpus pretiose sepeliens: cum enim esset discipulus domini, sciebat qualiter corpus domini honorari deberet
Beda
Possumus autem secundum intelligentiam spiritualem hoc sentire, quod corpus domini non auro, non gemmis et serico, sed linteamine puro obvolvendum sit: hinc Ecclesiae mos obtinuit ut sacrificium altaris, non in serico, neque in panno tincto, sed in lino terreno celebretur, sicut corpus est domini in sindone munda sepultum: iuxta quod in gestis pontificalibus a b. Silvestro legimus esse statutum: quamquam et hoc significet, quod ille sindone munda involvit Iesum qui pura mente susceperit. Sequitur et posuit eum in monumento quod erat excisum in petra, et advolvit lapidem ad ostium monumenti. Dicitur quod monumentum domini domus rotunda fuit, de subiacente rupe excisa, tantae altitudinis ut homo rectus existens vix extenta manu culmen posset attingere; et habet introitum ab oriente, cui lapis magnus involutus atque impositus est in eius parte aquilonari. Ipsum sepulcrum, idest locus dominici corporis, de eadem petra factum est, septem habens pedes longitudinis, trium palmorum mensura a pavimento altius eminens, qui scilicet locus non desuper, sed a latere meridiano per totum patet, unde corpus inferebatur. Color autem monumenti et loculi albo et rubeo dicitur esse permixtus
Hieronymus
Sepultura autem Christi resurgimus, descensione eius ad Inferos nos ascendimus ad caelos. Hic invenitur mel in ore leonis mortui
Theophylactus
Imitemur autem et nos Ioseph, recipientes Christi corpus per unitatem, et ponamus illud in monumento exciso de petra, idest in anima memorante, et non obliviscente Deum: illa enim anima est ex petra excisa, idest ex Christo, qui est petra, quia continet firmitatem. Involvere etiam debemus ipsum in sindone, idest in corpore puro suscipere: sindon namque est corpus, quod est animae indumentum. Decet enim non solum pura anima corpus Christi suscipere, sed in corpore puro. Involvere autem oportet, sed non operire: nam secretum clausum est et occultum. Sequitur Maria autem Magdalene et Maria Ioseph aspiciebant ubi poneretur
Beda
In Luca legimus, quod stabant noti eius a longe, et mulieres quae secutae erant eum. His ergo notis Iesu post depositum eius corpus ad sua remeantibus, solae mulieres, quae arctius amabant, funus subsecutae, quomodo poneretur respicere curabant, ut tempore congruo munus possent devotionis offerre. Die autem parasceves sanctae mulieres, idest animae humiles, idem faciunt, cum amore salvatoris ferventes, passionis eius vestigiis in hoc saeculo, quo praeparanda est requies futura, diligenter obsequuntur; et si forte valeant imitari, pia curiositate quo ordine sit eius passio completa perpendunt
Hieronymus
Haec etiam congruunt ad populum Iudaicum in fine credentem, qui nobilitatur fide, ut Abrahae sit filius, deponit desperationem, expectat regnum Dei, intrat ad Christianos ut baptizetur: quod significat nomen Pilati, idest malleatoris, idest qui domat ferreas gentes, ut regat eas in virga ferrea; et petit sacrificium quod donatur poenitentibus in fine viaticum, et corde mundo et peccatis mortuo involvit munimine fidei stabilitum, et operculo spei per opera caritatis concludit: finis enim praecepti est caritas; aspicientibus a longe electis, qui sunt stellae maris, quoniam, si fieri potest, scandalizabuntur etiam electi
15:1
1 Jesus brought bound, and accused before Pilate. 15 Upon the clamour of the common people, the murderer Barabbas is loosed, and Jesus delivered up to be crucified. 17 He is crowned with thorns, 19 spit on, and mocked: 21 fainteth in bearing his cross: 27 hangeth between two thieves: 29 suffereth the triumphing reproaches of the Jews: 39 but confessed by the centurion to be the Son of God: 43 and is honourably buried by Joseph.
15:25
Ver. 25. And it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. The third, not beginning, but ending, and going on to the sixth. For that Christ was crucified at the sixth hour, or midday, appears from the 33rd verse. Some suspect that there is an error, and that the sixth ought to be read for the third. For the Hebrews had divided the day and also the night into four parts or hours, each of which contained three of our hours. The first began at sunrise, and lasted for three hours. When they were over, Terce began, and lasted for three hours, or until midday, when Sect began, and ended three hours afterwards, when None began, and lasted till Vespers, or evening. When Sect was beginning, or the sixth hour, Christ was crucified; and when None, or the ninth hour, was beginning, He died. Ver. 28. And with the wicked he was reputed: Heb. נמנה, nimma, i.e., was numbered, was counted. See what I have said on Isa 53:12. The reason is, because Christ took to Himself our place, our account and reckoning. But we were wicked. He therefore was reckoned with the wicked, that He might make us, instead of wicked, just, righteous, and holy. Ver. 42. Because it was the Parasceve, that is, the day before one Sabbath. The Greek is, which is the Prosabbatum. For Parasceve is the came as Preparation. Friday was so called because food and things needful for the Sabbath were prepared upon it. Hence it was called the Pro-Sabbath, i.e., the day before, or the vigil of the Sabbath.
15:2
v. 9 et znterrogavit eum Pilatus : tu esrez Iudaeorum? At ille respondens ait εἰ: tu dicis; affirmat Iesus se vere esse regem; sed eum simul explicasse quale esset suum regnum, quo nihil damni inferretur imperio romano, ita ut ad satisfactionem Pilati accusatio plane destrueretur, patet ex modo quo Pilatus talem regem Iudaeorum dimittere liberum studet v. 9. 19. 14 eiusqueab omni crimineimmunitatem palam enuntiat. Quare brevissima Marci narratio sufficienter ex sequentibus illustratur. Quomodo Iesus naturam sui regni procuratori exposuerit narratur Ioan. 18,33-38. Atque Pilatuseo facilius verbis eius fidem adhibuit iisque acquievit quia eum minime latebat Iudaeos aegre ferre dominationem romanam eamque velle excutere; unde statim perspexit illam accusationem non niti veritate, sed proferri ob causam longe diversam ; eos enim qui contra Romanos quidquam moliebantur tantum abfuisse sciebat ut accusarent ludaei ut omni ratione eos foverent et celebrarent. Qua de re vide apud Iosephum, Antiq. 18,1. 1. 6; et ipse Pilatus iam expertus erat non semel quanta contumacia Iudaei obsisterent mandatis suis (cf. Antiq. 18,3. 1. 2; Bell. iud. 2,9. 2 seq.). Cum igitur prima accusatione nihil esset effectum, alia afferebant
15:3
v. 3 et accusaóant eum summi sacerdotes in multis ; πολλά posset per se intelligi aut : multa ei crimina obiiciebant , aut multum et vehementer eum accusabant. Esse prius explicandum patet tum ex rei natura; cum enim prima accusatio concidisset aliae debebant proferri; tum patet ex quaestione Pilati v. 4 πόσα eic.; quaenaimn protulerint, discimus Luc. 23,9-5;
15:4
v. & Pilatus autem rursum interrogavit eum dicens : non respondes quidquam? vide, in quantis te accusant,
15:5
v. 5 Iesus autem amplius nihil respondit , tta. ut miraretur. Pilatus; procuratori quantum satis erat causam Iesus exposuit; ille iam perspexit falso et mendaciter Iesum accusari neque repelitis accusationibus a sententia dimovetur, quia varia tentat ut Iesum libere dimittat; erat itaque dignitalis Iesu iam nihil respondere; mirabatur autem Pilatus quia cum posset per defensionem abstergere calumnias nihil diceret, sed sustineret fortiter calumnias; miratur eius celsitudinem (Vict. Theoph.). Marcus breviter narrationem expedit. Id unum ostendere vult Iesum innocentem postulante plebe a procuratore esse condemnatum. Quantopere procuratori persuasum fuerit Iesum falso accusari ostenditur variis illis quibus eum odio primorum eripere tentavit. Non audet eum pro sua potestate liberum dimittere. Timet furorem synedristarum , variorum scelerum conscius sibi, quorum ne accusetur apud Caesarem, veretur principes nimium offendere. Opportuna se ei offert occasio rem deferendi ad populum ; quodsi populus Iesum liberat , ipse liberatur ab invidia primorum. Iam eam occasionem qua prudenter et callide uti voluit explicat Marcus
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v. 6 per diem autem festum solebat dimittere illis unum ez vinctis quemcumque petissent; καθ᾽ ἑορτήν (cf. 15,549) quovis festo scil. paschatis!; de hoc usu nos docent sola evangelia. Consuetudo haec referri videtur ad memoriam liberationis ex oppressione aegyptiaca (Aib.); esse probabilius veterem Iudaeorum moreni, vide Comment. Matth. IIl p. &97. Quo certius populus Iesum ut liberaretur peteret, hominem insigniter facinorosum simul cum Iesu adducere statuit
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v. 7 erat autem qui dicebatur Barabbas ὁ λεγόμενος 1. e. nomine Barabbas, eo nomine notus; nomen ΝῺΝ ?3 etiam apud talmudistas sat est usitatum ; qui cum seditiosis erat vinctus , qui in seditione fecerat homicidium otve; quippe qui fecerant; ἐν τῇ στάσει quae seditio fuerit nescimus; aliqui cogitarunt de seditione orta propter aquaeductum quem Pilatus sacrarum pecuniarum impensis facere volebat (Antiq. 18,3. 3), cum qua seditione etiam id coniungunt quod Luc. 13,1 habetur. Secundum hanc narrationem populus incipit rogare
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v. 8 e£ cum ascendisset turba scil. ad locum ante palatium Pilati coepit rogare ut faceret, sicut semper faciebat illis ; haec non , ut Weiss vult, contradicunt iis quae Matth. 27,17 habentur; nam si ibi narratur : congregatis illis dixit Pilatus : quem vultis dimittam vobis, non negatur populum ante rogasse ut sibi pro more fieret. Immo haec Marci narratio optime pandit quomodo subito turbae appareant coram palatio Pilati, cum eousque etiam apud Matthaeum de solis synedristis qui per ministros Iesum adduxerunt sermo fuerit. Turbae itaque pro more temporc statuto conveniunt, ut unum ad diem festum in libertatem vindicent. Ea itaque occasione magnus fit populi concursus. Etiam apud Lucam tum demum plebis fit mentio, cum res iam in eo est ut Iesus simul cum Barabba populo sistatur (23,13 seq.). loannes quidem Pilatum loquentem facit : est autem consuetudo vobis ut unum dimittam vobis in pascha (18,39), neque tamen eo modo probatur ipsum procuratorem, non plebem, rem proposuisse. Nam eo loco manifestum est Ioannem 1. Intelligi pascha patet ex ratione temporis et ex Ioan. 18,39. pluribus omissis breviter narrare. Debuit tamen, ut intelligi posset eius quaestio de Iesu dimittendo et postulatio plebis, consuetudinem illam commemorare. Ceterum cur non etiam Pilatus dicere potuisset, postquam populus rogare coepit : cum itaque vobis sit consuetudo, ut unum dimittam etc.? Proin immerito Marcum aliis contradicere asseritur. Ea igitur opportunitate utitur Pilatus
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v. 9 Pilatus autem respondit ets et dizit : vultis, dimittam vobis regem Iudaeorum? certe non ironice dicit regem Iudaeorum, sed eum qui tamquam talis apud ipsum accusatus sit; sensus itaque quaestionis est idem qui fertur Matth. 27,17 : dimittam Iesum qui dicitur Christus? Messias enim ut rex ludaeorum exspectabatur. Et cur Iesum a populo peti velit, ratio affertur
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v. 10 sciebat enim quod per invidiam tradidissent eum summi sacerdotes ; eum latere non potuit quanta auctoritate eousque Iesus apud populum valuisset; dein ex ipso crimine Iesu obiecto quod falsum esse deprehendit (et si verum fuisset, novit synedristas nullo modo eum fuisse delaturos) colligere debuit actores et accusatores propelli invidia et odio in eum, qui tanti a populo aestimaretur et qui in suis reprehensionibus minime pepercisset primatibus. Nam magistratum romanum non plane ignorasse quaedam quae ad Iesum spectarent, supponi potest pro ordinaria cura et vigilantia qua incolae difficiles et morosi, quales ludaei erant, observari solent. Praeterea ex tempore ludae galilaei exsistebat secta hominum, qui, ut Iosephus ait, libertatem sic amant ut eam mordicus tueantur et qui varias mortes subire cognatorumque supplicia et amicorum nihili faciunt, dummodo hominum neininem dominum appellent (Antiq. 18,1. 6 ; Bell. iud. 2,8. 1). Nominabantur hi zelotac. Cum itaque adessent qui iugum romanum excutere vellent, magistratum romanum singulari quoque cura plebi invigilasse merito putandum erit. Quare haud improbabile est procuratorem rerum aliquarum de Iesu notitiam habuisse. Quae opportunitas data sit pontificibus populum concitandi ad petendum Barabbam et ad crucem pro Iesu postulandam, nobis refertur Matth. 27,19; cum enim Pilatus populum interrogasset quem vellent Barabbam an Iesum, nuutium ei misit uxor eius;
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v. 11 pontifices autem concitaverunt. turbam ut magis Darabbam dimitteret eis, Iesum vero perderent postulantes ut crucifigeretur, quemadmodum ex inconditis clamoribus v. 13. 14 sequitur. Cum turbae peterent Barabbam, Pilatus poterat opinari potius illum postulari quia ille ob homicidium poenae capitali esset obnoxius, dum Iesum utpote nullius criminis convictum alioquin liberandum essc existimarent. Quare verisimile est eum putasse turbam pro [esu contra svnedristas suffragia laturam
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v. 12 Pzlatus autem respondens ait illis : quid ergo vultis faciam regi. Iudueorum? urget : quid faciam, dicite, regi Iudaeorum (vide lect. var.)? lectio in B servata videtur genuina, cur ὃν sit insertum facile patet; at ὃν λέγετε iam propter v. 9 repudiandum est;
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v. 13 a4 li :terum clamaverunt πάλιν propter v. 11, ubi clamore virum homicidam sibi donari petebant (Act. 3,14); prius autem solum Barabbam eos postulasse , etiam Matth. 27,21 narratur; quare hic quoque ex z/erum colligi nequit (cf. 15,70) eos statim prima vice etiam simul cum Barabba crucifixionem [esu postulasse; crucifige eum! en in tantum pontifices plebi mobili 1mposuerunt. Pilatum id minime exspectasse, verum indignatione quadam et obstupefactione esse commotum ipsius verba produnt
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v. 1& P4atus vero dicebat illis : quid enim mali fecit? enim denotat indignationem hic quam concipit de re sibi inopinanti quae accidit : cur id vultis. quid enim fecit mali? τί-χαχόν ; ipsa collocatione habetur emphasis qua declarat suam admirationem, si quidquam ei impingere possint mali; at illi magis clamabant, ut clamore vincerent qui de veritate nihil obiicere habebant (A/b.) cructfige eum! Iudex autem ignavus et suorum scelerum conscientia timens odium primatum, ne ab iis accusaretur apud Caesarem, cum etiam populus ad quem causam ipse detulerat ipsum non iuvaret in iustitia tutanda, cedit tandem furori principum et insaniae turbarum
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v. 15 Pilatus autem volens populo satisfacere dimisit illis Barabbam et tradidit Iesum flagellis caesum ut cructfigeretur ; de flagellatione vide quae notavi ad Matth. 27,96. Marcus rem breviter perstringit; Matthaeus aliqua effert quae speciali modo [udaeos attingunt. Sed Marcus quoque satis ostendit Iesum innocentem per malitiam primatum et per ignaviam iudicis esse morti ignominiosissimae et crudelissimae addictum. Impletum esse ostenditur Iesu vaticinium 10,34 : et flagellabunt eum et interficient eum, et Matth. 20,19 : et tradent eum gentibus ad flagellandum et crucifigendum.
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v. 16 milites autem duxerunt eum a loco quo ad columnam alligatus flagella exceperat zn atrium praetorii , ἔσω τῆς αὐλῆς in interiorem aulam, ὃ ἐστιν πραιτώριον; proin aula interior intelligi debet de ipso praetorio vel palatio, in cuius parte inferiore milites quoque collocati erant; e£ convocant totam cohortem, alios scil. milites qui in praesidio praetorii erant et simul custodes corporis procuratoris erant. Cum milites audivissent Iesum accusari regiae dignitatis arrogatae, statuunt eum per Judibrium regem consalutare;
Impletur quod Iesus praedixerat : et illudent ei (10,34). Flagellationi enim dirissimae petulantia militum alii adduntur cruciatus
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v. 17 e4 induunt eum purpura, veste purpurea i. e, chlamyde coccinea (Matth. 27,98); pallium eius coloris ei circumdederunt, ut colore regiam vestem ad ludibrium imitarentur. Et ad maiorem irrisionem eos selegisse vetustum quoddam pallium laceratum satis credibile erit. Verum modo longe atrociore regiam coronam imitantur e£ zmponunt ei plectentes spineam coronam πλέξαντες coronam ex spinis consertam et contextam capiti eius imponunt et tamquam sceptrum regale posuerunt arundinem in dextera eius (Matth. 27,29);
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v. 18 e! coeperunt salutare eum : ave , rez Iudaeorum
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v. 19 et percutiebant caput eius arundine id quod non poterat non afficere caput eius acutissimis doloribus propter spinas quae magis ex omni parte in caput protrudebantur e4 conspuebant eum, exhibentes ad ludibrium et imitantes oscula quibus reges a subditis honorabantur, et ponentes genua adorabant eum , ludicro modo profitentes honorem regiae dignitatis: orientales enim coram rege sese prosternere solebant ad suam significandam subiectionem et reverentiam. Uti ministri pontificis postquam Iesus declaratus erat. reus mortis et aliquot etiam synedristae Iesu atrociter illuserunt (15,65) , ita milites crudeliore modo idem repetunt simul odium suum et contemptum in hominem [udaeum effundentes et testificantes; « militare genus semper conviciis gaudet ac tumultibus et sibi simile est » (TAeophA.). Milites conscribi solebant ex incolis Palaestinae qui non erant originis iudaicae (cf. Schürer l. c. I p. 383) et eorum magna pars fuisse videntur Sebasteni i. e. milites ex regione samaritana conscripti; id quod pro tempore Christi ex eo concludi potest quia et ante et post certis testimoniis constat adfuisse in Iudaea magnum numerum militum Sebastenorum. Samaritanos autem peculiari odio in ludaeos flagrasse notum est. Ceterum pro militum carnificumque feritate et crudelitate Iesum cruciatus subiisse terribiles nemo negaverit. Varia hic quoque Marcus silentio premit quae ex narratione loannis 19,5 seq. supplentur. Properat ad ostendendum quomodo illud impletum sit : et interficient eum (10,35)
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v. 20 e/ postquam illuserunt ei, exuerunt illum purpura et induerunt eum vcestiments suis et educunt illum ut crucifierent eum ; vestibus consuetis indutus facilius ab omnibus agnoscitur qui nuuc tamquam homo maxime facinorosus ad supplicium servile educitur. Qui sententiam audierant : ibis ad crucem, patibulum ipsi portare debebant. Iesum quoque per aliquod tempus crucem suam baiulasse testis est loannes 19,17. Iesus autem crudeli flagellatione aliisque vexationibus iam maxime viribus erat exhaustus; quare ne in ipsa via succumberet v. 931 angariaverunt cocgerunt; subditi adigebantur ad varia onera subeunda et opera praestanda in itineribus, vecturis etc.: hoc dicitur angariari; cf. &yyx;o; Xenoph. Cyrop. 8,6. 17 ; Herod. 3,126; vox dicitur originis persicae; etiam apud talmudistas reperitur ΝΥΝ 1. e. coactio ad currendum , ad ferendum onus aut faciendum opus publicum (οἴ. Buztorf, Lexicon. chald. p. 131) praetereuntem quempiam, Simonem Cyrenaeum, oriundum ex Cyrene, urbe olim florentissima Libyae pentapolitanae, in qua multi degebant Iudaei (cf. Act. 2,10; 11,2; idem ostenditur apud Iosephum, Antiq. 15,7. 2; 16,6. 1), venientem de villa ἀπὸ χγροῦ; sensus non potest esse, uti volunt ScAegg, Reischl, Winer, eum venisse rure, eum habitasse extra urbem ideoque rure nunc tendere in urbem ; nam cum dictum sit Iesum esse eductum, plane inutile essetaddere eum qui extra urbem occurrerit. venisse ex regione extra urbem sita (cf. Schanz , Weiss). Quare explica ab. agro et cf. 13,16 i. e. ab aliquo labore quem in agro exercuit. Unde hic habes indicium diem mortis Iesu non fuisse ipsam sollemnitatem paschatis; patrem Alexandri et Rufi, cum ex filiorum nominibus pater accuratius designetur, merito censent filios notos fuisse insigniore quodam modo inter Christianos et ut videtur addendum esse inter Romanos. Nomina illa quidem sat sunt frequentia; at cum Marcus scribat Romanis, cogitare licebit cum Patr. Schegg, Fi. aliisque de Rufo, de quo S. Paulus tom. 16,13 et fortasse etiam de Alexandro, Act. 19,33, « ibi Lucas Alexandrum, de quo alibi ne unum quidem verbum scripsit quemque nunquam nominavit, ex improviso ita nominat ut qui iis qui librum lecturi erant notus omnino esset ; atqui hunc librum Romae a Luca conscriptum esse et Christianis Romae degentibus destinatum relictumque satis constat » (Patr.). Cur autem F/. censeat Act. 19,33 parum honorabilem mentionem Alexandri fieri ideoque hunc Alexandrum filium Simonis ibi haud posse intelligi me fugit. Sed cum alii censeant istum Alexandrum non fuisse Christianum (cf. Fe/ten, Die Apostelgeschichte p. 368), res in dubio relinquenda erit. Existimant Vict. TheopA. filios solum nominari ad maiorem rei narratae confirmationem. [n una familia habes nomen hebraicum, graecum , latinum !. Simon itaque adactus est a militibus secundum ius illud vel potius tyrannidem angariae, μέ tolleret. crucem. eius; scil. postquam Christus aliquamdiu portavit crucem, postea Simoni imposita et ab eo gestata est. Simon autem per se ipsum crucem poríat, « non, ut quidam putant, una cum Iesu, quos ipsa haec Marci ct Matthaei verba refutant atque etiam plenius verba Lucae : imposuerunt illi crucem portare post Iesum » (Patr.) et Beda quoque repetit h. 1. fere verba S. Hier. : « primo namque a Domino portata (crux) ac deinde Simoni quem exeuntes forte obvium habuerunt portanda imposita est; et hoc congruo satis ordine mysterii, quia nimirum ipse passus est pro nobis relinquens nobis exemplum ut sequamur vestigia eius ». Atque ita rem concipiunt S. Aug. (de cons. ev. 3,10. 37), S. Leo (serm. 8 de pass. Simon, in quem lignum crucis transfertur ἃ Domino) Vict. Theoph. Salmeron tract. 33, Suarez in 3 p. qu. 46 disp. 36 sect. 9 n. 2, lans. Lap. Sylv. apud quos alios quoque eius sententiae patronos invenies recensitos;
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v. 22 et perducunt illum in Golgotha locum quod est interpretatum Calvariae locus; « ita tunc temporis ludaei hoc nomen proferebant pro Golgolta, dempta quemadmodum et in aliis vocibus fecere posteriore litera /, cum Syri e contrario dempta priore proferrent Gogulto; hoc nomen factum est exiguo cuidam tumulo a figura calvariae quamreferebat extra Hierosolymam proximéurbis muros inter boream et occasum posito, qui sequioribus aetatibus intra novae urbis ambitum inclusus est » (Patr.). Cum collis iste appellaretur ca/varia! numero singulari, non calvariae vel locus calvariarum, iam ipso nomine refutatur opinio aliquorum collem accepisse nomen ex calvariis reorum quae ibi fuissent. Ceterum vide ad Matth. 27,33;
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v. 93 et dabant ei bibere myrrhatum vinum, et non accepit, vinum myrrha conditum ; erat enim consuetudo, ut qui morte erant plectendi acciperent potum aliquem ad sensus obtundendos ne adeo sentirent cruciatus; de qua re varios locos rabbinorum refert Wetstein : iis qui sententia iudicum occiduntur dant bibendum vinum et thus ne affligantur, et : exeunti ut capite plectatur dant bibendum granum thuris in poculo vini, ut alienetur mens eius; pro quo more rabbini provocant ad Prov. 31,6; est traditio mulieres hierosolymitanas honestiores spontaneo motu tale vinum attulisse. Cum autem Iesus tormenta non vitare, sed perferre vellet et sentire, ea potione qua sensus obstupefierent non usus est; cum gustasset, noluit bibere (Matth. 97,34): vinum felle mistum (μετὰ χολῆς) apud Matthaeum notione non differt. Ostenditur impletum esse : et interficient eum (9,30; 10,35) v. 94 et cructfigentes (vide lect. var.) et crucifigunt eum vel postquam crucifixerunt eum; de modo crucifixionis, de numero clavorum , de erucis forma pluribus egi in Comment. Matth. Il p.
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519 seq.; dzviserunt vestimenta eius mittentes sortem. super eis quis quid tolleret; de qua re plenius narratur Ioan. 19,93. 24;
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v. 95 erat autem hora tertia et cructfixerunt eum; designatio temporis si cum ea comparatur quam lcgimus Ioan. 19,15 : hora quasi sexta et dicit (Pilatus) ludaeis : ecce rex vester, est satis difficilis vel vaga (de qua re postea pluribus). Ex iis quae legimus Matth. 27,38-&454 et Luc. 93,35-*45 oportet concludere Christum esse cruci affixum aliquo temporis spatio ante horam sextam i. e. ante tenebras obortas; nam plura peraguntur antequam tenebrae ingruant. Ceterum post illa Pilati verba : ecce rex vester (apud loannem) etiam plura fiunt : clamores Iudaeorum repetiti, Iesus educitur baiulans crucem, angariatur Simon, Iesus alloquitur mulieres, via erat conficienda a palatio Pilati ad Calvariam ; quare etiam quod loannes dicit de hora fere sexta, ita debebit intelligi, ut temporis spatium non adeo breve concipiatur ante horam sextam !, praesertim etiam propterea quia non statim post crucifixionem tenebrae ortae sunt. Quare etiam quod loannes dicit vago quodam modo concipi debet. Neque id mirum est, cum apostoli non haberent solaria vel horologia et insuper duratio horae secundum varia anni tempora non esset eadem. Causa supplicii solebat indicari; quare
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v. 26 e£ erat titulus causae eius inscriptus rez Iudaeorum; ut loannes narrat, exhibebatur titulus hebraice, graece, latine; apud Marcum in brevi hac formula inscriptio latina nobis servari videtur. De usu tituli vide Suetonium Calig. 32 et Domitian. 10 haec habet : « patrem familias quod Threcem mirmilloni parem, munerario imparem dixerat, detractum ex spectaculis in arenam canibus obiecit cum hoc titulo : impie locutus parmularius », iis scil. verbis iudicium Doinitiani carpserat. Singulari providentia Dei factum est, ut dignitas Iesu messiana in ipso crucis supplicio annuntiaretur; nam ex tempore quo concidit tabernaculum David, ludaei ex vaticinio Ezechielis alium regem 1am non poterant exspectare nisi regem Messiam, quia corona regia a Deo ponitur eversio, donec veniat qui eius ius habet et cui Deus illam est daturus (21,31. 32 hebr. cf. meum Comment. in Ez. p. 215 seq.), quare ab angelo quoque annuntiatur tamquam is cui Dominus daturus sit sedem (θρόνον) David patris eius (Luc. 1,32). Crux erat poena latronum
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v. 37 et cum eo crucifiqunt duos latrones unum a dextris et alium a sinistris eus; diligenter hoc adnotant Matth. 927,38. Luc. 93,33. loan. 19,18 quoque singulari modo affert : medium autem Iesum. [ta maxima ignominia afficiebatur Iesus tamquam qui esset omnium scelestissimus ;
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v. 28 et impleta est Scriptura quae dicit : et cum iniquis reputatus est; cf. Is. 53,19. Luc. 22,37; ceterum vide lect. var.; cum in antiquioribus codicibus haec verba non legantur et cum Marcus alias quoque vaticinia non afferat, nisi 1,2 et praeterea facile explicetur cur haec verba addita sint ex Luca, difficile vero cur in melioribus et antiquioribus codicibus omissa, plerique versum hunc referunt ad interpolationem. Eum defendit FZ.
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v. 29 e( praetereuntes, locus erat prope civitatem ; propter festum ingens hominum multitudo in urbe versabatur ; narrat losephus sub Cestio Gallo (an. 63-66 p. Ch.) tempore sollemnitatis paschalis adfuisse in urbe « virorum purorum et mundorum (qui scil. nulla immunditie levitica ab esu agni prohibebantur) ut denos epulatores singulis victimis demus vicies septies centena millia » (de bell. iud. 6,9. 3), &/asphemabant eum moventes capita sua , quod est signum insultationis; cf. & Reg. 19.21. Ps. 108,25. Eccli. 13,8. Is. 37,92. Lament. 2,15 et impletur prophetia Ps. 21,8 : locuti sunt labiis et moverunt caput, e! dicenles : vah, vocula est admirantis et acclamantis, quae hic ironice usurpatur et cum sarcasmo !, qui destruis templum (Det) et in tribus diebus reaedificas ,
Etiam magis impletur illud : et illudent ei (10,354) et impletur quod iam Ps. 21,8 praedictum erat de eo, cuius manus et pedes foderunt : omnes videntes me deriserunt me. Irrisio autem haec facta est, ut A/ó. dicit, a tribus hominum generibus, a praetereuntibus, sacerdotibus, latronibus. Omnes igitur, summi et infimi , gentiles et ludaei, sacerdotes et vulgus profanum Iesum contumeliis et opprobriis onerant verbis et gestibus
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v. 30 salvum fac temetipsum descendens de cruce scil. qui tantam potentiam tibi attribuisti, nunc ostende quid possis! Cum et testes (15,58) et hic praetereuntes hoc Iesu effato utantur, discimus quam vehementer commoti sint omnium animi primo illo Christi in templum adventu. Utique inscii iis fere utuntur verbis quibus Iesus suam praedixit resurrectionem ;
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v. 31 similiter et summi sacerdotes illudentes ad alterutrum cum scribis dicebant : alios salvos fecit, utut rabie et odio in Iesum incensi sunt, tamen sanatos esse aegrotos a Iesu non solum non negant, sed sponte profitentur ; proinde agnoscunt miracula ab eo esse patrata , sicuti .propter eadem miracula constituerunt ei mortem machinari (loan. 11,57). Verum hac voce se ipsos condemnant. Opera enim illa quae norunt et se nosse profitentur testimonium perhibent de Iesu; seipsum non potest salvum facere; quam falso hoc dicerent, poterant cognoscere ex responsione Iesu in horto 15,59;
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v. 32 Christus, rez Israel, irridentes repetunt duo illa propter quae Iesus mortis reus declaratus est a synedristis et ἃ Pilato, descendat nunc de cruce , ita simul exprimunt gaudium crudele et voluptatem, quod tandem eum cernunt affixum cruci, ut . videamus scil. eum esse revera quem se dixit, Christum et regem Israel, et. credamus; qui tot signis fidem negarant, num huic credituri fuissent !? e( qui cum eo crucifixi erant conviciabantur ei, adeo vilis Iesus habetur, ut a latrone cruciario, vilissimo homuncione oneretur contumeliis. [am Vi:c(. notat Lucam accuratius rem narrare vel ab initio utrumque latronem convicia in Iesum iactasse (cf. Theoph. Patr.); posse numerum pluralem de uno quoque adhiberi S. Aug. praeter alia exempla sacra. (Hebr. 11,33. 37) modo loquendi ostendit communi : « quid est usitatius verbi gratia quam ut dicat aliquis : et rustici mihi insultant, etiamsi unus insultet » (de cons. ev. 3,16. 53). Haec autem convicia in Iesum esse iacta irrisionesque ante exorlas tenebras et ipsa narrationis serie apud tres synopticos apparet (Ioannes tenebrarum non facit mentionem) et etiam ipsa re suadetur. Tenebrae enim ita subito contra naturae cursum ortae omnibus sane timorem incutiebant animosque tenebant suspensos quid rei esset et ἃ contumeliis compescebant. Quare simul sequitur aliquo tempore ante horam sextam Iesum esse in cruce suspensum eumque per plus tres horas cruciatusillos horrendos et tormenta omnium membrorum inenarrabilia sustinuisse. Nuper petierant signum de coelo (8,11. Matth. 16,1), iam illis datur ( Vict.)
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v. 33 et facta hora sexta tenebrae factae sunt per totam terram usque in horam nonam ; approbat Maid. sententiam Origenis tenebras factas esse insola [Iudaea ?, quia factae sunt propter solos ludaeos eosque 1. Perorat hic Ps. Hier. : « vos ipsos consulo, vos ipsos iudicium peto : quanto mirabilius est mortuum posse resurgere, quam adhuc vivum de cruce velle descendere! Parva petislis, dum maiora provenerint. Sed infidelitas vestra non poluit sanari signis multo fortioribus quam petistis ». 2. De istis tenebris lege notam quam Vallarsi adiecit ad annum 33 S. Hier. interpretatioubi evangelium Iesus praedicaverat, ut eius divinitas et doctrina confirmaretur ; porro monet manifestum esse evangelistas non solum miraculum narrare voluisse quod factae fuerint tenebrae, sed ita narrare voluisse quod hora sexta i. e. meridiana factum fuisse miraculum declararent ; in his ergo locis, ubi meridies non erat, non factum esse miraculum. Neque, uti patet, ἐφ ὅλην τὴν γὴν necessario designat orbem universum ; nam y? saepissime unum terrae tractum, unam regionem dicit, sicut lerra (verti itaque omnino potest germanice über das ganze Land); simili modo Luc. 4,23 ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν et cf. Matth. 9,26. 31. Cur vero tenebrae ortae sint, variae afferuntur rationes; uti reliquis miraculis in morte Christi testimonium reddebatur divinitati eius, ita hoc quoque miraculo tenebrarum (cf. Maid.), vel ad iram divinam declarandam, prout in s. litteris ira divina in homines et res adversae tenebris declarari solent, vel ad significandam detestationem tanti sceleris a ludaeis admissi; « videtur mihi clarissimum lumen mundi, hoc est luminare maius retraxisse radios suos ne aut pendentem videret Dominum aut impie blasphemantes sua luce fruerentur » (S. Hzer. ad Matth. 27,43) vel significari caecitatem Iudaeorum, « in vos, Iudaei, coelum et terra sententiam tulit, vobis sol servitutem suam diemque subtraxit, vobis famulatum suum elementorum ordines denegarunt et recedente a legibus suis ministerio creaturae vestra obcaecatio, vestra est significata confusio » (S. Leo, serm. de pass. 2,2; cf. serm. 10,5; M. 55,318. 348) vel decuisse ut ubi Christus sol iustitiae occubuit etiam sol obscuraretur (S. Cyrillus hier. cat. 13,35; M. 33,813) vel coelum edidisse luctum, « moesta nebularum mole perfusus funereas dies celebravit exsequias; sol radiis remotus absconditis tetra velatus palla delituit orbemque luctibus alienae noctis infecit; talem siquidem vultum patris orbata solatiis meruerunt elementa sortiri , ut cuius ortu laetata sunt tristarentur occasu; sicut enim Domino nascente lux claruit, ita moriente discessit » (Sedulius, opus pasch. lib. 5; M. 19,730; cf. carmen pasch. 3,234 seq.). Plura vide apud Salmeron t. 10 tr. 42 versus fin., Sylv. lib. 8 cap. 19 qu. 2. Demum, ut olim in Aegypto ante mactationem agni paschalis tenebrae Aegyptiis incubuerunt, ita ante mortem et immolationem veri Agni Dei merito ortae sunt tenebrae (cf. Vzct.). Insuper istis tenebris etiam significari videtur illa derelictio de qua Iesus in tantis cruciatibus verbis Ps. 21 testimonium reddit v. 3^ et hora nona exclamavit Iesus voce magna dicens : Elot, Elot lamma sabacthaiu, quod est interpretatum : Deus meus, Deus meus ut quid dereliquisti me! proinde testatur accessisse ad horrenda illa omnium mem. brorum tormenta etiam acerbissimos animae dolores. Est scil. Iesus derelictus, ut Suarez explicat , quia privatus fuit omnt consolatione in inferiore portione, derelictus quoad poenam, quia destitutus fuit omni ope ad illam leniendam (in 3 p. qu. 15 disp. 33 sect. 1 n. & et qu. 50 disp. 38 sect. 5 n. 2). Uti igitur Iesus in horto animae cruciatus, tristitiam , timorem, taedium sustinuit, ita in cruce quoque eiusmodi carentia omnis gaudii et consolationis et maxima quadam desolatione in anima secundum partem inferiorem affligebatur. Haec dolorum incrementa quae aliter in nostram notitiam venire non poterant clamore ostendit (Salmeron). Iesus factus pro nobis maledictum (Gal. 3,13), quantum fieri potuit, iram Dei et vindictam peccatoribus debitam in se experiri voluit. Quare omni consolatione ex Dei visione subtracta in profundissimam quandam moestitiam anima eius immersa est. — Forma aramaica vel syriaca enuntiatur Eloi ! pro hebr. *»x ἠλί, uti codd, pler. ad Matth. 27,46 praebent. Propter irrisionem et ludibrium ex Elia concluserunt aliqui Iesum dixisse ἡλί; sed cum illi vocem Christi malitiose detorquerent quod in utraque forma aeque fieri potuit, ex illo ludibrio nihil colligi potest, utra forma Iesus revera usus sit;
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v. 35 et quidam de ctrcumstantibus audientes dicebant : ecce Eliam vocat; hoc ludibrium a sacerdotibus profectum esse censendum erit, non a militibus (ut multi volunt) quorum fortasse nemo unquam de Elia quidquam audivit. Apud ludaeos autem Elias celebratus erat ut praecursor Messiae et in libris talmudicis saepe tamquam opitulator in rerum angustis apparet ( Wünsche p. 356). Quare sacerdotes illudunt Iesum qui sibi opem ferre non posset demum opem implorare Eliae et ita suam palam profiteri imbecillitatem. Uti in Ps. 21,16 tormenta sitis describuntur, ita Iesus mox post haec verba dixit s2£:o (cf. Ioan. 19,28). Quae enim apud Matthaeum et Marcum de aceto sequuntur, nos docet loannes facta esse propter illam Iesu vocem
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v. 36 currens autem, scil. post verbum illud szto (Bed. Salm. Patr. Schegg, Schanz etc.) unus et implens spongtam aceto ὄξους, intellige poscam, circumponensque calamo quo usque ad os Christi pertingere posset (A/5.), hyssopo i. e. calamo hyssopi (Ioan. 19,299) potum dabat ei, cum spongia et calamus praesto essent praeter poscam, provisum erat, ut cruciarüs qui plurimum siti laborabant aliquid potus porrigi posset; dicens : sinite ἄφετε, permittite, ne impediatis; ita scil. dicit iis qui ei suadent ne potum porrigat , de qua suasione refertur Matth. 27,59; videamus, si veniat Elias ad deponendum eum ; nam si non aliquid refectionis ei porrigitur, viribus exhaustus morietur, antequam Elias veniat; proin ut videamus, venturusne sit Elias, opus est ut diutius vivat; ergo sinite ut eum reficiam. Quo animo haec dixerit non consentiunt ; aliqui volunt ea dici per iocum et ludibrium (cf. Schanz), alii cum ironia contra sacerdotes vel pharisaeos , qui volebant impedire : sine, i. e. omitte, videamus etc. ; alii eum solum adoptasse modum loquendi talem, ut id perficere posset ad quod vera miseratione impelleretur (cf. Weiss), quare etiam ut opponeretur illudentibus et ab iis separaretur adhibitam esse particulam δέ; sed nonne nimis oneratur et premitur haec particula? Ceterum cum actio porrigentis potum sit laude digna et verba non necessario opprobrium contra Iesum redoleant, posset ille censeri benevolo egisse animo, praesertim si Luc. 23.36 de alia re explicatur, id quod probabilitate non caret (cf. Poelzi p. 349). Eo tempore quo sacrificium vespertinum singulis diebus offerri solebat et quo illo die in templo agni paschales immolabantur, etiam pascha nostrum immolatus est Christus
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v. 37 Iesus autem emissa voce magna ezspiravit , vocem emittit nagnam, ut ostendat ὅτ' χατ᾽ ἐξουσίαν τὸ πρᾶγμα γίνεται ( Vict.); similiter Theoph. : moritur tamquam dominus, moritur pro sua potestate. Cum ima voce sive sine voce nos morimur qui de terra sumus, ille vero cum exaltata voce exspirat qui de coelo descendit (cat. S. Thom.); ostendit illo clamore se nunc pro sua libertate permittere οἱ potestate, ut causae naturales, cruciatus, defectio et exhaustio virium suum consequantur effectum et animam morte separent a corpore; cf. loan. 10,18 nemo tollit eam (animam) a me, sed ego pono eam a meipso et potestatem (:5o;cíxv) habeo ponendi eam. Clamor hic ad miraculum referri debet; « non enim fieri poterat ut haberet naturalem virtutem ac robur ad eum clamorem emittendum corpus pene exsangue ac vitalibus spiritibus et consequenter viribus fere exhaustum ; et in hoc miraculo ostendit suam potentiam ; sicut enim potuit resistere et superare debilitatem corporis ad sic clamandum, ita potuit morti resistere si vellet et ideo ait d. Thomas declarasse Christum illo facto se esse dominum vitae ac mortis et non necessitate absoluta, sed sponte mortem suscipere, cui facile resistere posset si vellet » (Suarez in 3 p. qu. 50, disp. 38 sect. 1 n. 9). Morte Christi vetus foedus iure cessavit, novum conditur; idque signo manifestatur
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v. 38 e! velum templi scissum est in duo a summo usque deorsum ; ut apostolus docet, id significavit Spiritus sanctus nondum propalatam esse sanctorum viam adhuc priore tabernaculo habente statum (Hebr. 9.8). Verum Christus initiavit nobis viam et introitum in sanctuarium coeleste per carnem suam discissam, per mortem suam, qua scil. per proprium sanguinem introivit in sancta aeterna redemptione inventa (Hebr. 9,19; 10,920). Ad quod significandum velum templi quo aditus ad sancta sanctorum occludebatur scissum est. Illud enim sanctuarium terrestre institutione sua declarabat habitudinem inter Deum et populum. Uti aditus ad ipsum sanctum sanctorum erat clausus, ita nemo ad ipsum sanctuarium coeleste, ad faciem Dei, pertingere potuit. Verum quamprimum Christus cum sanguine suo sacrificali apparebat coram facie Dei (id quod in eius morte fiebat sacrificio consummato), aditus ad coelum patebat redemptis; quare velum templi scinditur. Morte Christi veterem abolitam esse legem apostolus quoque alibi docet (Rom. 7,5. Gal. 2,19). Idem quoque veli scissione declarari certum est; abolitione autem veteris inducitur novum foedus; quare scribit S. Leo : « tunc a lege ad evangelium, a synagoga ad Ecclesiam, a multis sacrificiis ad unam hostiam evidens est facta translatio, ut emittente spiritum Domino velum illud mysticum quod templi penetralia sanctumque secretum suo intercludebat obiectu, a summo usque ad imum vi subita scinderetur, quoniam figuras veritas auferebat et superflui erant nuntii sub praesentia nuntiati » (serm. de pass. 17,3); similiter Euh. Aló. Salmeron etc. Ex abolitione legis porro consequitur eos iri abiectum a Deo qui nihilominus perfracte legi abolitae adhaerere et novum foedus spernere malunt. Quare merito ex scissione veli etiam infertur abiectio templi veteris et populi contumacis (cf. Theoph.) et bene utrumque. inductionem novi et veteris abolitionem significari affirmant S. Leo (serm. de pass. 10,5), Amórosius (ἴῃ Luc. lib. 10 n. 128; M. 15,1836) Vict. Suarez (l. c. sect. 2 n. 1) aliique et immerito Schegg unam solum significationem templi a Deo abiecti esse agnoscendam contendit. De quaestione utrum velum scissum sit, vide Comment. Matth. II p. 536. Romanis refert Marcus centurionem romanum in Iesu morte agnovisse eius dignitatem longe maiorem homine
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v. 39 vezdens autem centurio qui ex adverso stabat , quia sic clamans exspirasset , ait : vere hic homo Filius Deierat ; clamans (vide lect. var.) rectum est interpretamentum. Cum enim cruciarii confectione virium mortem obire solerent, in valido illo clamore merito divinam quandam agnovit potentiam. Vocat eum Filium Dei; audiverat quod primores synagogae illudentes Iesu exprobraverant : dixit enim : quia Filius Dei sum (Matth. 27,43) et nunc cognoscit et fatetur Iesum de se vere testatum esse et irrisiones synedristarum sua confessione condemnat. Centurio hoc uno signo fidem adhibet testimonio Iesu quamvis eum videret a suis popularibus abiectum et morle maxime ignominiosa interemptum, ludaeorum plurimi tot signis visis non credunt neque ei quem a mortuis surrexisse negare non poterant sese subiiciunt. Etiam hic cernitur regnum esse auferendum a Iudaeis et dandum gentibus (Matth. 21,43) et iam quasi quodam auspicio declaratur virtus crucis et mortis Domini ad conversionem gentium. Vide ordinem inversum, ait TAeoph., ludaei interficiunt, gentilis confitetur. Statim itaque Christi mortem sequitur glorificatio non solum a creaturis ratione carentibus sed etiam a rationalibus (Jans. ; cf. Matth. 27,54. Luc. 23,48).
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v. 0 erant autem et mulieres de longe aspicientes, scil. extra turbam (A/5.), inter quas erat Maria Magdalene , ut ab aliis eiusdem nominis Mariae distingueretur, cognomen habuit a Magdala, vico in Galilaea (de ea pluribus egi in Comment. Matth. l[ p. 399 seq.) et Maria [Iacobi minoris τοῦ μιχοοῦ vel iunioris aetate vel parvi statura; habet cognomen ut ab altero Iacobo, filio Zebedaei distinguatur ; vide ad 3,18 e/ loseph mater, graece ᾿Ἰωσῆτος, losis, et^ Salome, mater filiorum Zebedaei;
Vide ordinem conversum : discipuli fugiunt, mulieres manent (Theoph.)
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v. &1 et cum esset in Galilaea , sequebantur eum et ministrabant ei de facultatibus suis (Luc. 8,3), uti S. Hrer. Beda notant, consuetudinis iudaicae fuit nec ducebatur in culpam more gentis antiquo, ut mulieres de substantia sua victum atque vestitum praeceptoribus ministrarent; hoc quia scandalum facere poterat in nationibus Paulus abiecisse se memorat (1 Cor. 9,5) e aliae multae quae simul cum eo ascenderant lerosolymam; aliqui mirati sunt in Matth. 88, al. 89; M. 58,117) Vict. Theoph. Mariam [lacobi esse matrem Iesu et dici matrem [acobi, quia quatenus Iosepho desponsata fuit etiam materi. e. noverca fuerit filiorum loseph. Quam opinionem iam aliqui apud Vict. et Euth. reiiciunt. Marcus eas nomine effert quae eum secutae sunt in Galilaea eique suis facultatibus ministrarunt, inter quas mater eius non erat. Harum mulierum fortitudo et amor in Iesum et fidelitas summopere laudari debet et commendari, quae dum discipuli omnes Ioanne excepto non se sisterent ad crucem Domini, spretis contumeliis non verebantur prae se ferre quanta veneratione prosequerentur eum quem primores, milites, vulgus tamquam vilissimum hominem illudebant. Illas quantum licuit etiam corpus Iesu ad sepulturam curasse et comitatas esse ex v. [7 satis colligitur. Qua in re utique aliis indigebant adiutoribus qui pro ea gloria quae Iesu demortuo debebatur ex oraculo Isaiae (53,9 hebr.) non deerant. Ponitur itaque iam a v. 40, uti merito dicit A/ó., descriptio eorum qui officium funeri Domini impenderunt pietatis
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v. 42 et cum tam sero esset factum , tempus scil. post horam nonam iam vergebat ad finem diei, quia erat parasceve quod est ante sabbatum προσάδθατον cf. Iudith 8,6; redditur ratio cur Iesum deponi de cruce et cito sepeliri necesse fuerit; instabat enim iam sabbatum quod ab occasu solis incipiebat; παρασχευή significat apparationem, praeparationem; eo nomine designatur dies quo praeparabantur quae ad sabbatum necessaria erant. Dies itaque quo Christus crucifixus est appellatur παρασχευή; disceptant utrum ea voce tum temporis solum significata sit feria sexta hebdomadis an potius dies praeparationis vel ad sabbatum vel ad diem festum generatim. Et xus N z ὌΝ ^; : Zz E e VETE PERF HT E sul 2x "ug NN INC Aet B] iis NAAR T Ple aee t ord MA CPINHETST AVR ua OPUS p LoT Ie IR DID COT ACE ETE EAD CET LV: p MARC. 15, 42-43. 427 Schegg quidem opinatur, cum addita declaratione dicatur προσλζόθατον vocem non posse significare nisi feriam sextam; sed haud immerito advertit Schanz etiam dies festos quandoque vocari sabbatum (ita festus dies expiationis et pascha Lev. 16,31; 23,32. 39) et nostro loco eo magis potuisse et debuisse dici προσάδθατον quia παρασχευή revera fuerit feria sexta, ita ut censeri possit Marcum dedisse explicationem vocis non in universum sed eam quae illi diei propria fuerit. Ad unam feriae sextae notionem vox non videtur adstricta nisi tempore seriore ! (cf. Suicerus s. v.). Notant uti Adam parens generis nostri sexta die formatus est, 1ta Christum alterum Adam et reparatorem damnui ab illo illati sexta quoque die morte sua redemptionem perfecisse et humanae reparationis arcanum perfecisse (Vict. Bed. [ans.). Et ut conditor septima die ab opere requievit, ita Christum sabbato, die quietis, in sepulcro requievisse, octavo autem die resurgentem tamquam hominem novum sua resurrectione mundum innovasse vetustate peccati et mortis consumpta. Igitur versus vesperam
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v. 48 vent loseph ab Arimathaea, de Ramathaim (1 Reg. 1,1) hebr. cum articulo e&no35, LXX ᾿Αρμαθαίμ, urbs erat in tribu Iuda inter Bethlehem et Hebron (cf. de Hummelauer, Comment. in 1 Sam. p. 30 seq.), noóilis decurio βουλευτής, senator, membrum synedrii, uti ex Luc. 23,51 quoque colligitur; εὐσχήuev 1. e. ἐπίσημος (Vict.), σευνὸς, εὐλαδὴς, ἄμεμπτος (Theoph.); σεμνὸς χαὶ χόσμιος (Euth.), vox proprie dicit decorum et honestum, optimam habentem formam et figuram, dein honore, auctoritate, opibus insignem, qu: et ἴρ56 (vel sicut mulieres vel quamvis esset ex primoribus qui generatim Iesum repudiabant) erat exspectans regnum Dei, qui regnum messiauum praestolabatur Iesumque Messiam agnoscebat, e/ audacter introivit ad Pilatum et petüt corpus Iesu, *oXwcac non potest referri ad petitionem quam Pilato proposuit. Cum enim Pilatus Iesum saepius ab omni culpa immunem declarasset ct eum invitus et a Iudaeis coactus supplicio tradidisset, talis petitio nullam criminis vel suspicionis maculam in losephum coniicere poterat apud Pilatum, neque putandum est cum Weiss eum eiusmodi dubitationes Pilati quales prodit v. 4&4 timuisse; nam Iosephus scivit Iesum esse mortuum ; cur igitur de tali cogitatione ei in mentem veniret? Sed cum tali petitione se profiteretur fautorem Iesu, non poterat non in se concitare odium et furorem principum sacerdotum aliorumque synedristarum (Theoph. Salm. Schanz). Hanc eius audaciam declaratam quoque cernimus eo quod Ioan. 19,38 refertur eum fuisse discipulum Iesu, occultum autem propter metum ludaeorum. Ecce iam alius fructus morlis Christi; excutit istum timorem et quem non ausus est confiteri patrantem miracula et a populo festiva acclamatione salutatum, hunc crucifixum et opprobriis oneratum et mortuum generoso ac forti animo palam confiteri et agnoscere Dominum non veretur. Nunc post mortem Christi multum audet (Vzct.); passio et mors Iesu ei attulit fortitudinem. Cruciarii admodum lente conficiebantur, adeo ut quidam compluribus diebus penderent antequam morerentur (Patr.) qui scil. non, uti Iesus, cruciatibus anteactis et crudelissima flagellatione aliisque ludibriis iam pene esset enecati ante crucifixionem. Pilatus pro sua levitate et lentitudine parum curans de rebus Iesu iam oblitus esse videtur quot et quanta Iesus sustinuisset;
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v. &4 Pilatus autem mirabatur, si iam obusset, et accersito. centurione interrogavit eum , si tam mor- (uus esset; vide quot testimoniis mors Christi constet; ceterum cf. Ioan. 19,33. 34;
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v. 45 et cum cognovisset a centurione , donavit corpus Joseph; donavit, ea in re Pilatus ab avaritia, cuius haud immerito accusatur, sibi temperavit. Utique valde probrosum habebatur vendere interfectorum sepulturam, id quod v. g. Cicero Verri crimini vertit (9,43. 51; alia exempla vide apud Wertstein, Schegg);
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v. &6 Ioseph autem mercatus sindonem ; habes iterum aliud indicium eum diem non fuisse diem maximae sollemnitatis (cf. v. 21.49; Schanz, Wetss), vide quoque Ioan. 19,39; et deponens eum de cruce, utique non solus, aderat Nicodemus quoque et ex discipulis saltem Ioannes, ?nvolv:t stndone, « et ideo etiam Ecclesia corpus eius non nisi in panno lineo involvit » (A4/6.) et posuit eum in monumento quod erat de petra « dinorum Iudaeorum sepulcra in rupibus in modum cubiculi excavata erant aditusque ad ea patebat per ostium quod lapide erecto occludebatur » (Patr.). Censet Salmeron non sine divina providentia in petra fuisse excisum sepulcrum, ne possent ludaei corpus effossum e terra per cuniculos secretos et sic a discipulis raptum calumniari, el advolvit lapidem ad ostium monumenti, qui erat magnus valde (16,4); ostendit saxum magnum absque auxilio plurimorum sepulcrum 'non potuisse reserari (S. Hier.). | « Laudibus celebrantur in sacris litteris qui serio operi pio mortuos sepeliendi incumbunt et inter alios summe commendatur Tobias senior el a Davide commendantur viri labes Galaad quod cum vitae discrimine corpus Saul ex muro Bethsan in quo fuerat appensum attulerint et honeste tumulaverint... quanta igitur sit gloria, honor et commemoratio in Ecclesia Dei losephi et Nicodemi, qui honorifice Christi corpus magnaque cum fide sepulcro condiderunt testantur quattuor evangelistae quorum unusquisque non putavit hanc historiam sibi esse silentio supprimendam » (Sa/meron, tract. 49). Neque minus commendandae sunt piae mulieres quae sicut Christo in cruce pendenti adstiterunt ita ab eo in sepulcro condito separari non posse videntur
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v. &7 Maria autem Magdalene et Maria [oseph , 'ocz- Toc, aspiciebant. ubi poneretur τέθειται ubi positus esset; qui ipsum iam non possunt contemplari, amore et dolore perfusae oculos fixos habent ibi ubi Iesus conditus iacet. Ita scil. est amantium, qui si amicus iam non aspici potest oculis quaerunt absentem , oculis sequuntur abeuntem , oculos animosque pascunt contemplatione eorum quae eius memoriam revocant. Plerique tamen ideo aspexisse eas explicant, ut congruo tempore redirent ad sepulcrum et ungerent corpus Iesu officium pietatis et devotionis funeri impendentes (Bed. Aló. Salm. Fil.). Verum solummodo locum notasse, ut postea rite eum invenirent, certe nimis ieiunum est; saltem addi debet eas constitui testes uti mortis, ita sepulturae, quo meliores quoque evaderent testes resurrectionis. Sed in ἐθεώρουν prius illud exprimi censeo eas magno cum Iesu desiderio contemplatas esse eius sepulcrum et iam suo exemplo et sua devotione praeisse omnibus illis qui per saecula non verebantur nec verentur subire itineris longi molestias, ut ipsi quoque aspicerent ubi positus esset.
15:1
On est au second chant du coq qui marque l'aurore, donc vers cinq heures du matin, car le mois d'avril est commencé. Aussitôt après, Me. indique une nouvelle réunion des sanhédrites, qui paraît non moins complète, ὅλον τὸ συνέδριον, 1] s'agit de ποιεῖν συμθούλιον. L’actif au lieu du moyen employé par les Attiques est assez naturel (Blass, 187; Moulion, 159). — συμδούλιον répond au latin consilium, c'est même probablement un mot forgé pour représenter le latin (Mommsen cité par Deissmaxx, Neue Bibelstudien, 65) : PLut. Rom. 14 κωνσίλιον γὰρ ἔτι νῦν τὸ συμθούλιον χαλοῦσι. Or consilium qui signifiait d'abord alcquid faciendi aut non faciendi excogitata ratio (Cic. ἤπρ. 1, $ 86) a pris le 5605 de concilium, « assemblée », et c'est seulement dans ce sens qu’on a cité συμϑού- Xtov (Detssmann, ἐ. Z. pour les papyrus; Dirt. Orient. graeei inser. 441, 95 : μετὰ συμδουλίου γνώμης [de consilit sententia]; 445, 9, 8; 249). De même IV Mac. xvir, 17 (N V)et Act. xxv, 12. Cependant dans Me. πα, 6 et dans Mt. xn, 14; xx, 15; xxvIt, 1. 7: χχυπι, 12, συμθούλιον a le sens de délibération, et c’est bien ce qu'a entendu Mt. en mettant ici ἔλαδον au lieu de ποιήσαντες. C'est encore plus la pensée des mss. NCL qui ont lu ἑτοιμάσαντες (préféré par Tisch. οἱ Mestle), marquant bien la préparation d'un projet destiné à être soumis à Pilate. Moulton (£. 1.) cite en grec moderne συμβούλιο γιὰ νὰ κάμουν en parlant de consulter un médecin. Même en lisant ποιήσαντες, leçon beaucoup mieux attestée, la pensée de Me. est claire. {1 ne s'agit plus de procéder contre Jésus, mais de s'entendre pour obtenir de Pilate une condamnation, ὥστε θανατῶσαι αὐτόν, comme a compris Mt. On a imaginé que les sanhédrites, ayant consejence qu'une condamnation à mort prononcée la nuit était invalide, avaient voulu la renouveler de jour. Mais la Michna (Sank.1v, 5 5.) n'exigeait pas seulement que la séance, commencée de jour, finît de jour; elle voulait que la condamnation fût ajournée au lendemain, et interdisait dans ce but de juger la veille du sabbat ou la veille d'une fête. Les sanhédrites ne se sont pas préoccupés de tout cela. Jésus est lié solidement puisqu'on doit traverser la ville. Il avait été ligoté sommairement lors de l'arrestation (cf. xiv, 46; Jo. xvnr, 42), mais probablement détaché pendant l'interrogatoire. B. Weiss a prétendu que dans la pensée de Me. il n'y avait qu'une réunion, dont le récit, interrompu par celui du reniement de Pierre, était ici repris. Mais il paraît assez évident que Mc. distingue deux réunions. On peut concéder à Loisy que l'expression « tout le sanhédrin » est une généralisation un peu outrée ; on peut bien admettre qu’il manquait quelques membres, Cependant il y a une difficulté réelle à concilier Mc. avec Le. qui ne parle que d'une séance, tenue au matin, et dans laquelle on a fait comparaître Jésus. Knab. admet une double comparution, contre toute évidence, puisque Le. place le matin la même scène que Mt. et Mc. ont placée la nuit. D'après Me. et Mt., Jésus n’a pas dû assister à la délibération du matin qui avait pour but de le perdre auprès du gouverneur. Il faut dire avec Schanz que Le. a transposé. Jésus est donc livré à Pilate par la suprême autorité de sa nation (syrsin. ajoute même le peuple!). Pontius Pilatus était officiellement procurator provinciae Judaeae; c'était le titre du magistrat romain qui gouvernait la Judée depuis la déposition d'Archélaüs. On n'avait pas voulu l’englober directement dans la province romaine de Syrie, comme aujourd'hui encore Jérusalem et sa région est gouvernée non par un wali, comme les autres provinces de l'empire, mais par un mutesarrif. Cependant le procurateur de Judée, tout en ayant le jus gladit et le commandement d’une force militaire, était d'une certaine façon sous la dépendance du légat de Syrie. Pilate (Tac. Ann. XV, 44; PHiLon, Legatio ad Caium, p. 589 s.), après avoir gouverné dix ans, envoyé à Rome comme accusé par Vitellius légat de Syrie, apprit en route la mort de Tibère {mars 87). Il fut donc gouverneur de l'an 26 à l'an 36. Josèphe en a parlé souvent (Ant, XVIII, τι, 2; τι, 1-2; ἵν, 4-2; vi, 5. Bell, IT, 1x, 2-4). I ἃ laissé parmi les Juifs le plus néfaste souvenir. Philon (Leg. ,; M., II, p. 590) cite une lettre d'Agrippa 1° qui lui attribue tous les excès que pouvait commettre un magistrat romain, corruption de la justice, insolence, pillages, meurtres sans jugement, calomnies, avec un caractère indomptable et cruel. Ce Romain semble avoir estimé, comme le plus grand nombre des procurateurs, qu'on n’aurait raison des Juifs qu'en employant la manière forte. Il n'avait rien à tirer de Jésus, et il comprenait très bien qu’il ne menaçait pas le bon ordre. Les évangélistes le montrent indifférent au fond sur le sort d'un pauvre malheureux qu'il eût cependant préféré ne pas condamner. Ils sont certainement beaucoup plus indulgents pour lui que les Juifs ne l'ont été; mais on connaît l'exaspération de leur nationalisme. Mc. met Pilate en scène sans indiquer que sa présence à Jérusalem était exceptionnelle. Ordinairement il résidait à Césarée, la véritable capitale romaine du pays, mais il venait à l'occasion à Jérusalem (Bell. IT, 1x, 4); sa présence au moment de la Pâque y est d'autant plus naturelle que le grand concours du peuple amenait souvent des troubles à cette occasion. D'après Josèphe (Bell. IT, xiv : 8 Φλῶρος δὲ τότε μὲν ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις αὐλίζεται, IL, xv, ὅ : Φλῶρος... ἐξῆγε τῆς βασιλικῆς αὐλῆς τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ), Florus résidait dans le palais d'Hérode, et on peut conclure que c'était aussi la résidence de Pilate, puisque, d'après Agrippa Ier (PxiLow, Leg. p. 589), Pilate y avait fait placer des boucliers dorés (ἀνατίθησιν ἐν τοῖς χατὰ τὴν ἱερόπολιν “Πρώδου βασιλείοις ἐπιχρύσους ἀσπίδας). Ce palais d'Hérode, d'après l'usage de Josèphe, n'est pas la tour Antonia, dominant le Temple, mais un palais situé à l’ouest de la ville, où se trouve aujourd'hui une caserne, ancienne citadelle dite tour de David.
15:2
Pilate interroge Jésus sur ses prétentions messianiques. Il est clair que les sanhédrites lui ont fait la leçon, comme l’explique très bien Le. Probablement Mc. n'a pas voulu dire deux fois ce qui figure au v. 8. Les sanhédrites ont présenté l'affaire au point de vue romain. Voici un homme qui se dit roi; il est donc en révolte contre l'autorité romaine et passible de mort. Pilate devait naturellement dire : « roi des Juifs ». La petite phrase ne va pas sans un certain mépris, soit des Juifs, soit de celui qui prétend être leur roi. Jésus répond σὺ λέγεις (Mt., Le., Jo.). Dans cette formule, et dans le cas semblable σὺ εἶπας (Mt. xxvi, 64; xxvit, 11; Le. xx11, 70; xx, 8; Jo. xvuir, 84), faut-il appuyer sur le pronom, de façon que le sens soit : « c'est toi qui le dis », sans affirmer ni nier (7héoph., Swete, Merx, Klost., Moulton, 86), ou le sens est-il affirmatif (OriGÈnE, etc., opinion commune)? Blass (265) paraît avoir touché juste en se prononçant pour le sens aflirmatif, avec cette nuance qu'on ne l’aurait pas dit si l'on n'avait été interrogé (cf. Euririne, Mipp.352 σοῦ τάδ᾽ οὖκ ἐμοῦ χλύεις, qui est bien un aveu). Jésus n'a jamais pris le titre de roi des Juifs, et ce titre est loin de caractériser exactement sa personne et son rôle, mais enfin interrogé solennellement par cet étranger, il reconnait être le roi des Juifs. Il ne pourrait donner une réponse négative sans entrer dans une discussion qu'il ne lui sied pas de provoquer; sic respondit ut et verum diceret et sermo eius calumniae non pateret (JÉR. in Mt. xxvn, 11).
15:3
Les chefs des prêtres interviennent au cours de l'interrogatoire pour charger l'accusé; mais ils ont dù déjà exposer leur dénonciation. Mc. s’est jeté d'abord in medias res (sur cet ordre cf. v, 7 et 8); ici encore il ne nous explique pas pourquoi les accusateurs insistent (πολλά [?], cf. 1, 45), ou plutôt multiplient (πολλά) les griefs; Pilate n'aura pas paru bien convaincu que Jésus était un agitateur. L'aveu ne suffisait pas à le faire condamner, surtout énoncé avec la restriction que Jo. {xvin, 37) nous fait connaître, et qui ἃ dès lors donné à penser à Pilate que la question était plus religieuse que politique. C'est ce point, omis par Mc., qui explique le mieux l'attitude de Pilate. &) Pilate a plus d'une fois dans sa carrière de gouverneur bravé l'opposition des Juifs qu'il méprisait. Il ne dut pas les croire facilement sur parole. Ceuxci ne pouvaient lui dénoncer Jésus comme agitateur messianique sans affecter de prendre les intérêts de Rome. Tout cela était assez étrange, et le gouverneur eût été bien aise d'apprendre de la bouche de Jésus le motif de la haine que lui avait vouée la hiérarchie. Il s'étonne qu'il ne réponde pas à tant d’accusations (πόσα répondant à πολλά, dont le sens est ainsi précisé) portées contre lui (rarnyopoiat», et non xatauæorupouatv, leçon syrienne).
15:5
D'après s. Jér. : Jesus autem nihil respondere voluit, ne crimen diluens a praeside dimitteretur, et crucis utilitas differretur (sur Mt. xxvn, 18 ss.). Les choses étaient désormais entre les mains de son Père; il avait accepté la mort; il ne lui convenait pas d'être partie contre les chefs de son peuple devant le tribunal d'un étranger. Pilate s'étonne de cette résignation si rare, et peut-être entrevoit-il dans ce silence la réponse la plus digne qu'on puisse faire à la calomnie : « seul le silence est grand », a dit Vigny.
15:6
κατὰ δὲ ἑορτήν sans l'art. doit signifier « à chaque fête » et non pas « à l’occasion de la fête », comme on dit καθ’ ἡμέραν, κατ᾽ ἐνιαυτόν. Au fond Le sens est le même, car cette fête ne peut être que la fête de Pâque. La concession ne se faisait donc très probablement qu'une fois par an. La leçon ὃν παρῃτοῦντο, des plus anciens mss. (N'AB'), est sacrifiée par Blass (37) à celle de DG ὃν ἂν ἠτοῦντο qui n’est qu'une correction dans le sens de l'élégance. On objecte que παραιτεῖσθαι signifie demander grâce, avec l'accus. de la personne à laquelle on s'adresse, παρῃτεῖτο τὴν βασίλισσαν (Esth. vu, 7). Mais Polybe (IV, 11, 1) a écrit παραιτεῖσθαι τὸν ᾿Ανδρόμαχον, « demander la mise en liberté d'Andromaque » (Piur. Syll. 31), dans le même sens que Me. La variante ὅνπερ ἡτοῦντο a contre elle que ὅσπερ ne paraît nulle part dans le N. T.; c'est aussi une correction élégante. Le fait lui-même, attesté par les évangélistes, ἃ été révoqué en doute. « Mais il faut avouer que l’assertion de Marc se présente bien plutôt en forme de légende populaire que de coutume juridique » (Loisy, Il, 642). Jusqu'à présent on ne pouvait guère l’appuyer que des textes de Tite Live (v, 43) sur le lecti sternium : vinctis quoque demia in eos dies vincula et d'Athénée sur la fête des Peloria καὶ τοὺς δεσμώτας λύειν, On connaît aujourd'hui une analogie plus précise. Un papyrus (Papiri greco-egisii, n° 61, publiés par G. Vitelli) de l’an 86 à 88 ap. J.-C., est le procès-verbal d'une audience de C. Septimius Vegetus, préfet d'Égypte. Il semble que l’une des parties qui comparaissent devant son tribunal, nommé Phibion, à essayé de se faire justice en mettant la main sur son adversaire et les femmes de sa maison. Le préfet déclare que de ce chef il ἃ mérité la flagellation; mais, ajoute-t-il, je te pardonne en faveur de la foule : Σεπτίμιος Οὐεγετος τῶι Φιδίωνι : Ἄξιος μ[ὲ]ν ἧς μαστιγωθῆναι... χαρίζομαι δέ σε τοῖς ὄχλοις. L'éditeur annote : cosa vorrà dire in questo contesto? C'era una folla che non voleva la fustigazione di Phibion ? Involontariamente si pensa ἃ Pilato e Barabba (p. es. Marc. 15, 45 etc.). La lezione, ad ogni modo, ὁ sicura. Et il est certain que la sentence est fort énigmatique, mais la rémission de peine en faveur du public paraît assurée. Il demeure très difficile de préciser le caractère juridique de la décision prise par Pilate. Est-ce une abolitio, prévenant la condamnation, ou une ἐπdulgentia, une véritable grâce? Ici il semble bien qu'il y ἃ abolüio Jésus n'est pas encore condamné, et rien ne prouve que Barabbas l'ait été. L'abolitio s'exerçait précisément aux grandes fêtes : Abolitio aut publice fit ob diem insignem, aut publicam gratulationem (Par. lib. 2 de Adult.) Si interveniente publica abolitione ex Senatusconsulto (ut fieri adsolet}, vel ob laetitiam aliquam, vel honorem domus divinae, vel ex aliqua causa (ULrreN, De adult. 3), dans Dic. xzvur, 16, 8. Il est vrai que normalement l'abolitio émanait du pouvoir souverain, mais, quand le pouvoir romain était à peine installé dans les pays conquis, les proconsuls avaient sans doute des droits plus étendus. C’est du moins ce qui résulte d'un texte de Pline le Jeune (X, 40) à propos d'esclaves publics dont on pouvait prouver qu'ils avaient été condamnés, et dont on savait qu'ils n'avaient pas fait leur peine : Ærant tamen qui dicerent, deprecantes iussu proconsulum legatorumve dimissos (cf, H. Recnaurr, Une province procuratorienne..., p. 127 ss.).
15:7
Ce verset serait peut-être mieux à sa place après le v. 8, ou même après le v. 10. Mec. a-t-il simplement mis en vedette la personnalité de Barabbas sans attacher beaucoup d'importance à cet ordre, ou veut-il suggérer que Barabbas avait ses partisans qui mirent le peuple en branle? ὁ λεγόμενος marque aussi bien un nom (Le. xxn, 47; Jo. 1x, 11) qu'un surnom. Ici il s’agit proprement du nom qui désigne un individu par son père. Une inscription voisine de Chobak, découverte en 1896, parle d’un certain Æonainou bar-Aba, surnommé Abdallahi (Corpus inscr. sem., partie araméenne, I, 346). Bar-Aba, ou plutôt Bar-Abba, se retrouve aussi à Palmyre (Linzsarski, Ephemeris, 1, 204. 205), et très fréquemment parmi les rabbins. Le sens est simplement : fils d'Abba, comme le prouve l’historiette : « Quelqu'un disait : Je cherche Abba. On lui répondit : El y ἃ ici beaucoup d'Abba. Il dit : Je cherche Abba bar-Abba. On lui répondit : Il y a ici beaucoup d’Abba bar-Abba. ΤΙ dit enfin : Je cherche Abba bar-Abba, Le père de Samuel » (ὁ. Berakoth, 182), Comme Abba lui-même signifie « le Père », on aurait pu recourir à cette étymologie. Saint Jérôme suppose plutôt la forme Bar-Rabban, quand il interprète : 1516 in evangelio, qui scribitur juxta Hebraeos, filius magistri eorum interpretatur (in Mt. xxvin, 16), mais peut-être s'est-il contenté d'une approximation. En tout cas Bar-Rabban est une forme beaucoup moins vraisemblable, d'autant que Rabban ne semble pas avoir été employé comme nom propre. Bar-Rabba (schol. du Cod. 5. cité par Τί, sur Mt. xxvu, 17 : ὅπερ ἑρμηνεύεται διδασχάλου υἱός) serait vraisemblable, mais n'est pas indiqué par la forme Βαραδδᾶς. Origène lisait, dans la majorité des mss. (de Mt.!), semble-t-il « Lequel voulez-vous que je vous concède, Jésus Barabbas, ou Jésus dit le Christ?» (sur Mt. 121). Il ajoute : 7π multis exemplaribus non continetur quod Barabbas etiam Jesus dicebatur, et forsitan recte ut ne nomen Jesu conveniat alicui iniquorum. Cette leçon a persisté dans quatre mss. cursifs de Mt., le syrsin. et l'arm. de Mt. On ne sait si elle est due à une erreur de copiste (YMININ, IN doublé par mégarde aurait été lu [ἡσουν) ou à une interpolation voulue, comme le suggère Origène. Le fils d'Abba aurait naturellement pu se nommer Jésus, mais on ne peut le conclure d'un fait textuel aussi mince. Barabbas faisait partie d'un groupe de séditieux; στασιαστής, courant dans la koinè au sens de séditieux (Jos. Ant, XIV, 1, 3, etc.), venant de στασιάζειν, était plus clair que στασιώτης (attique), de στάσις qui signifiait à la fois factieux et conservateur. — στάσις, ici « émeute » et non « situation stable », avec l’article. Loïsy juge de cela sommairement : « c’est une façon populaire, on pourrait dire enfantine, de présenter un fait dont celui même qui en parle ne sait rien » (II, 642, n. 4). Mais Mc. nous a aussi parlé de Pilate sans nous dire qui il était, et Pilate est très authentique; il a pu faire allusion à une sédition récente au moment du procès de Jésus, et dont on avait conservé le souvenir. Il est sûr d’ailleurs que ce fait historique n'a pas d'importance spéciale à ses yeux. — πεποιήχεισαν, comme au v. 10 παραδεδώχεισαν, Cf. δεδώχει χιν, 44; pl.-que-parf. sans augment, négligence qui se généralisait de plus en plus.
15:8
Lire ἀναδάς (NBD) avec Κρ. cum ascendisset contre le torrent des mss. grecs et les syrr., qui lisent ἀναδοήσας « ayant crié » (même confusion II Regn. xxut, 9: IV Regn. in, 21; Os. vu, 9). Il semble que la foule monte de la ville vers le lieu plus élevé où se trouvait le prétoire, car on ne peut songer à ce moment à une foule qui aurait envahi l’estrade où se tenait Pilate; ce n’est pas la scène de Act. xxr, 35. Le peuple vient demander la grâce accoutamée; peut-être a-t-il déjà en vue Barabbas, dont Me. a prononcé le nom. — Καθώς est condamné par Phrynichus (Rutherford, #95) comme contraire à l'usage attique, et de plus la tournure est fort elliptique, D'après Me., les accusateurs s'étaient bien gardés d'attirer le populaire dont ils redoutaient les sympathies pour Jésus. On dirait que la foule est venue pour ses raisons à elle (Knab.). Le. a déjà mentionné les ὄχλοι (xxnr, 4) parce qu'il n'a pas parlé de la démarche de la foule.
15:9
Pilate saisit l'occasion de délivrer Jésus sans que les chefs de la nation aient un prétexte de se plaindre et de le dénoncer. Il propose à la foule de lui concéder la liberté de Jésus, qu'il savait déjà moins dangereux que ceux qu'il tenait sous les verrous. Maïs il est maladroit en lui donnant le nom de roi des Juifs qui ne pouvait plaire au peuple. Cependant, ce titre et la précaution de ne parler que de Jésus sont soutenus par Jo. xvm, 40, et sont plus vraisemblables que le choix proposé par Pilate entre Barabbas et Jésus nommé le Messie; Mt. (xxvn, 17) suit donc les faits de moins près, quoique sa maniére plus sommaire ne soit pas en contradiction positive avec celle de Me.
15:10
Pilate aurait été vraiment trop au-dessous de sa situation, s’il n'avait percé à jour la machination de la hiérarchie. Il comprend très bien que les grands prêtres sont jaloux du crédit de Jésus auprès du peuple, et c’est précisément pour cela qu’il fait appel au peuple. — παρέδωχαν de D est une correction qui n'est même pas heureuse, car l'action conserve toules ses suites (Blass, 205).
15:11
Avécetoav, Ve, concitaverunt, leçon qui fait d'autant plus d'honneur à la Fg. que l'anc.-lat. lisait ἀνέπεισαν (D), « ils persuadérent ». ἀνασείειν, dans le sens de soulever la foule, locution hellénistique (Denys D'HaL. Ant. vit, 81; T1 était raisonnable de laisser à la foule un peu de temps pour désigner son candidat. Il est pius étrange que cette multitude, jusque-là sympathique à Jésus, ait changé si vite d'opinion. Le fait n'est pas cependant sans exemples. La popularité du général Boulanger est tombée le jour même où l’on a appris la nouvelle de sa fuite en Belgique, et l’immense majorité de ceux qui ont lu la lettre du comte de Chambord en octobre 1873 a compris en dix minutes que la restauration monarchique avait avorté. Dans certaines situations on est tout, ou l’on n'est rien. Le Messie enchaîné devant un procurateur romain éveillait une idée si grotesque aux yeux des Juifs, que ceux mêmes qui avaient espéré en Jésus durent subir un désenchantement qui se changea en colère. Peut-être donna-t-on à entendre à ceux qui le plaignaient qu'il s’en lirerait autrement, tandis que Barabbas, un héros de l'indépendance, et si gravement compromis! Bref, nous ne connaissons pas tous les ressorts qui furent mis en jeu, mais il est très léger d'écrire de cette scène : « ce sont autant de traits qui conviennent mieux à la fiction légendaire qu’à l’histoire, et qui ressembleraient plutôt à un effet de théâtre, dans un mélodrame ou une pièce enfantine, qu’à la réalité » {(Loisy, 11, 644). Ge qui est puéril, c’est de prétendre discerner ainsi ce qui est possible en histoire.
15:12
Pilate revient à son idée. Qu'un mouvement généreux circulât dans la foule, et elle se serait écriée : « Délivrez-le aussi! » Mais Pilate cède à la tentation de mettre les Juifs en contradiction avec eux-mêmes. « Allez-vous donc condamner celui que vous nommez le roi des Juifs? » Et cela est d'autant plus offensant que c’est bien lui, Pilate, qui ἃ créé ce titre, le seul qui exprime assez son mépris. — ποιεῖν τινά rt ne signifie pas faire quelque chose à quelqu'un (dans ce sens D ἃ omis ὃν λέγετε et écrit βασιλεῖ), mais faire quel- - que chose de quelqu'un (Blass, 94),
15:13
Πάλιν « de nouveau » suppose qu'ils ont poussé des clameurs pour demander la mise en liberté de Barabbas; cela est contenu dans le v. 11; d’ailleurs cf. n, 18 pour un sens plus large de πάλιν. — otaupéw, de σταυρός « pieu », d'abord « élever une palissade », puis « crucifier » (Pozvse, I, LxxxvI, 4). La populace est maintenant exaspérée; avec ce frisson de cruauté qui traverse parfois les foules, elle demande pour Jésus la peine de mort, telle que les Romains l'avaient si souvent infligée à des Juifs.
15:14
Origène : Quid enim male fecit? Contra hoc nihil habentes quod responderent, amplius clamaverunt, non deponentes, sed augentes iram, animositatem, blasphemiam, et dixerunit : Crucifigatur (sur Mt.). Les raisonnements ne servent plus de rien quand la bête est déchaînée.
15:15
Τὸ ἱκανὸν ποιῆσαι est un latinisme, satisfacere, qui avait pénétré en grec depuis Polybe; ef. Act. xvir, 9. Mc. ne dit pas expressément à qui Jésus fut remis, mais pour Barabbas il dit que ce fut au peuple. Le contraste est déjà significatif, et il est clair par la suite que Jésus fut remis aux soldats. Le mot παρέδωχε renferme donc une condamnation qui ne pouvait faire défaut, mais Mc.est moins préoccupé de la procédure juridique que du contraste; Barabbas mis en liberté, Jésus livré au supplice. Il faut voir dans Jo. xix, & ss. un dernier effort de Pilate pour sauver Jésus. Mc. tire au plus court. — φραγελλοῦν, fagellare, est encore un latinisme propre à Me. (et à Mt.!}, sauf quelques écrivains chrétiens. Les Grecs disaient μαστιγοῦν (10. et le papyrus italien n° 61 sur v. 5). Le flagellum était composé de lanières. Celui qui servait au châtiment des esclaves dans les cas graves se nommaït flagrum; il y en avait de deux sortes, l'un de lanières garnies d'osselets, l’autre de chaînettes de fer terminées par des boules de métal. Tandis que la fustigation ou la bastonnade n'était pas infamante et pouvait être infligée à des hommes libres, la flagellation était le lot des esclaves. Les effets en étaient terribles, caedere, secare, scindere pour le flagellum dont les fines lanières cinglaient la peau, rumpere et pinsere pour le flagrum; fodere οἱ forare si l'instrument était muni de piquants (article flagellum, Dict. des ant). On attachaït le condamné à un poteau. La loi romaine ne soumettait les citoyens romains ni à la fustigation, ni à la flagellation. Les provinciaux condamnés à mort étaient ordinairement flagellés avant le dernier supplice : Tire Live, ΧΧΧΠΙ, 86 : alios verberatos crucibus adfirit; Jos. Bell. 11, x1v, 9 : μάστιξιν προαιχισάμενος ἀνεσταύρωσεν, et plus bas : μαστιγῶσαί τε πρὸ τοῦ βήματος καὶ σταυρῷ προσηλῶσι οἱ Bell, V, χι, 1; cf. Lucien, Pise. 2. Saint Jér. sur Mt. xxvnr, 26 : Set sciendum est Romanis eum legibus ministrasse quibus sancitum est, ut qui crucifigitur, prius flagellis verberetur, 16-209, JÉSUS EST GOURONNÉ D'ÉPINES ET TOURNÉ EN DÉRISION PAR LES SOLDATS (ME. xxvn, 27-312; cf. Jo. χιχ, 2-3),
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Certaines circonstances demeurent très obscures. La garnison normale de Jérusalem n'était que d’une cohorte (Senverer, 1, 464), commandée par un tribun (Act. xx1, 31). Cette cohorte avait sa caserne (dans les Actes παρεμθολή, XXI, 34. 87; xxn1, 24; xxutr, 10. 16. 32) dans la tour Antonia, située au nord du Temple; nous le savons par les Actes (χχι, 31-40) et par Josèphe (Bell. V, v, 8). Si donc σπεῖρα esl la cohorte tenant garnison à Jérusalem, on placera cette cour ou prétoire dans l'Antonia, qui devra être aussi à ce moment la résidence de Pilate, car les évangélistes montrent clairement que 16 jugement et la scène de dérision se sont passés au même lieu. Mais on peut objecter que Pilate, venant à Jérusalem, n'y venait certainement pas sans escorte. Il avait pu amener une autre cohorte, des cinq qui tenaient garnison à Césarée (ScauereR, I, 460), ou du moins un manipule, qui se disait aussi en grec σπεῖρα, et ces soldats, affectés à la personne du gouverneur, avaient naturellement leur quartier auprès de lui; le palais de l'ouest avait logé, au temps de Sabinus, plusieurs milliers de soldats (Bell. 11, 1v, 4). Mt. dit plus spécialement οἱ στρατιῶται τοῦ ἡγεμόνος, ce qui pourrait être interprété dans ce sens. Un autre doute sur la phrase ἔσω τῆς αὐλῆς, ὅ ἐστιν πραιτώριον. La Vg. in atrium praetorit serait beaucoup plus aisée à comprendre, le prétoire signifiant couramment la résidence du général en chef, soit dans un camp, soit dans une ville (αν, praetorium de M. Cagnat, dans le Dict. des Ant.); aussi Blass (Æxpos. Times, X, 186) propose de lire τῆς αὐλῆς τοῦ πραιτωρίου, ce qui est par trop arbitraire. On a déjà vu Mc. expliquer un mot grec par un mot latin (xx, 42), sans parler des cas où il explique un mot ou un usage hébreu (nr, 17; vu, 11. 34; xv, 43). Il donne donc spécialement le nom de prétoire à une cour intérieure, qui paraît bien être celle d’une caserne. Les prétoires des camps se composaient plus ordinairement de trois cours, l’une plus monumentale à l'entrée, l'autre entourée de magasins et de dépôts d'armes (à Lambèse on y a trouvé le règlement d'un collège des armorum custodes), la troisième était la cour sacrée, terminée par des chapelles où l’on déposait les enseignes. Dans le palais d'Hérode on ne pouvait pas sans doute suivre un ordre aussi strict; mais on a pu donner le nom spécial de prétoire à la cour où se réunissaient les soldats. Me. est donc ici en parfait accord avec Jo. qui suppose que le prétoire était à l'intérieur. On ne donnait donc pas le nom de prétoire à tout l'immense édifice {au contraire à Césarée, Act. xx, 35, ἐν τῷ πραιτωρίῳ τοῦ Πρῴδου), mais seulement à l’une de ses cours, ce qui a été aussi constaté à Lambèse (cf. Cacnar, L'armée d'Afrique, p- 525 ss.), pour la première cour. Le terme de prétoire avait encore quelque chose de militaire, et l'on sait que le quartier général des cohortes à Rome, organisé sous Tibère, porta ce nom. Si σπεῖρα ἃ son sens normal de cohorte, on comptera au maximum six cents hommes, en fait environ cinq cents à cette époque. On convoque tout le monde; mais ce ne sont que des appels particuliers, de soldat à soldat, et il est dans la nature des choses que la plupart des soldats, ou ne se sont pas dérangés, ou sont demeurés spectateurs. Les meneurs sont ceux auxquels on a confié le soin de crucifier Jésus.
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ἐνδιδύσκειν, forme tardive pour ἐνδύειν (II Regn. 1, 24). La pourpre est probablement une casaque rouge (Mt. γλαμύδα χοχκίνην) qui représente un manteau de pourpre. Les Romains qui n’en usaient pas, quoique maîtres du monde (1 Mac. vin, 14), n'avaient pu sans doute voir qu'avec dédaïn un roi de Syrie conférer la pourpre etune couronne d’or à l'Asmonéen Jonathan (1 Mac, x, 20). Quelle raillerie plus amère vis-à-vis du pauvre prétendant Jésus! On y joint la couronne, στέφανον, que Mc. pouvait entendre dans le sens du diadème royal; la locution στέφανον περιθεῖναι est classique (Escx. fragm. 190; Ar. Egq. 1227). — ἀκάνθινος ἃ été trouvé sur un papyrus (Expos., feb. 1908, 175) dans le sens spécial de branche d'acantha, acacia d'Égypte qui fournit la gomme arabique, mais ici c'est synonyme de ἐξ ἀκανθῶν, « d'épines ». On a souvent désigné le Zizyphus spina Christi, qui prospère admirablement dans la vallée du Jourdain, mais qui gèle à Jérusalem presque chaque année quand on essaye de l'y acclimater. D'autres ont pensé au Calycotome villosa. Les épines ne manquent pas dans les champs aux environs de Jérusalem. Les soldats pouvaient en avoir une provision pour se chauffer, et y puiser pour tresser une couronne, sans doute très grossière. Calmet a cru qu’on avait pris les épines en fleurs, pour imiter les couronnes des fêtes.
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ἀσπάζεσθαι, dans un sens ironique : προσήεσαν οἱ μὲν ὡς ἀσπασόμενοι οἱ δὲ ὡς διχασόμενοι (PuiLON, 7π Flacc.; cf. Mangey, 522), « les uns comme pour rendre hommage, les autres comme pour demander justice ». Le second trait remplace le premier dans l'Ævang. Petri (nr, 7) : καὶ πορφύραν αὐτὸν περιέδαλον xai ἐχάθισαν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ χαθέδραν κρίσεως λέγοντες" διχαίως χρῖνε, βασιλεῦ τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ (cf. Jus- ΤΙΝ, Apol. 1, 35 : ἐκάθισαν ἐπὶ βήματος at εἶπον" Kpivov ἣμῖν), mais il est moins dans la vraisemblance, sans parler du « roi d'Israël » au lieu de « roi des Juifs ». Ave, rex Judaeorum cest la transposition plaisante de Ave, Caesar. Le vocatif βασιλεῦ est, d'après Moulton (p. 70 s.), plus sérieux (cf. Act. xxvi, 7) que ὃ βασιλεύς de Jo. χιχ, 3, qui soulignerait la plaisanterie; mais ce savant doute que Me. ait perçu la nuance. L'absence de ὦ pour le vocatif n’est pas étonnante à une basse époque.
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D'après Mt., le roseau dont on frappe Jésus a d'abord été mis dans sa main comme un sceptre; le tableau est ainsi plus complet (cf. Pizon L. L. et plus bas). La scène de Mt. paraît aussi mieux conduite en ceci que les hommages ironiques précèdent les outrages, tandis qu'ils alternent dans Me., mais on peut juger sur ce point Mc. plus près de la réalité. D'ailleurs, même d'après ML, on ne peut imaginer un seul instant que le roi des Juifs ait été vraiment traité en roi, ainsi que cela se passait aux Sacées ou dans les Saturnales (voir plus bas). Les soldats n'ont pas entendu permettre au condamné d'agir en roi, même pour une heure. Ils se sont constamment moqués de ses prétentions à l'être. Les coups de roseaux sur une couronne d'épines étaient assurément très douloureux; toutefois ce qui domine c’est l'insulte. Après les crachats, la génuflexion ironique (cf. PLur. Pomp. xxiv : προσέπιπτον αὐτῷ). — τιθέναι τὰ γόνατα est peut-être une tournure latine, ponere genua, que Luc n'emploie que pour la prière (Le. xxn, 41; Act. vi, 60).
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Jésus, dépouillé de ses vêtements pour la flagellation, était donc demeuré nu, sauf cetle ignominieuse casaque. On la lui enlève pour lui rendre ses vêtements. Les évangélistes ne parlent pas de la couronne qui dut être mise au rebut comme le roseau; Euthym. (P. G. CXXIX, 720 : περιεῖλον πάντας χαὶ τὸν στέφανον (Calm., Schanz [sur Mt., peut-être], Swete). On ne saurait alléguer une tradition disant que Jésus a gardé jusqu’à sa mort la couronne d’épines Sur sa tête. Les Acta Pilati (Tisch., p. 246) prétendent à tort qu'on l'imposa avant la crucifixion. Origène tire des sens mystiques du silence des évangélistes plutôt que du fait (sur Mt. 125), et raisonne de même sur le roseau. Tertullien dépend peut-être des Acta Pilati : et Christus suis temporibus lignum humeris suis portavit, inhaerens cornibus crucis corona spinea in capite: etus circundata. Knab. qui croit que Jésus garda la couronne concède que les images du crucifié, dont les premières datent du νὸ siècle, ne portent pas la couronne d'épines (sur Mt. p. 511). L'Evang. Petri a chargé le tableau déjà si atroce des soulfrances et des outrages infligés à Jésus. Après Le passage cité, il parle de la couronne d'épines, puis il ajoute : « d’autres debout lui crachaient au visage, et d’autres lui soufiletaient les joues, d'autres le piquaient avec un roseau, et quelques-uns le fouettaient en disant : Voilà comment nous voulons honorer le Fils de Dieu ». La comparaison n’est pas inutile pour apprécier la justesse de ton des évangiles canoniques. Les soldats qui ont insulté à la royauté de Jésus par une dérision cruelle, n’ont pas été les premiers qui ont ajouté la moquerie et de basses plaisanteries à un supplice légal. Peut-être même peut-on aller jusqu'à dire avec M. Salomon Reïnach « que cette mascarade, à Jérusalem, ne fut pas une invention capricieuse, qu'elle était, au contraire, conforme à certains usages populaires de l'Orient » (Cultes, mythes et religions, 1, 339). Les anciens commentateurs avaient cité ces analogies, sans y attacher trop d'importance, et c'est dans le même esprit que nous les rappelons ici (οἵ. Vozrwer, Der Kônig mit der Dornenkrone, dans ΖΝ ΤΊ}. VI [1905], p. 194 ss.). Grotius en 1641, et après lui dom Calmet ont rappelé le passage de Philon Contre Flaccus (Mangey, IF, 522). Pour se moquer du roi Agrippa qui passait à Alexandrie, la populsce saisit un pauvre fou, ou plutôt un idiot, nommé Carabas. On le pousse au gymnase, on le place dans un lieu élevé, on lui met sur la tête en guise de diadème un panier défoncé (?), on l'enveloppe d'une natte comme casaque, on lui met à la main un roseau de papyrus ramassé sur le chemin (βύδλον μὲν εὐρύναντες ἀντὶ διαδήματος ἐπιτιθέασιν αὐτοῦ τῇ κεφαλῇ, χαμαιστρώτῳ δὲ τὸ ἄλλο σῶμα περιθάλλουσιν ἀντὶ χλαμύδος, ἀντὶ δὲ σκήπτρου βραχύ τι παπύρου τμῆμά τε ἐγχωρίου καθ᾽ ὅδὸν ἐρριμένον ἰδόντες ἀναδιδόασιν). Lors donc qu'il eut revêtu les insignes de la royauté comme dans les mimes du théâtre (ὡς ἐν θεατρικοῖς μίμοις), des jeunes gens se font ses gardes du corps, le bâton sur l'épaule, d’autres le saluent, d’autres lui demandent justice, d'autres l’interrogent sur les affaires publiques. La populace le salue Marin, c'est-à-dire Seigneur, en syriaque, pour bien montrer qu'on se jouait d'Agrippa. Ce n’est, on le voit. qu'une scène de carnaval qui se passa peu après la mort du Christ. \etstein, en 1752, rappela un texte de Dion Chrysostome {De regno, iv, 66: éd. d’Arnim, 1, 66 5.) relative à la fête des Saces (τὴν τῶν Σαχῶν ἑορτήν) que nous nommons les Sacées (ÉRS., 2° éd., 288-290). Les Perses, dit Diogène à Alexandre, prennent un prisonnier condamné à mort et le font asseoir sur le trône du roi; on le revêt de l’habit royal, on le laisse commander, boire, en prendre à son aise, s'unir pendant ces journées aux concubines du roi, et personne ne l'empêche de faire tout ce qu'il lui plaît. Après cela on le dépouille, on le flagelle et on le pend (Λαθόντες, ἔφη, τῶν δεσμωτῶν ἕνα τῶν ἐπὶ θανάτῳ χαθίζουσιν εἰς τὸν θρόνον τὸν τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ τὴν ἐσθῆτα διδόασιν αὐτῷ τὴν βασιλικήν, χαὶ προστάττειν ἐῶσι χαὶ πίνειν χαὶ τρυφᾶν καὶ ταῖς παλλαχαῖς χρῆσθαι τὰς ἡμέρας ἐχείνας ταῖς βασιλέως, καὶ οὐδεὶς οὐδὲν αὐτὸν χωλύει ποιεῖν ὧν βούλεται. μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ἀποδύσαντες χαὶ μαστι- Ἰώσαντες ἐκρέμασαν). 1] est assez vraisemblable que le rhéteur a forcé les traits en vue de l'application morale; ce qui regarde les concubines royales est assez scabreux. Mais l’on peut admettre dans l'ensemble la réalité des faits. L'histoire de saint Dasius {Analecta Bollandiana, XVI, 1897, p. ὃ ss.), publiée par M. Cumont, semble bien prouver que, jusqu’au ri siècle de notre ère, on pratiquait dans l’armée romaine des Saturnales qui se terminaient par la mort du soldat choisi par le sort pour jouer le rôle du roi Saturne. On a pu citer encore le trait des pirates au temps de Pompée (Pur. Pomp. 24). Quand un captif invoquait le titre de citoyen romain, on affectait de lui demander pardon, on l'enveloppait d’une toge, et, après s'être bien raillé de lui, on l'invitait à descendre à la mer. Les soldats romains qui ont maltraité Jésus connaissaient-ils quelques-uns de ces traits? on peut le conjecturer. Se sont-ils inspirés de quelques mimes grossiers? cela est assez vraisemblable. Mais on prétend quelque chose de plus. D'après M. Salomon Rcinach, ce qui s'est passé à la passion est un rite, le rite des Sacées. Le condamné qui jouait le rôle du roi de théâtre se nommait Barabbas, car c'est ainsi qu'il faudrait nommer le personnage que Philon appelle Karabas! Jésus a donc été mis à mort, « non de préférence à Barabas, mais en qualité de Barabas. Les Évangélistes n'ont compris ni la cérémonie qu'ils racontaient, ni la nature des honneurs dérisoires rendus à Jésus; ils ont converti en mythe ce qui devait être un rite » (Orpheus, 337 s.). Peut-on faire du pauvre fou d'Alexandrie le héros du rite des Sacées ou des Saturnales ? Ce serait contredire Philon, indiquant expressément que la mascarade cut lieu à l'occasion du passage d'Agrippa Le. Philon est iei témoin oculaire, Ce fait d'Alexandrie peut en effet être rappro= ché de la scène du prétoire : il la rend plausible, en nous montrant avec quel entrain on se moquait dans le monde gréco-romain des prétentions royales des Juifs. Quant à la fête des Sacées, elle se rattache d’après Strabon au culte d'Anaïtis (XI, var, δ); il est absolument impossible de supposer qu'un rite païen aussi caractérisé se soit déployé à Jérusalem. De plus elle se célébrait au mois d'Ab ou de Loos, c'est-à-dire en juilletaoût. M. Bruno Meissner a bien essayé (Zur Entstehungsgeschichte des Purimfestes, dans Zeitschrift d. d. morg. Ges. 1, [1896], p. 296-301) de la rattacher à la fête du Zagmuk ou nouvel an babylonien (Duorue, La religion assyro-babyl. 98, 194), mais cette conjecture qui ne tient aucun compte de la date de Bérose {ATHÉNÉE, xiv, p. 639 c) n'a pas été admise par les assyriologues (par exemple Ziumenx, Die Keïlinschr. und d. À. T. 516). Les Saturnales romaines avaient lieu en décembre et en aucun cas n'auraient pu dépasser le 1% mars. D'ailleurs que prétend-on dire? Que Jésus s’est prêté à une indigne comédie? Personne n'oserait lui infliger cette injure, indigne non seulement de sa divinité, mais de son caractère. Il n'aurait pas refusé moins énergiquement que saint Dasius de jouer un rôle infâme. Où voit-on qu’il a été nommé Barabbas ? Ou veut-on dire que Barabbas était destiné à cet amusement et qu'on ἃ pris Jésus à sa place? Cela n'aurait une certaine vraisemblance que si Barabbas avait émis des prétentions messianiques. Toutes ces conjectures sont bien inutiles, quand la vérité est si naturelle. Les soldats romains se sont moqués d'un pauvre Juif et de ses prétentions à la couronne. Dans toute cette scène il n'y a pas un seul trait qui ne s'explique par la situation elle-même, ou qui sorte de l’attirail que pouvait fournir cette soldatesque. Le séditieux de Jérusalem et le fou d'Alexandrie auraient pu porter le même nom, sans que ce rapprochement autorise à mettre en doute la personnalité du Barabbas de Jérusalem. Il n'y a pas plus de rite à Alexandrie qu'à Jérusalem ou chez les pirates. Et quand les soldats auraient prétendu suivre le rite d’une mascarade connue, comment ce rite est-il devenu un mythe? Mais il est vraiment inutile d'analyser ces fantaisies. Et cependant M. Loisy paraît avoir pris cela très au sérieux. Jésus a été livré par Pilate pour être crucifié « en Barabbas « en guise de Barabbas », ou « à la place de Barabbas », et gravement en note ἀντὶ τοῦ βαραύδδᾷ, et tout cela parce que le fou d'Alexandrie, auquel d’ailleurs on n'a fait aucun mal, se nommait de son nom propre Karabas! C'est être bien sévère pour les documents les plus graves, et bien indulgent pour des... sottises. On a vu aux notes que le nom de Bar-Abba était très répandu. Et quant au nom de Karabas, il peut très bien être d'origine araméenne. ἃ Palmyre (Vogüé, 105) ΝΡ est un nom de femme; mais ce serait bien plus aisément un nom d'homme, N2*p signifie « bataille 20b-22. Le cHEMIN DE LA Groix (Mt. xxvur, 31b:33; Le. xx, 26-332; Jo. ΧΙΧ, 20P) La croix, σταυρός, en latin crwx, était un pieu pointu par en haut, semblable à ceux dont on faisait les palissades. C'était un instrument de supplice, originaire de l'Orient, employé quelquefois chez les Grecs, par imitation ou par représailles, très usité chez les Romains. Le picu fatal pouvait servir de pal, ou de poteau auquel le patient était attaché pour être fouetté ou pour être livré aux bêtes, ou encore suspendu la tête en bas. Sénéque, Dial. VI, xx, ὃ video. cruces non unius quidem generis, sed aliter ab aliis fabricatas capite quidam conversos in terram suspendere, alii per obscena stipitem egerunt, alit brachia patibulo explicuerunt. Le poteau se terminait souvent par une double cheville de bois en forme de fourche, les pointes tournées en l'air; on le nommait alors aussi furca. Sué- TONE, Nero, 49 : et cum comperisset nudi hominis cervicem inseri furcae, corpus virgis ad necem caedi. PLAUTE, Casina, 889 s. : ut quidem tu hodie canem et furcam feras... ut quidem hercle pedibus pendeas. D'autres fois, et c'était bien la croix proprement dite, le poteau était surmonté d’une poutre transversale, nommée patibulum. Le patient y était attaché, les bras étendus, attachés par des cordes ou plus ordinairement percés de clous (Dioponre Sre., 11, 18). La croix avait alors la forme d'un T (ταῦ grec et lettre latine); Lucrex (1, 32 5. Jud. voc. xu) dit : les tyrans ont imité la lettre T : ἔπειτα σχήματι τοιούτῳ ξύλα τεχτήναντας ἀνθρώπους ἀνασχολοπίζειν ἐπ᾿ αὐτά, SÉNÈQUE, Dial. VIT, χιχ, 3 : cum refigere se crucibus conentur, in quas unusquisque vestrum clavos suos ipse adigit, ad supplicium tamen acti stipitibus singulis pendent (au sens métaphorique, mais qui peint bien la réalité}. Il y avait probablement une sorte de support où le patient pouvait s'asseoir. IRÉx. Contr. Heær. ΤΙ, xx1v, 4 : habitus crucis fines et summitates habet quinque, duos in longitudine et duos in latitudine et unum in medio, in quo requiescit, qui clavis affigitur. Cf. Terr. Ad Nation. τ, 12 : tota crux.. cum antenna scilicet sua et cum illo sedilis ercessu. Le crucifix grotesque du Palatin indique plutôl ce support sous les pieds. Le texte cité d'Irénée semble indiquer que le poteau vertical dépassait par en haut le patibulum. L'espace ainsi ménagé pouvait servir à mettre l'écriteau indiquant le crime. Ce qui dépassait pouvait aussi être une cheville, comme dans le crucifix du Palatin. La croix était le supplice le plus infamant et le plus cruel, car le patient était abandonné, dans une position qui lui infligeait des tortures atroces, à la faim, à la soif, aux chiens, aux vautours : Paur, Sent. V, xvur, 2 : summa supplicia sunt crux crematio decollatio. C'était le châtiment des esclaves, pour des fautes très graves. Le pauvre malheureux portail le patibulum hors des murs de Rome, où se trouvait déjà toute une forêt de poteaux; des tourments de surcroît lui étaient infligés en cours de route; PLauTE, Mostellaria, 56 5. : Ita te forabunt patibulatum per vias stimulis; frg. Curbonaria, 2 : patibulum forat per urbem, deinde afjigatur cruci; Miles, 359 : Credo ego istoc eremplo tibi esse pereundum extra portam, dispessis manibus patibulum quom habebis. Les citoyens romains ne pouvaient en aucun cas être attachés à la croix. On se rappelle les invectives de Cicéron contre Verrès. Mais les provinciaux étaient condamnés à ce supplice pour certains crimes, par exemple pour celui de sédition. Antoine avait fait attacher au poteau le dernier roi juif, Antigone, dérogeant ainsi pour la première fois au respect qu’avaient les Romains pour les rois. Il le regardait donc plutôt comme un insurgé que comme un roi légitime; pourtant on l'égorgea, pour ne pas le laisser mourir sur la croix; Dion Cassius, xLix, 22 : τὸν δ᾽ ᾿Αντίγονον ἐμαστίγωσε σταυρῷ προσδήσας... καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο χαὶ ἀπέσφαξεν. Tel était le supplice auquel les soldats conduisaient Jésus. ἐξάγουσιν, « ils Le font sortir », d'abord du prétoire, puis de la ville, comme l'indique la nature des choses et les exemples cités; d’ailleurs cf. Jo. ἐξῆλθεν et Heb. χα, 12 ἔξω τῆς πύλης ἔπαθεν. Pour connaître le chemin de la croix, il faudrait être du moins fixé sur son point de départ, l'emplacement du Prétoire. Depuis le xu° siècle on le place en un lieu qui ἃ appartenu à la tour Antonia, au nord-ouest du Haram ech-Chérif.
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Ordinairement, du moins à Rome, on faisait porter au condamné le patibulum ou branche transversale de la croix, qui était posé sur le poteau au lieu de l'exécution. Peut-être en Orient portait-on la croix tout entière. Pzur. De ser. num, vind. p. 554, À : τῶν χολαζομένων ἕκαστος χαχούργων ἐχφέρει τὸν αὑτοῦ σταυρόν. Encore est-il que σταυρός signifie peut-être ici patibulum. Mc. ne dit pas expressément {ce que fait Jo. βαστάζων αὑτῷ τὸν σταυρόν) que Jésus ait porté sa croix, mais on peut dire qu'il le suppose, car on n’a dû rencontrer Simon qu'après quelques moments de marche; saint Jér. (sur Mt. xxvir, 32) : Sed hoc intellisendum est quod egrediens de praetorio Jesus, ipse portaverit Crucem suam; postea obvium habuerint Simonem, cui portandam crucem imposuerint. — ἀγγαρεύειν, angariare (cf. NN « corvée », 7, Ber. 1, 2). Le véritable texte pourrait bien étre εγγαρευουσιν N* B*, prononciation adoucie qu’on trouve dans les papyrus de Tebtunis (nc 5, 1. 182 et 252) d’après la lecture de Wilcken (Archiv für Papyrusforschung, 111, 325) à l'époque ptolémaïque. La leçon ἀγγαρεύουσιν aurait été rétablie d’après les textes classiques. Ou bien cette orthographe serait-elle un indice de l'origine égyptienne de n et de B? Le sens du mot est « réquisitionner », venant du persan transcrit par Hérodote (VIII, 98) ἀγγαρήιον, qui désignait le service des postes royales (cf. Χύν. Cyr. vu, 6. 17). Le mot semble avoir passé du persan au gréc, sans l’intermédiaire de l'araméen, où il est beaucoup plus rare. Le texte de Tebtunis (118 av. J.-C.) recommande aux officiers royaux de ne point faire de réquisitions dans leur intérêt personnel. Les soldats, voyant probablement que Jésus, affaibli par la flagellation, ne pouvait plus porter sa croix, regardent comme un service public de l'aider. Celui qui passait se nommaïit Simon, et était originaire de Cyrène, où les Juifs formaient depuis le temps de Sylla le quart de la population (Jos. Ans. XIV, νι, 2). On sait que le Ile livre des Macchabées (I1 Mac. τι, 23) fut composé d'après les cinq livres de Jason le cyrénéen. Ces Juifs s'intéressaient done à tout ce qui se passait dans la mère patrie, οἱ 115 avaient une synagogue à Jérusalem (Act. vi, 9). Ce Simon y était probablement fixé, car d'après l'analogie de Le. xvur, 7, il venait de son travail au champ, plutôt que de la promenade, l'heure étant encore matinale, ou bien il venait en ville de la campagne pour vendre ou pour acheter quelque chose; c'est un indice, quoique très léger, qu'on n’était pas au jour le plus solennel de la Pâque. Il était père d'Alexandre et de Rufus, que Mc. nomme sans doute parce qu'ils étaient très connus de la communauté chrétienne. Les actes apocryphes se sont emparés de ces deux noms, mais ne savaient rien de plus. Il peut paraître arbitraire d'identifier Rufus avec celui dont parle saint Paul et dont il vénérait la mère comme la sienne propre (Rom. xvi, 13), et de ne pas en faire autant pour Alexandre que saint Paul regarde comme un apostat (1 Tim. 1, 20; 11 Tim. 1v, 44), sans parler de l'Alexandre d' Éphèse qui est sans doute un autre (Act, χιχ, 33), Mais en réalité il n’y a pas parité. Alexandre est un nom tellement commun en Orient qu'on ne peut guère s'en servir pour un rapprochement. Rufus, au contraire, est un nom latin à peu près inconnu en Orient, sauf pour les Romains d’origine. Rufus, le fils de Simon, connu des premiers chrétiens, doit être le Rufus de Rome, et peut-être est-ce là qu'il y a pris ce nom ou plutôt ce surnom. En tout cas ce point coïncide bien avec la tradition des origines romaines du second évangile, Simon prend la eroix, et dans Le. aussi il la porte (Xnab. et les autorités qu'il cite). Il est donc peu conforme à l'évangile de représenter le Cyrénéen aidant seulement Jésus à la porter.
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Le sens le plus naturel de φέρουσιν marque une certaine impuissance de Jésus même à marcher sans porter la croix, tant il était épuisé. On le traîne au lieu du supplice (4 ferunt illam, la croix!}. Ce lieu se nommait en araméen Goulgoltha (Lecr. syr. palest. ΝΙΟΔΟῚΣ et ΝΙΟΊΔΟἼΔ). La prononciation de deux syllabes semblables étant difficile, le grec ἃ préféré loyola (Me. seul ἃ donné au mot une terminaison d’accusatif grec, av), et le syrsin. Gougaltha. Le mot araméen comme l’hébreu (n5à53) signifiait bien le crâne, calvariae locus, peut-être à cause de la forme de la montagne. D'après saint Jérôme : Extra urbem enim et foras portam, loca sunt in quibus truncantur capita damnatorum et Calvariae, id est, decollatorum sumpsere nomen, Opinion peu vraisemblable. Le grand docteur connaissait aussi la légende du lombeau d'Adam (déjà citée par Origène) : et ideo sie appellatum esse, quia ἰδὲ antiqui hominis sit conditum caput... il la caractérisait très bien : Favorabilis interpretatio et mulcens aurem populi, nec tamen vera {sur Mt. xxvu, 38). L’authenticité du calvaire traditionnel n'est pas douteuse, mais on ne peut exposer ici cetie question très complexe. Le goût du pittoresque a créé de toutes pièces au nord de la porte de Damas un calvaire, dit Calvaire de Gordon, du nom du général anglais mort à Khartoum. Cette fantaisie attire chaque hiver un grand nombre de touristes! 23-32. Le cruciriement (Mt. xxvir, 84-44; Le. xxur, 385-48; Jo. xix, 18-26).
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ἐδίδουν, L'impf. pour marquer une tentative sans succès, tournure plus fréquente en latin qu'en grec. — σμυρνίζειν dans le sens de « mélanger de myrrhe » est probablement un *apax (dans Diosc. 1, 79, le verbe est intransitif, « semblable à de la myrrhe »). Les anciens prisaient ces mélanges. D'après Pline, c'était un luxe des anciens temps de boire du vin aromatisé de myrrhe, Zautissima apud priscos vina erant murrae odore condita, ut apparet in Plauti fabulis (Η. N. XIV, 13 [15]). Aujourd'hui encore, dans les campagnes de la Grèce, on ne boït que du vin résineux. Théophraste regardait ces mélanges comme stimulants διὸ καὶ τῶν οἴνων τισὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα μιγνύντες ὥσπερ κέντρον ἐμποιοῦσιν (De odoribus, vu [32]}. La myrrhe en particulier avait une certaine chaleur, mais non sans une âcreté astringente, ni sans amertume (2. L.). Les Juifs regardaïent ce mélange comme enivrant et c'était dans un but d'humanité qu'on donnait au condamné à mort une coupe de vin avec un peu d’encens. Le passage du Talmud qui rapporte cet usage (à. Sanh, 432 7j SG on2a ΠΕΣ) 9ù mp ἹΠῚΝ pu ΔΎ ΝΕῸΣ NTDN 2Ὶ VON nyT A\onw) renvoie expressément au livre des Prov. xxx1, 6 : « donnez des liqueurs fortes à celui qui périt, et du vin à celui dont le cœur est rempli d'amertume; qu'il boive et qu'il oublie sa misère, et qu’il ne se souvienne plus de ses peines » (trad. Crampon). Comme cet usage n'est pas signalé chez les Romains, il est probable que ce furent des amis de Jésus, peut-être les saintes femmes, qui préparèrent ce breuvage et obtinrent qu'il fût offert à Jésus. Mais lui n'accepta pas cet adoucissement à une peine qu'il voulait endurer avec l'intégrité de ses forces intellectuelles. — Sur ὃς δέ précédé de ὃς μέν Swete renvoie à Jo. v, 11; von Soden lit o δε,
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Mc. ne donne aucun détail sur la manière dont fut conduite la crucifixion. On peut conjecturer que ce fut selon l'usage romain. La croix, c'est-àdire le pieu droit, était d'avance fiché en terre; (τα. ἐπὶ Ver. v, 66 : cum Μαmertini more atque institulo suo crucem fixissent post urbem in via Pompeia, 16 iubere in ea parte figcre, quae ad fretum spectaret. Ge texte indique en même temps qu'on avait coutume de crucifier à la sortie d'une ville, le long d'une route. On ne doit donc pas se figurer le patient cloué sur la croix en forme de T avant qu’elle fût élevée de terre. Il semble plutôt qu’il montait sur la croix ou qu'on l'y levait, SErvius ἐπ Georg. 1, 501 : in crucem levatus est; Praute, Mél. 310 : credo hercle has sustoilat aedes totas atque hunc in crucem. Il est probable cependant que le condamné était cloué au patibulum, c’est-à-dire à la barre transversale, par les mains, avant que cette barre fût placée sur le poteau. Les textes sont mucts, mais l'opération paraît ainsi plus facile. Puis les pieds étaient cloués à leur tour, probablement sur une sorte de support ajusté au poteau. Auc. in lo. 36, 4 : pendentes.. in ligno crucifixi, clavis ad lignum pedibus manibusque confixi, producta morte necabantur. PLauTEe, Most. 359 : Ego dabo ei talenium, primus qui in crucem excucurrerit, Sed ea lege, ut affigantur bis pedes, bis brachia. Il n'y à aucune raison de supposer que les pieds étaient cloués par un seul clou. Knab. (sur ML, p. 520) cite les témoignages des Pères sur la perforation des pieds de Jésus : 5. Jusmin, Dial. xcevu; ΤΈκτ. C. Marc. τὰ, 19; Ado. Jud. x; 5. Hi- LAIRE, ên Ps. ex, 16, ete. Les deux clous des pieds sont mentionnés dans 5. AmBr, De obitu Theod. 47. 49. . On s’est demandé si le Christ avait été crucifié complètement nu. Suarez (ap. Knab. 1. 1.) regarde l'affirmative comme plus commune parmi les Pêres, et il est difficile d'expliquer autrement saint Augustin, C. Faustum xu, 23 Iam vero illud, quod de vinea quam plantavit, inebriatus Noe nudatus est in domo sua; cui non appareat Christus passus in gente sua? Tunc enim nudata est mortalitas carnis eius, Judaeis scandalum, Gentibus stultitia (cf. De οἷν. Dei xvr, 2). On peut alléguer en sens contraire que le célèbre cructfié du Palatin à tête d'âne porte une tunique autour des reins, alors que l'intention du dessinateur n'est rien moins que respectueuse. Les soldats qui ont fait porter la croix de Jésus par un autre, qui lui ont offert un breuvage aromatisé, ont pu condescendre aussi à lui laisser un haïllon, et ses amis, en particulier les saintes femmes, ont dû le demander. C'était d’ailleurs la coutume juive : « Arrivé à la distance de quatre coudées du lieu du supplice, on déshabille le condamné; si c’est un homme on le couvre par devant; si c'est une femme, on la couvre par devant et par derrière », etc. (Sank. vi, ἃ; trad. Les soldats se partagent les vêtements de Jésus. C'était un droit de dépouilles assez naturel, qui existait certainement alors et qui a été réglé par Hadrien. D’après le rescrit de ce prince, il ne s’étendait pas à une ceinture bien garnie ou à un anneau précieux, sed vestem, qua is fuerat indutus, aut nummos in vetralem quos victus sui causa in promptu habuerit, aut leves anulos… D'après Ulpien : panicularia sunt ea, quæ in custodiam receptus secum attulit spolia, quibus indutus est, cum quis ad supplicium ducitur. Cette défroque allait à ceux qui étaient chargés de l'exécution, speculatores (Dig. xivur, 20, 6). Qu'en cela les soldats aient accompli la prophétie du Ps. xx1 (xxn), 19 : διεμερίσαντο τὰ ἱμάτιά μου ἑαυτοῖς, cela ne change rien à la stricte vraisemblance des faits. Les parts faites, on tire au sort, par un procédé quelconque; τίς τί &on, tournure classique; ef. Le. χιχ, 15 et Purcosrr. Vit, Apoll. ir, p. 114 : τίς τί ἄγοι (Fiezn, Notes... 43 s.). Les soldats restaient pour garder les crucifiés, même après leur mort, pour qu’on ne leur donne pas la sépulture; ces infortunés étaient livrés aux chiens et aux vautours; PÉTRONE, 111 : miles qui cruces asservabat, ne quis ad sepulturam corpus detraheret; PLur. Cleom. 39.
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Mc. revient un peu en arrière pour indiquer l'heure de la crucifixion ; χαί indique ici la coordination par rapport au temps, presque dans le sens de lorsque; οἵ. XÉN. Ana. T1, 1, 7 : καὶ ἤδη τε ἣν περὶ πλήθουσαν ἀγορὰν καὶ ἔρχονται, C'est peut-être pour n'avoir pas compris cette tournure que D ἃ lu εφυλασσον La troisième heure ἃ fait difficulté à cause de Jo. χιχ, 14, qui marque déjà la sixième heure au prétoire. On peut voir dans Knab. divers essais de couciliation. Aucun n'ayant abouti, il conclut : quare nihil aliud restare videtur quam ut dicamus, uti loannes hora fere sexta modo satis vago locutus sit, ita Marcum quoque cum diceret horam tertiam (in Me., p. 417). Mer Le Camus dit de même : « Il faut ou accepter la divergence entre la tradition orale recueillie par les synoptiques et saint Jean, ou admettre une faute de copiste très ancienne » (La pie de N.-S. Jésus-Christ, 6e 6d., III, 358). La faute de copiste devait être celle qu'a supposée 5. Jér., Tract. in Ps. 1xxvn, 2(Anecdota Maredsolana, 111, 2, 60) : error scripiorum fuit : et in Marco hora serta scriptum fuit, sed multis pro ἐπισήμῳ graeco putaverunt esse gamma. Mais cette hypothèse serait une échappatoire peu digne, dans le concert des mss. et des verss. Mc. semble avoir conçu un schéma allant de trois heures en trois heures, le matin (χν, 1), la troisième heure, la sixième heure (xv, 33). On est donc autorisé à prendre ces chiffres comme approximatifs et à penser que Jo. se rapproche plus de la réalité. Mc. qui fait marcher les choses rapidement pouvait parler de la troisième heure pour la crucifixion. ἡ
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Le motif de la condamnation était, en effet, écrit sur une sorte de tablette, que l’on portait devant le condamné ou qu'on lui mettait dans la main. Dion Cassius, sur l'an 22, donc très peu avant la mort de Jésus : διά τε τῆς ἀγορᾶς μέσης μετὰ γραμμάτων τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς θανατώσεως αὐτοῦ δηλούντων διαγαγόντος χαὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἀνασταυρώσαντος (LIV, 3). C'est le même terme, αἰτία, On cite aussi SUÉTONE, Calig, 32 : praecedente titulo qui causam poenae indicaret, et Dom. 10, d'un homme respectable exposé aux bêtes, cum hoc titulo : impie locutus parmularius. L'ironie de cette dernière condamnation — le pauvre homme avait pris parti pour une catégorie de gladiateurs armés de boucliers ronds (parma) — se retrouve dans le libellé de Pilate. Puisque les Juifs ont dénoncé Jésus comme aspirant à la royauté, il sera exécuté comme tel. Le. et Jo. ajoutent le nom de Jésus, que Jo. qualifie aussi comme originaire de Nazareth. Cette rédaction est appuyée par l'inseription mise au chrétien Attale (Eus. A. E. V, τ, 44) : πίνακος αὐτὸν προάγοντος ἐν ᾧ ἐγέγραπτο Ῥωμαιστί" Οὗτός ἐστιν ἤἼλτταλος ὁ Χριστιανός. 1] est donc probable que Me. a tiré au plus court, Il ne dit pas expressément que l'inscription ait été placée sur la croix, au-dessus de la tête de Jésus, comme l'affirment Mt., Le. et Jo., mais cela résulte cependant de la mention de l'écriteau après la crucifixion. Les quatre évangélistes sont d'accord entre eux et avec la vraisemblance en écrivant 6 βασιλεὺς τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων, tandis que l'Zvang. Petri rédige : Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. Pilate connaissait les Juifs mais non pas Israël.
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Rien ne prouve qu’on ait eu dessein de déshonorer Jésus en crucifiant à ses côtés deux voleurs, non pas de ceux qui dérobent (κλέπτης), mais de ceux qui pillent à main armée (λῃστής). Leur exécution était probablement fixée à ce jour, ou peut-être ont-ils été condamnés le matin même. Cependant eur infamie rejaillissait bien sur Jésus, selon la prophétie d'Is. zur, 12. Ce passage rappelé par Le. précédemment (xxn, 37) estexpressément cité dans un bon nombre d'autorités de Mc. καὶ ἐπληρώθη ἣ γραφὴ ἣ λέγουσα καὶ μετὰ τῶν ἀνόμων ἐλογίσθη (ΒΕ Ο etc. ff, π, r, vg. syrr. [pes. hkrel. hier.] arm. go. aeth.), maisil est omis par les autorités les plus anciennes (Ν À B Οὐ D ἃ, syrsin. me. sah.) et Knab. reconnaît que l'addition n’est pas authentique. Mc. n’a pas l'usage de citer expressément l'A. T.
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Cicéron {in Ver. v, 66) nous ἃ déjà appris qu'on crucifiait ordinairement le long des routes; il y avait donc là plus de passants qu'ailleurs. Ils avaient entendu parler du principal grief allégué chez le grand prêtre; c'était le crime de Jésus aux yeux du gros des Juifs de s'être vanté qu'il pouvait détruire le Temple et le rebâtir. Le fait de ces railleries est donc très vraisemblable, quoiqu'il se soit peut-être coloré sous la plume de Mc. de réminis - cences de l'A. T., par ex. Lam. 11, 15 : of παραπορευόμενοι ὁδόν, ἐσύρισαν -xat ἐχίνησαν τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῶν, Cf. Ps. xx1 (xx11), 8. — βλασφημεῖν en parlant des hommes, comme Act. χπὶ, 45; xvin, 6; Rom. m1, 8. — οὐά — lat. vah, employé en grec (Dion Cass. Lx, 20; ARR. Æpict. ii, 22, 34), exprime l'admiration ironique.
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Combien naturelle la vulgarité méchante de ces propos!
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Loisy trouve invraisemblable la présence au Golgotha de « la majeure partie du sanhédrin » (11, 670) ou de « tous les sanhédrites » (11, 671, note 1). L’intention de Mc. n’est pas de dire que tout le sanhédrin s’est transporté là en corps. Les grands prêtres et les scribes représentent les juges de Jésus. Leur attitude est différente de celle des passants. Ils dédaignent d’insulter directement le supplicié; ils se tiennent à quelque distance, grommelant entre eux. Et cela est très finement observé. Il serait bien étrange qu'ils n'aient pas voulu s'assurer par eux-mêmes de la mort de Jésus, et leurs propos décélent une certaine appréhension de l'usage qu'il aurait pu faire de sa puissance miraculeuse. Cette puissance, 115. la constatent. Loisy qui regarde les vv. 31 οἱ 32 comme très secondaires, du même rédacteur qui ἃ conçu le procès devant Caïphe, devrait du moins laisser aux mots leur sens naturel. D'après lui, les sanhédrites ne font pas allusion aux miracles de Jésus, « mais ils parlent de ses prétentions messianiques, entendues comme œuvre de salut universel » (IT, 670). Mais des prétentions ne sauraient créer une présomption de pouvoir miraculeux. Si les sanhédrites constatent avec une joie sinistre que Jésus ne peut maintenant se sauver, c'est qu'ils eraignaient qu'il ne fit dans son intérêt un miracle comme il en avait fait pour les autres. Les termes sont clairs. Saint Justin entendait même ἔσωσεν de la résurrection (Apol, 1, 38 : ὃ γεχροὺς ἀνεγείρας ῥυσάσθω ἑαυτόν).
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Désormais rassurés, les sanhédrites se moquent maintenant des prétentions messianiques de Jésus; « roi d'Israël » est très naturel dans leur bouche. « Quand nous aurons vu cela, nous croirons »; cf, Jo. vi, 30, rapprochement verbal très intéressant. Les adversaires de Jésus ont toujours demandé des miracles pour croire; ceux qu'il faisait ne suffisaient jamais. En ce moment même ils constatent qu'il a sauvé d'autres personnes. Mais ces miracles sont annulés parce qu'il ne se sauve pas lui-même. Tout est à recommencer, Qui n'a connu ces dispositions? οἱ Jésus devait-il en tenir compte? Les deux pauvres crucifiés joignent leurs reproches à ce concert. Si Jésus se détachait de la croix ils participeraient peut-être à la bonne aubaïne. Le. n'attribue ces mauvaises paroles qu'à l’un des malfaiteurs. Les deux traditions ne sont point inconciliables. Diverses légendes se sont formées sur le bon et le mauvais larron. D’après le ms, c de l’anc. lat. : unum a dextris nomine Zoathan et alium a sinistris nomine Chammata. Dans les Actes de Pilate (Tisch., 2e éd., 308) Dysmas est le bon larron, et Gistas le mauvais; dans l'Évangile arabe de l'enfance (eod. loc., 193) : Titus ad dextram meam et Dumachus ad sinistram; οἵ, OCLERMONT-GANNEAU, Revue critique, 1879, p. 92 et 20 août 1883; Recueil d'arch. or. V, 390 s., où l'on semble regarder à tort Dysmas comme le mauvais larron. Dumachus était un nom bien établi dans la tradition syriaque (feoudyos — DIN).
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La sixième heure était midi, comme 16 dit l’Æv. Petri. Je cite tout le passage sur lequel il y aura lieu de revenir : v, 15 ἦν δὲ μεσημόρία καὶ oxétos κατέσχε πᾶσαν τὴν Ἰουδαίαν καὶ ἐθορυδοῦντο καὶ ἠγωνίων μήποτε ὁ ἥλιος ἔδυ, ἐπειδὴ ἔτι ἔζη" γέγραπται «γὰρ!» αὐτοῖς, ἥλιον μὴ δῦναι ἐπὶ πεφονευμένῳ. 16 χαί τις αὐτῶν εἶπεν" ποτίσατε αὐτὸν χολὴν μετὰ ὄξους" χαὶ χεράσαντες ἐπότισαν. 17 καὶ ἐπλήρωσαν πάντα χαὶ ἐτελείωσαν κατὰ τῆς χεφαλῆς αὐτῶν τὰ ἁμαρτήματα. 18 περιήρχοντο δὲ πολλοὶ μετὰ λύχνων «χαὶ"» νομίζοντες ὅτι νύξ ἐστις΄ν, ἀνεπαύσαντο. 19 καὶ ὁ χύριος ἀνεδόησεν λέγων" à δύναμίς μου, ἣ δύναμίς «(μου)» κατέλειψάς με, καὶ εἰπὼν ἀνελήφθη. Les ténèbres dont il est ici question étaient une éclipse de soleil d'après les Acta Pilati (Tisch., p. 234 : ἔκλειψις τοῦ ἡλίου γέγονεν κατὰ τὸ εἰωθός), mais Origène avait déjà noté que le phénomène est impossible à la pleine lune. Et si l'on alléguait que le miracle n'en était que plus signalé, il répliquait de prendre garde : ut non, magnitudinem miraculi ostendere volens, incidat in risum sapientium saeculi huius et magis infidelitaiem in hominibus sapientibus operetur quam fidem (in Mi., n° 134). Si l'on citait Phlégon, sur l'éclipse qui eut lieu au début du règne de Tibère, il répondait que Phlégon ne l'a pas placée à la pleine lune. Knab. {sur Mt.) renonce à son tour à l'argument tiré de Phlégon (cf. Eusère, CAron. lib. 2 ad Olymp. 203; P. G. XIX, 535). Cependant il ne suffirait pas de parler de nuages ordinaires interceptant pour un moment la lumière du soleil. Il s’agit de ténèbres miraculeuses, comme elles étaient décrites par les prophètes au moment des grands chàtiments de Dieu, Joël n, 10; 1, 4. 15; Is. xui, 10; Lu, 8; Jer. xv, 9; surtout Amos vi, 9 (déjà cité par saint Irén. IV, xxxmt, 12) : δύσεται ὁ ἥλιος μεσημύρίας. Loisy pense même que le texte d'Amos est la principale source des évangélistes. Mais il est d'autant plus téméraire de nier la réalité du fait, que, chaque année à Jérusalem, le début d'avril (et cette saison seulement) est signalé par des journées très sombres que nous nommons familièrement des siroccos noirs. L'atmosphère est embrasée et remplie de poussière. On peut supposer que ce phénomène a pris ce jour-là une intensité miraculeuse. Msr Le Camus a cité à ce propos des passages d'auteurs profanes souvent rappelés : Vire. Georg. 1, 463 : Solem quis dicere falsum Audeat.…. Ille etiam extincto miseratus Caesare Romam, Cum caput obscura nitidum ferrugine texit.… Voir aussi PLur. Pelopid. 295a : ὁ μὲν ἥλιος ἐξέλιπε xat σχότος ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τὴν πόλιν ἔσχεν. Quoique Loisy ait écrit : « il est presque puéril de supposer que les Synoptiques ont voulu parler de ténèbres s'arrêtant aux frontières de la Palestine » (II, 678), c’est cependant l'opinion d'Orig., Mald., Swete, Klosterm. etc. et, comme on l'a vu, de l'£v. Petri. L'expression ἐφ᾽ ὅλην τὴν γὴν pourrait signifier la terre entière (Le. xx, 85; Apoc. xur, 8), s’il s'agissait d'un phénomène qui s’adressât à tous ses habitants, ou d'une nouvelle qui dût pénétrer partout. Mais les ténèbres, dans ce cas comme du temps de l'Exode (Ex. x, 22), sont un signe divin qui n'a de raison d'être que pour ceux qui avaient conscience des faits; c'est un miracle qui ἃ un but déterminé. ΠῚ n’est pas du tout prouvé que Me. ait pensé seulement à la Judée, ou à toute la Judée; les ténèbres couvrent l'horizon : tel est le tableau que l’évangéliste a sous les yeux et qu'il nous présente. Sur le sens de ce miracle, les Pères ont avancé plusieurs explications. Onic. (1. 1.) : èmago fuit tenebrarum illa futurarum quae comprehensurae fuerant gentem Judaeam, quasi ausi sunt lumini vero manus suas inferre; Jér. (in Mt.) :videtur mihi clarissimum lumen mundi, hoc est luminare maius retravisse radios suos ne aut pendentem videret Dominum aut impie blasphemantes sua luce fruerentur, ce qui n'est pas sans un certain animisme virgilien. La meilleure explication paraît être celle qui convient aux passages de l'A. Τὶ Il s'agit d'un suprême jugement de Dieu; les ténèbres rendent sensible son action en inspirant aux hommes une terreur mystérieuse.
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Le cri de Jésus dans Me. (Ps. xxn, 1) est tout entier en araméen. ’Ekwt — ὙπῸΝ; le son ὦ, au lieu de 4, s'explique par un rapprochement avec la prononciation de l'hébreu, comme une éd. du Targ. sur Ps. xxir, 3 porte même *a0n au lieu de NON (Dacuan, Gramm., p. 156); du moins on ne peut pas prouver pour cette époque la prononciation courante des ὦ en é. λαμα ou peut-être plutôt ksux (NKCL) est parfaitement araméen, malgré la négation de Loisy : « Lemma (lamma) pris comme particule interrogative est hébreu » (II, 682); hébreu, sans doute, mais aussi araméen ancien 199 (DALMAN, Gramm., 224), quoique le syrsin. ait écrit AM, forme plus récente. — σαθαχθανεί — ‘anpaw, le premier scheva se prononçant, le second étant quiescent; le est transcrit exceptionnellement y à cause du n que les Grecs ont traité uniformément comme aspirée (οἷ. OriGÈNe, Exaples); la variante σαδακτανει de N* rend le g dur. L’explication en grec est très juste, et répond à celle du texte hébreu par les LXX (ὁ Θεός μου ὁ Θεός μου... ἵνα τί ἐγκατέλιπές με;). Dans Mt. le cri est : ἡλεὶ let λεμὰ σαδαγθανεί, donc ox au lieu de von, ce qui est plus voisin de l'hébreu. Cependant le mot se trouve transcrit, non traduit, dans le Targum d'Onqélos, et un juif parlant araméen pouvait l'employer. Comme le texte de Mt. explique mieux la confusion avec Élie, Wellh. et d’autres tiennent ce texte pour celui qu'a prononcé Jésus. Celui de Me. aurait pour but de construire une phrase plus purement araméenne {DALMAN, Worte…. I, 42 s.). Je croirais plus volontiers que Mc. donne le texte authentique, corrigé dans Mi. pour rendre la confusion plus vraisemblable. C'était un pas vers le texte hébreu. Le codex D ἃ transcrit ce texte en entier : ἡλεῖ mhet Aaua ζαφθανει; (de même zaphtani d, senlant k) = ὩΠΣῚΝ ΠΩ ‘5x ὍΝ. La chute du son a, même représentant ‘ain, n’a rien d’ étonnant apr ès λαμα; le 3 est remplacé par ph à cause de l’aspirée 6. Il est plus diflicile d'expliquer la traduction de D ὠνειδισας pe (exprobrasti me, c: me in opprobrium dedisti, i; me maledixisti, K). On ne peut prétendre que c'est un adoucissement de l'abandon, qui aurait paru choquant. Je croirais avec Dalman (Worte... 1, 43, note 2) et Nestle (Expos. Times XI, ,Ρ. 335) ἵν lecteur sachant du put τον a cru {ὁ CRE us en ὠνείδισας | =. à une époque très haute, puisque les verss. ἀπο. latt. ont suivi cette voie. Nestle insinue que les traductions qui figurent dans Me. et dans Mt. pourraient bien avoir été ajoutées après coup. Il était cependant indispensable de donner aux lecteurs le sens de cette parole suprême de Jésus. M. Loisy a attaqué l'authenticité de cette parole, reconnue par des exégètes très libéraux (Holtz., Wellh., Klost. etc.), parce que Mc. et Mt. « se reprennent en quelque sorte pour dire que Jésus poussa un grand-eri, après lequel il expira, tandis que Luc ne parle que d'un cri », etc. (IT, 683). Critique vraiment bien légère. La meilleure garantie d'authenticité est ce que ce cri luimême a d’étrange. C’est peut-être pour cela que ni Le. ni Jo. ne l'ont reproduit. L'£v. Petri l'a transformé. Il a compris Ælt de Mt. soit comme un équivalent. de Sn « force », soit plutôt comme représentant Ὅν, mais dans le sens étymologique de force, comme l'avait entendu Aq. ἰσχυρέ μου ἰσχυρέ pou. Et l'on sait l'abus qu'ont fait de ces paroles certains rationalistes pour dire que Jésus était mort désespérant de son œuvre, de lui-même et de Dieu. Il faudrait leur rappeler l'explication de M. Loïisy : « Cette plainte n'était pas celle d’un révolté ou d'un désespéré, c'était celle du juste souffrant et assuré quand même de l'amour et de la protection que lui garde jusque dans la mort le Dieu de toute sainteté » (IT, 685). Il est peut-être même trop cherché de dire avec Knab. (Me., p. 422) : quare omni consolatione ex Dei visione subtracta in profundissimam quamdam moestitiam anima eius immersa est. On ne peut oublier en effet que ces mots sont empruntés à un psaume. En les prononçant, le Sauveur nous invite à penser que son âme s’entretient dans les sentiments marqués par le psalmiste. Les situations sont les mêmes, et cependant, au milieu de ses souffrances, le psalmiste entrevoit la délivrance et le salut (Ps. xxir, 28); ne convient-il pas d'attribuer à Jésus les mêmes élévations et encore beaucoup plus parfaites (cf. Holiz., 181)?
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La remarque ne pouvait être faite que par des Juifs, et dans le ton de sarcasme qu'ils ont déjà employé. Élie était attendu de tous comme précurseur du Messie; ceux qui pensaient que le Messie aurait d'abord une existence obscure et misérable comptaient sur Élie pour l'en retirer. Ces traditions, dont nous connaissons la formule à une époque plus basse (Le Messianisme.…., p. 210-212, 221 s., 248), se reflètent déjà dans ces mots : il appelle Élie. I était, il est vrai, difficile de confondre Eloi et Eliak, mais aussi les Juifs n’ont-ils pas confondu; ils font un méchant calembour et un calembour méchant. D'ailleurs il est encore beaucoup plus difficile d'imaginer comment on aurait conçu le quiproquo plus tard. Loisy est fort embarrassé de maintenir sa négation sur l'authenticité de tout le passage : « Le jeu de mots a été fait par des Juifs; mais il a dû être fait seulement dans les premiers temps du christianisme... bien qu'on «it déjà pu dire avec ironie sur le Calvaire : « Élie va venir. Élie ne viendra pas » (11, 685 s.). Mais si, d'euxmêmes, les Juifs ont pu penser à Élie, le cri de Jésus venait bien à propos pour exciter leur lugubre bonne humeur. « Tiens, voilà justement qu'il l'appelle! »
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Cette personne ne peut être évidemment qu'un soldat. On dit que, n'étant pas juif, il n'avait jamais entendu parler d'Élic. S'il était, comme cela est très probable, originaire de Sébastiyeh (Scnüner, I, 460), l'affirmation est un peu prompte. Qui sait si l'ancien prophète d'Israël n'était pas connu encore dans le pays comme un ouély célèbre, et vénéré un peu de tout le monde? C’est du moins ‘aujourd'hui le cas du kkader, qu'il soit Élie, saint George ou un ouély musulman. En tout cas il vient d'entendre parler d'Élie, il a compris qu'il s'agissait d'un libérateur surnaturel, Pour lui, il semble bien qu'il est πιὰ d'un sentiment de compassion. M. Loisy regarde ce vinaigre comme une invention de la tradition, pour réaliser les prophéties (Ps. Lxvur [Lxrx], 22 : εἰς τὴν δίψαν μου ἐπότισάν με ὄξος) mais l'immense majorité des exégèles y reconnaît la posca des soldats romains, mélange d'eau et de vinaigre {PLaure, Miles, 836}. On cite PLur. Cato maior, p. 336 ὁ : ὕδωρ δ᾽ ἔπινεν ἐπὶ στρατείας, πλὴν εἴποτε διψήσας περιφλεγῶς ὅξος ἤτησεν, Les Orientaux ne s'installent nulle part sans une gargoulette: les soldats devaient avoir avec eux leur breuvage dans une eruche, peut-être fermée au goulot ou au sommet par une éponge. Il était aisé de placer Féponge imbibée de vinaigre au bout d'un roseau. En dépit de la sécheresse du sol, il pousse à Jérusalem des roseaux très hauts, semblables à ceux qui forment de vrais fourrés aux sources qui jaillissent près de la mer Morte. Jo. nomme l’hysope, dont l'identification n'est pas certaine. — M. Heiïded (Das heilige Land, 1910, p. 74) identifie l’hysope avec le thym sauvage et suppose qu'une touffe de ce thym, placée au bout d'un roseau, supportait l'éponge. C’est une conciliation ingénieuse des textes. — ἐπότιζεν paraît être comme v. 23 un imparfait de tentative. L'individu qui offre le vinaigre s'adresse au groupe qui a fait le jeu de mots sur Elie, et qui semble s'être opposé à son mouvement d'humanité. Il leur dit : ἄφετε, « Laissez-moi faire », comme χιν, 6. Mais, comme tant d'autres personnes, il n’a pas le courage d'être bon sans faire une concession aux moqueurs qui se targuent d'avoir de l'esprit. Il prend donc à son compte leur plaisanterie. Si l'on veut laisser le temps à Élie d'arriver, il faut bien soulager un peu le patient. Ce serait le sens, même si l'on regarde ἄφετε comme déterminant le subjonctif au sens d'impératif, 4" personne {Moulion, 175; OP. 413, ἄφες ἐγὼ αὐτὴν θρηνήίσω et grec moderne ἄς). Loisy : « Soit sincèrement, soit pour entrer à moitié dans la plaisanterie des autres, il manifeste l'intention de soulager le crucifié pour donner à Élie le temps de venir » (11, 683). Cette formule est très heureuse, maïs il n’en résulte pas du tout que cet individu soit un Juif dans la pensée de Mc. Et ce sens, très satisfaisant, est cependant assez difficile à pénétrer pour être authentique, soit comme texte de Me., soit comme réalité. Merx préfère la leçon de syrsin. καὶ λέγοντες au lieu de λέγων, mais c'est plutôt une harmonisation avec Mt. en qui l'épisode a un tour un peu différent; ce sont les autres. qui disent à l'individu : « laisse
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Le grand cri poussé par Jésus en expirant a souvent été regardé par les Pères comme une preuve de la liberté avec laquelle il rendait son âme à son Père. Origène citant le texte de Mt. xxvir, 50 : ὡς βασιλέως καταλιπόντος τὸ σῶμα καὶ ἐνεργήσαντος μετὰ δυνάμεως χαὶ ἐξουσίας ἅπερ ἔχοινεν εὔλογον εἶναι ποιεῖν (sur Jo. livre XIX, 16, éd. Berlin). La simple exégèse de Mc. (ou de Mt.) ne saurait prouver que ce cri est miraculeux, car il n'est pas impossible qu'un mourant expire aussitôt après avoir poussé un grand cri. Les causes prochaines de la mort de Jésus ne peuvent être déterminées avec une précision scientifique. Les crucifiés vivaient ordinairement plus longtemps, mais Jésus avait enduré des tortures plus qu'ordinaires. Le terme dont se sert Mc. (et Le.) ἐξέπνευσεν n'est pas usité ailleurs dans la bible grecque; il est classique. π΄ Εν. Petri a mis ἀνελήμφθη, « il fut enlevé », pour ne pas dire que Jésus mourut; c'est une trace des doctrines docétistes de l’auteur.
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11 y avait dans le Temple deux tentures, l’une à la porte d'entrée du naos (Bell. V, v, 4), l’autre entre le Saint οὐ le Saint des saints (Bell. V, v, 5). Josèphe les nomme toutes deux καταπέτασμα, un rideau abaissé qui descendait d'en haut. Cette disposition imitait celle du Tabernacle décrit dans l'Ex. Le premier se nommait en hébreu mésäk (70), le second plutôt parôkéth (n33), ou parôkéih hammäsäk, et une fois seulement mésdk (Num. m, 31). Les LXX disent κάλυμμα seulement pour mésäk, mais emploient καταπέτασμα du parékéth οἱ du mésék. Aussi les auteurs se sont-ils décidés surtout d'après le symbolisme. Saint Jér., Ad Hedibiam (P. L. XXII, 992) : Méhi videtur in passione Domini illud velum esse conscissum, quod in tabernaculo et in templo foris positum fuerat; et appellabatur exterius : Quia nunc ex parte videmus, et ex parte cognoscimus. Cum autem venerit quod perfectum est (1 Cor. xur, 9 et 10), tune et velum interius dirumpendum est. De même saint Thomas, Ie 1155, 4. cn, art. ἃ, ad 4. L'opinion plus commune, suivie par Knab., allègue que le second voile convient mieux au symbolisme de l'épitre aux Hébreux (1x, 9 ss.; x, 19), mais on n’admettra pas facilement que les deux grands docteurs n'en aient pas compris le sens, Dalman ({ Worte, 45) pense que τὸ καταπέτασμα τοῦ ναοῦ sans plus ne peut être que la tenture extérieure, et en effet Heb. 1x, 8 dit τὸ δεύτερον καταπέτασμα et Philon, Gig. 12, τὸ ἐσώτατον χαταπέτασμα pour désigner l'autre. Il s'agit d'une manifestation extérieure de la puissance de Dieu qui devait être facilement constatée. C'est comme une désécration du sanctuaire ancien au profit d'un Temple nouveau et spirituel. Mt. et Le. ont le même incident, placé par Le. avant la mort de Jésus. Mt. ἃ supprimé ἀπό, inutile devant ἄνωθεν, mais qui est dans la langue de Me.: ef. v, 6. L'£v. Petri, v, 20 καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς ὥρας διεράγη τὸ καταπέτασμα τοῦ ναοῦ τῆς “Ἱερουσαλὴμ. εἰς δύο, Klost. cite Ρυῦτ. Demetr. ΧΙ : ἐπεσήμηνε δὲ τοῖς πλείστοις τὸ θεῖον" ὁ μὲν γὰρ πέπλος... πεμπόμενος διὰ τοῦ Κεραμειχοῦ μέσος ἐρράγη, comme s'il s'agissait d'un prodige semblable, mais il omet d'ajouter que le voile, porté en procession, se fendit à cause d'une tempèle, θυέλλης ἐμπεσούσης, οὐ il ne s’agit dans te cas de la mort de personne. Les prodiges relatés par Plutarque sont une punition de la flatterie sacrilège des Athéniens envers Démétrius. Au simple titre de curiosité. Le 10 avril 1910, après la dédicace de l'église allemande de la Dormition de Marie à Jérusalem, un coup de vent violent s'élevant après un sirocco noir déchira la tente qu'on avait dressée devant l'église pour abriter les pèlerins. Dans l’Ev. selon les Iébreux. c'est Le linteau qui est brisé : Saint Jér. (1. 1. Ad Hedibiam) : in esangelio autem, quod Hcbraicis literis scriptum est, legimus non velum templi scissum, sed superliminare templi mirae magnitudinis corruisse (sur ML., superliminare templi infinitac magnitudinis fractum esse aique divisum); M. Loisy (p. 689, note 4) cite un texte de saint Jér. que je n'ai pas su trouver, et qui paraît être une glose. L'apocryphe a peut-être voulu imiter Is. νι, & et Am. 1x, 4 (Zoisy), car on ne peut guëre supposer une confusion de 1n22 et de n°2, d'autant que kaphtor signifie chapiteau, et non linteau. el que l’apocryphe était en araméen, non en hébreu. Il est d'ailleurs étrange que cet apocryphe judéo-chrétien ait accusé le symbolisme de la ruine du Temple.
15:39
Mc. dit xevruplwv, non ἑχατόνταρχος (-yns) comme Mt. et Le. L'Æv. Petr. plus loin (vu, 31) emploie aussi κεντυρίων, Ce mot latin avait, comme d’autres termes militaires, pénétré en grec {Pozys. vi, 24), cf. xevcupiwves dans une inscr. de 32 av. J.-C. (Or. graec. Inscr. 196, 9), mais il était demeuré très rare. Le centurion avait observé la scène d’en face, plus attentivement que ses soldats. Un très grand nombre d'autorités (AC etc. ff, π, q, vg., syrsin., pes.) ajoutent κράξας après οὕτως, ce qui restreint trop la pensée. Le centurion a vu bien des crucifiés s'affaiblir peu à peu et rendre l’âme sans qu'on s'en aperçoive. Jésus est mort beaucoup plus vite et en jelant un grand cri; cela était extraordinaire mais l'attitude de Jésus luimême a dû toucher cet homme qui n'entrait ordinairement en contact qu'avec des âmes grossières. Sur le sens exact de ses paroles on n’est pas d'accord, d'autant que dans Lc. il y ἃ seulement vraiment cet homme est un juste. D'après une fantaisie de Strauss, que Loisy juge plausible, le centurion a pensé que l'esprit divin qui animait Jésus était parti dans ce cri. Holtz. dit plus sérieusement que le centurion, étant païen, a simplement regardé Jésus comme un être extraordinaire, comme un héros. D'après Knab., le centurion a ouï les insultes des Juifs qui se moquaient des prétentions de Jésus à se dire Fils de Dieu, et il se range du côté de Jésus, jugeant que c’est lui qui avait raison. C’est le sens le plus naturel, car il est un peu exagéré de dire avec Loïsy que le cri du centurion est une confession de la filiation divine au sens où l’entendait Me., et comme un pendant à l'introduction, « sinon dans la source primitive de Marc, au moins dans une rédaction intermédiaire, à laquelle n'était pas encore annexé le récit de la sépulture et de la découverte du tombeau vide » (11, 694), — d'autant que cette rédaction intermédiaire est une chimère, On doit cependant constater que les termes choisis par Mc. — en tant que distincts de ceux de Le. — sont choisis dans l'esprit de tout son évangile qui est d'amener à confesser que Jésus est Fils de Dieu. L'Ev. Petri nomme Petronius {vmr, 81) le centurion qui a gardé le tombeau, le même sans doute que celui qui gardait la croix, D'après une tradition, il se nommait Λογγῖνος, Longin (Acta Pilati, Tisch., 2° éd., 309), quoique ce nom soit ordinairement réservé au soldat qui a percé Jésus mort d'un coup de lance (Gesta Pilati, Tisch., 387). Le caractère historique du eri du centurion n’est pas infirmé parce que des morts courageuses ont amené des remarques analogues; il est au contraire d'autant plus vraisemblable si on le compare aux réflexions des Alexandrins après la mort du spartiate Cléomène (Pzur. Cleom. xxx1x) : of τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Κλεομένους ἀνεσταυρωμένον παραφυλάττοντες εἶδον εὐμεγέθη δράκοντα τῇ χεφαλῇ περιπεπλεγμένον... ἐκ δὲ τούτου δεισιδαιμονία προσέπεσε τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ φόδος... ὡς ἀνδρὸς ἀνῃρημένου θεοφιλοῦς καὶ χρείττονος τὴν φύσιν. Οἱ δὲ ᾿Αλεξανδρεῖς χαὶ προσετρέποντο...., ἥρωα τὸν Κλεομένη χαὶ θεῶν παῖδα προσαγορεύοντες. Ajoutons cependant que la superstition des Alexandrins cessa aussitôt qu'on leur eut donné une explication rationaliste de la présence du serpent sur la tête de Cléomène. Cette présence d'un serpent sur la tête du cadavre attaché à une croix avait suggéré l’idée d'un héros: on voit combien nous sommes loin du caractère humain et surnaturel de l'Évangile.
15:40
Μαρία, forme grecque de Miriam (0%); Μαγδαληνή, de Magdala, la terminaison indique le pays. Ce Magdala (Nbr dans le Talmud, 7. Maasr. in, 20c) près de Tibériade est aujourd’hui el-Mejdel, sur les bords du lac. Le Talmud de Babylone {Chabbath 104b et Sanh. 672) nomme la mère de Jésus (Ben Pandéré) NY%2 NITAD, coiffeuse pour femmes (autrement vw ΤΌΤ Mw3), ce qui n'a rien à voir ici, à moins qu'on ne suppose que le nom de Magdala, retenu vaguement comme nom évangélique, soit devenu dans le Talmud le nom d'une profession, celle de la mère de Jésus. Tout est possible dans ce chaos. Les verss. syrr. : sin. hier. pes. ont bien rendu M3, ve qui exprime l’origine. Cette Marie avait été délivrée par Jésus de sept démons (Le. vin, 2; Mc. xvi, 9). On sait que la plupart des Latins l'ont identifiée avec la pécheresse de Le. vi, 37 ss. La seconde Marie est qualifiée ici mère de Jacques le petit et de José; c'est le seul sens plausible, car on ne peut guère traduire avec syrsin. fille de Jacques le petit et mère de José. Lorsque Mec. nommera au v. 47 Marie de José, c’est bien de la même qu'il veut parler; il faut donc reconnaître qu'une femme peut être désignée par le nom de son fils. Si cela est contraire à l'usage grec, rien de plus fréquent dans l'usage arabe; il est permis de conjecturer ici une influence sémitique. Le même Me. ἃ dû penser à la même Marie quand il parle de Marie de Jacques (xvi, 1), qu'on interprélera aussi mère de Jacques, et cette terminologie s'est imposée à Le. xx1v, 10. — ὁ μικρός peut signifier le plus jeune, cf. Deissmann, Bibelstudien, 142, et la note sur les frères de Jésus, p. 72 ss. Salomé est le nom hébreu de femme D%w (j. Chebi. νι, 869) avec une terminaison grecque, comme -- si souvent dans Josiphe (DaLman, Gr., 155), 1. évangile selon les Égyptiens la représente comme n'ayant pas eu d’ mt καλῶς οὖν ἐποίησα μὴ τεχοῦσα (2): mais l'auteur de cet apocryphe est hostile au mariage. Il est probable qu'elle était la mère des fils de Zébédée, du moins si l’on combine Me. et Mi. (xx, 20) sur ce nom.
15:41
Celles qui sont nommées étaient les plus attachées à Jésus, Saint Jér. {sur Mt.) : Consuetudinis ludaicae fuit, nec ducebatur in culpam more gentis antiquo, ut mulieres de substantia sua victum atque vestitum passante 42-47, Jésus Esrt ENsevezt (Mt. xxvu, 57-61; Le. xx, 50-55: Jo. XIX, 38-42).
15:42
ἤδη semble bien marquer une nuance : le soir n'est pas tout à fait venu. Dans Mc. ὀψία indique ordinairement une heure assez tardive, 1, 32; 1v, 35: vi, 47; χιν, 17. Et cependant le sabbat n'est pas commencé. Si l’on ne veut pas que Mc. se soit contredit dans la même ligne, il faut reconnaître qu'il distribue les faits par périodes de trois heures. Ici nous sommes à six heures; la mort de Jésus ayant eu lieu à trois heures, il est très naturel que le temps entre trois et six ait été précisément employé par les démarches de Joseph, et c'est sans doute ce que pensait Mc. La παρασχευή, c'est-à-dire la préparation en vue du sabbat; ef. Jos. Ant. XVI, VI, 2 : ἐν σάδδασιν ἢ τῇ πρὸ αὐτῆς παρασκευῇ. Me. explique d’ailleurs ce terme par προσάδθατον, mot employé dans Judith vin, 6 et dans des titres de Psaumes xer (Χαμ N et xcrr (Χο) N B. La proximité du sabbat obligeait à se hâter, pour ne pas manquer au repos obligatoire. On n'était donc pas au jour très chômé de la fête de Pâque. D'après la coutume romaine, les corps des crucifiés demeuraient attachés à la croix; nous avons déjà dit qu'ils étaient gardés pour qu'on ne püût leur donner la sépulture sans permission. Au contraire, d'après la loi juive, des corps ne devaient pas demeurer pendus; il fallait les ensevelir avant la nuit; Dt. χχι, 28 : οὐ χοιμηθήσεται τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοῦ ξύλου, ἀλλὰ ταφῇ θάψετε αὐτὸ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐχείνῃ. Il est donc assez vraisemblable que, sans la démarche de Joseph, les Juifs auraient demandé à détacher eux-mêmes les corps de la croix, pour les ensevelir d'une manière quelconque, peut-être pour les jeter dans une fosse commune. Nous ne savons pas par des textes historiques si les Romains se conformaient à leurs usages sur ce point. C’est cependant ce que suppose l'Ev. Petri. Dans cet apocryphe, Joseph est un ami de Pilate et du Seigneur. Il demande le corps de Jésus avant qu'il soit crucifié, et Pilate s'adresse à Hérode : za ὁ Ἡρώδης ἔφη" ἀδελφὲ Πειλᾶτε, εἰ καὶ μή τις αὐτὸν ἠτήκει ἡμεῖς αὐτὸν ἐθάπτομεν, ἐπεὶ καὶ σάδδατον ἐπιφώσκει, et il allègue la loi. Pnairon, De Legg. spec., t. 11, 324 : μὴ ἐπιδύετω ὃ ἥλιος ἀνεσχολοπισμένοις, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπιχρυπτέσθωσαν γῇ πρὸ δύσεως χαθαιρεθέντες. Quoi qu'il en soit, la démarche de Joseph était de celles qu'on ne refusait pas sans de graves raisons : corpora animadversorum quibuslibet petentibus ad sepulturam danda sunt (Dic. xxvur, 24, d’après Paul): Aodie autem eorum, in quos animadvertitur, corpora non aliter sepeliuntur, quam si fuerit petitum et permissum : et nonnunquam non permiltitur, maxime maiestatis causa damnatorum (eod. loc. d'après Ulpien).
15:43
Ce Joseph est d'Arimathie que, d'après Eusébe et saint Jérôme, il faut situer à Rentis, près de el-Loudd (cf. Lacraner, Une excursion en Palestine, dansl Université catholique, 1891, p. 16155.). ᾿Δρειμαθαία est on". Les anciens ne confondaient pas cette ville, patrie de Samuel, avec Rama (auj. er-Ram), à cinq milles et demi au nord de Jérusalem. Joseph ne vient pas d’Arima- thie, il est d'Arimathie, ἀπό, cf. Jo. 1, 45; Act vi, 9. Il est βουλευτής que Loisy traduit « conseiller », en ajoutant : «le mot est vague et différent de ceux que l'évangéliste ἃ coutume d'employer quand il parle du sanhédrin » (11, 702 5.). En fait Mc. n'a jamais eu encore l’occasion de parler d'un membre du sanhédrin en particulier, et βουλευτής est aussi clair que possible pour signifier un membre de la βουλή ou sénat national. Le mot sanhédrite que nous avons forgé n'a pas de correspondant en grec (le talmudique N3772D [σύνεδρος) est assez récent et peu usité), tandis que βουλευτής se trouve en palmyrénien nos et en araméen butabt (variantes dans les Talmuds}; ce mot avait encore l'avantage de faire image, surtout pour des lecteurs latins : un sénateur! Il était à peine utile d'ajouter qu'il était εὐσχήμων, « de bonne apparence», terme que les Attiques n'avaient pas employé des personnes, et qui est blâämé par Phrynichus : τοῦτο μὲν of ἀμαθεῖς ἐπὶ τοῦ πλουσίου χαὶ ἐν ἀξιώματι ὄντος τάττουσιν οἱ δ᾽ ἀρχαῖοι ἐπὶ τοῦ καλοῦ χαὶ συμμέτρου (Ruther. 17). Cette critique donne une excellente explication de la pensée de Mc. Le reproche de « sans culture » (οἱ ἀμαθεῖς) atteint en même temps Plutarque et Josèphe. Mt. a mis πλούσιος. De Joseph, Mc. dit seulement qu'il avait attendu le règne de Dieu, en sousentendant sans doute qu'il l'attendait de Jésus. Rien ne prouve qu'il fût plus ferme dans ses espérances que les Apôtres, mais il a conservé de la sympathie et du respect pour le Maître, et sa position lui permet de faire ce qui n'était pas en leur pouvoir. Un personnage de son rang avait naturellement ses entrées chez le Procurateur. Encore est-il qu'il lui fallut du courage pour présenter une pareille requête. — τολμήσας, propre à Me., est très expressif; Joseph a dù prendre sur lui, se donner du cœur. Nombreux exemples dans Feu, Notes, κά, dont celui-ci de Prur. Cam. xxir : ἐπεὶ δὲ τολμήσας τις ἐξ αὐτῶν (des Gaulois) ἐγγὺς παρέστη ΠΙαπειρίῳ Μάρχῳ, καὶ προσαγαγὼν τὴν χεῖρα, πράως ἥψατο τοῦ γενείου. Tout cela est parfaitement naturel. Loisy ἃ pris sur lui d'écrire : « La gaucherie des indications rappelle assez l'embarras que l’on constate en d’autres endroits plus ou moins suspects, notamment dans l'affaire de Barabbas. Les évangélisles ont dit que le sanhédrin tout entier avait décidé la mort de Jésus. Comment expliquer après cela qu'un membre de cette assemblée se soit mis en devoir de rendre l'honneur suprême de la sépulture au Sauveur abandonné des siens ? » (11, 702). Si le raisonnement était sérieux, on pourrait supposer une haine qui s'arrête à la mort, mais le plus simple est de penser que le sanhédrin n'a pas été mathématiquement unanime. Mc. et Mt. n’ont même pas pris la peine de donner cette explication qui allait de soi et que Le. a cru devoir formuler expressément. .
15:44
ἤδη. — Nestle : πάλαι.
(δ v., propre à Me., porte en lui son cachet d'authenticité. D'ordinaire les crucifiés ne mouraient pas si tôt; Origène (in Mt.) : méraculum enim erat quoniam posttres horas receptus est qui forte biduum victurus erat in cruce. Pilate devait s'étonner; aussi fait-il appeler le centurion pour s'assurer des choses. Mc. a parfaitement le sens des réalités administratives. — τέθνηχεν au parfait, ce qui est normal, mais ἀπέθανεν à l'aoriste, parce que Pilate demande au centurion s’il lui ἃ vu rendre l'âme (Swete). Lire ἤδη avant ἀπέθανεν avec HW. (contre 71., Nesile) d'après BD et aussi, je pense, d'après les latins qui ont deux fois Jam, et le syr. hier. qui a deux fois Ἴ22. La leçon πάλαι est pour varier le style, parce que la répétition de ἤδη était trop simple; aussi
15:45
δωρεῖσθαι n'insiste pas sur la gratuilt; car que faire payer en pareil cas? le terme indique plutôt une faveur de la part d'un supérieur; cf. II Pet. 1, 3 S., le seul cas du N. T.; I Esdr, τ, 7; vin, 55; Esth. vin, 1. Me. se sert du mot πτῶμα, « cadavre », qui est très vulgaire, et se dit même des animaux. La plupart des mss. et les verss. l'ont remplacé par σῶμα, par respect pour le corps du Christ. Qu'on remarque cependant combien peu Mc. se préoccupe ici d'apologétique. Il dit les choses comme elles se sont traitées officiellement.
15:46
Joseph se munit d’un linceul; σινδῴν n’est pas ici un vêtement, maïs une pièce de toile; il a encore le temps de l'acheter avant le sabbat et de se rendre au Calvaire, d’ailleurs très rapproché. — καθελεῖν est le mot propre pour enlever un mort d'une croix, ῬΟΙΥΒΕ, 1, 86 : ἐκεῖνον μὲν καθεῖλον, τοῦτον δ᾽ ἀνέθεσαν ζῶντα (nombreux exemples dans MEL», Notes. 44). Le récit de Mc. ne mentionne ici que le strict nécessaire; Jésus déposé de la eroix, enveloppé dans le linceul, placé dans un tombeau. S'il ajoute que ce tombeau était creusé dans le roc, c'est pour marquer que le corps de Jésus y était parfaitement en sûreté, et dans un endroit facile à re- - connaître. Le détail avait d’ailleurs son intérêt pour des lecteurs étrangers à la Palestine. D'après l'analogie de nombreux tombeaux, par exemple celui de la reine d'Adiabène, un tombeau dans le cloître de Saint-Étienne etc., il faut se figurer la pierre qu'on roulait à l'entrée comme une sorte de grosse meule engagée dans une rainure placée au côté de la porte. Selon qu’on la roulait devant la porte ou qu’on la ramenait dans sa raïnure, le tombeau était fermé ou ouvert; cf. le détail très précis de xvi, 4. Le premier mouvement était προσχυλίειν, le second ἀποχυλίειν par rapport à la porte, ἀνακυλίειν par rapport à la place de la meule. Il est bien entendu que Joseph ne fait pas cela tout seul; c'est un homme considérable qui a à sa disposition des serviteurs. Nous savons par Jo. qu'il était assisté par Nicodème. Le verbe ἔθηκεν rappelle le terme des inscriptions sépulcrales byzantines à Jérusalem, θήχη, pour désigner ce que Mc. nomme indifféremment μνῆμα ou μνημεῖον.
15:47
Deux saintes femmes seulement; Salomé n'était donc pas présente, Mc. est ponctuel. Sur Marie (mère) de José, οἵ, v. 40. D, f, π, 4, syrsin. remplacent ici José par Jacques, qui d’après syrsin. est encore le père de cette Marie. Pour le moment, les deux courageuses femmes sont réduites à regarder, mais elles notent bien le lieu pour y revenir. Le récit de la sépulture ἃ spécialement exercé la verve de M. Loisy, qui voudrait en rejeter la réalité au profit de son odieuse hypothèse de la fosse commune où l'on aurait jeté Jésus. Quand on lui oppose l'autorité de saint Paul (1 Cor. xv, 4), il répond : « Il est infiniment probable que Paul ignore Joseph, comme il ignore la découverte du tombeau vide par les femmes galiléennes » (II, 708). Ce critique pourrait tout aussi bien déclarer que Paul ignore Ponce Pilate, car sans doute il ne regarde pas 1 Tim. vi, 13 et Act. x, 28 comme l'expression authentique de la pensée de Paul. Ilest vrai que Joseph d'Arimathic ne reparaîtra pas dans l’histoire des origines du christianisme. Maïs que saïit-on de certains apôtres? Il ny ἃ pas dans le rôle qu'il joue un seul trait qui sorte des plus strictes vraisemblances. Seul un homme de sa condition, et domicilié à Jérusalem, pouvait faire ce qu'il a fait, et l'abstention des apôtres s'explique moins par leur indifférence que par leur impuissance. Me. ne dit pas que le tombeau fût le sien, mais ce point que nous tenons de Mt., est aussi très vraisemblable. Aujourd'hui encore il n’est pas rare que les Orientaux se préparent d'avance une sépulture. L’intention de Joseph pouvait être de céder son tombeau au Maître, ou peut-être de Le partager avec lui. Loïsy a d'ailleurs le bon goût de reconnaitre que ce n'est pas le texte d’Isaïe (vu, 9) qui a suggéré le fond du récit de la sépulture. Il n’est pas exact de dire que les indications de Marc sont extrêmement vagues (11, 705); elles ne sont pas très circonstanciées, mais elles sont précises, Loisy : « Il faut un sépulcre pour que Jésus en sorte ressuscité » (II, 705). Eh! sans doute! et pour cela aussi il faut qu'il soit mort, etc. Et quand Me. donne le détail de la pierre, ce n'est « que pour faire ressortir le miracle de la résurrection » (II, 705 s.). Quels récits tiendraient devant une critique si perspicace ?
15:1
Sanhedrin (Συνέδριον « Assembly »)
From the New Testament and from Flavius Josephus it emerges that the members of the s. were grouped in three classes: high priests, scribes and elders (Mt. 27:41; Mk. 11:27; 14:43, 33; 15:1; Lk. 20:1; etc.), even if at times for brevity or for particular reasons two of them are named, or only one. Generically such persons were called "senators" (βουλευταί) or "chiefs" (ἀρχοντες). …
15:6
Barabbas (in Aramaic means "son of the father"; spelling uncertain in the Greek text)
BARABBAS (in Aramaic it means "son of the father"; the spelling is uncertain in the Greek text). - A criminal whose release the Jews asked of Pilate, obtaining instead the crucifixion of Jesus (Mt. 27:15-26; Mk. 15:6-15; Lk. 23:13-25; Jn. 18:39-40). In a few Gospel codices of slight authority, and in the Armenian and Georgian versions, he is called "Jesus Barabbas": according to this variant, …
… Jesus is captured by a cohort, according to Jn 18:3: it is to be understood as a small detachment of the garrison (likewise in Mt 27:27; Mk 15:6). In Acts 10:1 the cohort of which the centurion Cornelius was a part is mentioned; in Acts 27:1 the Augustan cohort. …
15:7
Barabbas (in Aramaic means "son of the father"; spelling uncertain in the Greek text)
… B. was in prison at the time of Passover and was considered a "notorious prisoner" (Mt. 27:16), and Mk. 15:7 specifies the reason for his detention: "he had committed murder in an uprising."
15:10
I. JAMES THE GREATER. - Apostle, son of Zebedee and of Salome (Mk. 15:10, cf. Mt. 27:56), brother of John the Evangelist. …
15:13
… It lacks only John 14, 25-16, 7 to Mark 15, 13-38. The script is uncial, inclined to the right, and that of the first quire (John 1, 1-5, 11) appears older. …
15:14
… For example, in Mk. 15:14 "Mary of James" does not mean "daughter of James," but "mother of James," that is, of the famous James the Less (v.), head of the Church of Jerusalem. …
… Toward Jesus Christ he showed himself respectful and almost favorable: he repeatedly declared his innocence (Mt. 27:23; Mk. 15:14; Lk. 23:4, 14, 22; Jn. 18:38; 19:4, 6), for which reason he long refused to receive the request for condemnation presented by the Sanhedrists, and even sought to free him: he sent …
15:15
For Christians, the thought of flagellation immediately recalls the torture inflicted on Jesus by Pilate as a means of saving him from death (Mt. 27, 26; Mk. 15, 15; Jn. 19, 1). But the Gospel says nothing about the manner of the execution, the quality of the whips, the number of the executioners of the penalty, the number of the blows; consequently, …
15:16
… (Mt. 3:17; Mk. 1:11; Lk. 3:22; Mt. 17:5; Mk. 9:6; Lk. 9:35), his equal (Mt. 11:27), the Judge of the last day (Mt. 16:27; Mk. 8:38; Lk. 9:26; Mt. 11:21; Mk. 10:37), the teacher who imposed on them the strictest fidelity to his teaching (Mt. 28:19-20; Mk. 15:16, etc.)?
15:20
Jesus carried the cross clothed (Mt. 27, 31; Mc. 15, 20: "they clothed him in his garments and led him to the crucifixion"). …
15:21
The historian Jason (II Mach. 2, 23), and later Simon (Mt. 27, 32; Mk. 15, 21), pressed into carrying the cross of Jesus, were from C. At the first Christian Pentecost Jews from Cyrenaica were present at the speech of Peter (Act. 2, 10); they possessed in …
RUFUS (Rufus, 'Ροῦφος). - A name common among slaves and, generally, among persons of humble condition; it occurs twice in the New Testament: Mk. 15:21; Rom. 16:13, though it remains doubtful whether one or two persons are meant.
He relieved Jesus of the weight of the Cross on the way to Calvary: he was returning from his field, when he was stopped by the centurion (a personal "requisition") and forced to carry the Cross in place of Jesus, exhausted in strength (Mk. 15:21; Mt. 27:32; Lk. 23:26).
15:23
Myrrh (Heb. Môr; LXX Αὐωρία; Lat. Myrrha)
… At the court of Ahasuerus the women purified themselves for six months with the oil of myrrh (Esth. 2:12). The Magi presented it to the child Jesus (Mt. 2:11). At the Crucifixion it was offered, together with wine, to alleviate the pains (Mk. 15:23), but Our Lord refused it in order to bear them in full consciousness. …
15:25
… After the exile the day was divided into four three-hour periods (Mark 15:25) and also into 12 ordinary hours (Matt. 20:3-6); the night comprised three watches (Ex. 14:24; Judg. 7:19), then four in the Roman period (Mark 13:35). The division into weeks (šābhu'ōth) …
Jesus did not remain hanging on the cross for 6 hours, as Mc. 15, 25 with certain codices of Io. 19, 14 (as well as the so-called "autograph"; PG 92, 77) might lead one to suppose, but only for 3. He did not die from a cardiac lesion, but from the excessive …
15:26
… genealogies (v.) of Jesus (Mt. 1:1-17 and Lk. 3:23-38), in the Pater noster (Mt. 6:9-13 and Lk. 11:2-4), in the words of the consecration where Matthew (26:26-28; cf. Mk. 14:22-24) diverges from Luke (22:19-20); in the title of the Cross (Mt. 27:37; Mk. 15:26; cf. Lk. 23:38 and Jn. 19:19).
15:27
THE TWO THIEVES. - Malefactors (λῆσταί) crucified with Jesus "one on the right and one on the left" (Mt. 27:38; Mk. 15:27; Lk. 23:33; Jn. 19:18). They are called λῆσταί (Mt. 27:38, 44; Mk. 15:27), that is, "thieves" and "murderers," or κακούργοι (Lk. 23:33, 39), "malefactors," who did not shrink …
15:28
Servant of Yahweh (Heb. 'Ēbhedh Yahweh)
… with Is. 53:7-8; Lk. 22:37 with Is. 53:12. In these one observes fulfilled in Christ what is said of the S. of Y. (cf. also Lk. 2:32 - Is. 42:6; Mt. 11:5 - Is. 42:7; Rev. 19:13-15 - Is. 49:2; Mt. 26:67 - Is. 50:6). Jesus applies to himself Is. 53:12 (Mk. 15:28; Lk. 22:37). No one can doubt that the figure and the mission of the S. of Y. fit in full only Christ, indeed that they fit him so clearly as to make Isaiah be proclaimed evangelist of the passion. …
15:32
Χριστός is explicitly equivalent to "king (of the Jews)" in Mt. 2:2 and 4; 27:11 and 22; Lc. 23:2 and 37, 39; Mc. 15:32. This primitive meaning remains underlying elsewhere. …
15:39
… probably derived from the Greek λάγη "lance," who pierced the side of Jesus on Calvary (John 19:34). According to a tradition already attested by St. Gregory of Nyssa, L. would be the same centurion who, at the Savior's death, recognized his divinity (Mark 15:39).
15:40
… A. Clopas would be the father of the four "brethren of the Lord" (cf. Matt. 13:55 and Mark 6:3; Matt. 27:56 and Mark 15:40).
… Eccl., III, 11-20; 4, 22; 2, 22; PG 20, 196, 252-61, 380). Io. 19, 25 indicates that the wife of Clopas is a sister of the Mother of Jesus, identical with Mary the mother of James and of Joseph, mentioned by the Synoptics (Mt. 27, 56; Mc. 15, 40; Lc. 24, 49).
… In this case James the son of Alphaeus would represent the tradition of Mary, his mother (Mk. 15:40; 16:1; Mt. 27:56; Lk. 24:10), as a witness of the Resurrection of Christ. …
… Beside the Cross there was Mary [the wife] of C. (Jn. 19:25), presented by the Synoptics as Mary the mother of James the Less (Mk. 15:40 and 16:1; Mt. 27:56; Lk. 24:10); the father of the latter was Alphaeus (Mt. 10:3; etc.). …
John, Apostle, Evangelist, Saint
I. LIFE AND APOSTOLATE. - G. was the son of Zebedee (v.) and of Salome (Mk. 15:40 with Mt. 27:56 and 20:20). He was from a well-to-do family, which worked "with hired servants" (Mk. 1:20), and Salome was one of the matrons who "followed Jesus and ministered …
… From her the Savior had cast out seven demons (ibid.; Mk. 16:9). She was present on Calvary (Mt. 27:56-61; Mk. 15:40-47; Jn. 19:25); she witnessed the burial of Jesus (Mt. 27:61; Mk. 15:47); on the morning of the Resurrection she went to the tomb and was favored with an appearance of Jesus (Mt. 28:1-9; …
4. Wife of Clopas (John 19:25), mother of James the Less and of Joseph (Matt. 27:55; Mark 15:40-47; Luke 24:10), cousins of the Lord (Mark 6:3 etc.). …
… She was among the pious women who followed Jesus and ministered to him (Mk. 15:40-41; Lk. 8:2-3). She asked Jesus for places of honor for her two sons and was rebuked for it (Mt. 20:20 ff.). …
15:42
… The seventh day was the Sabbath (v.); later the sixth also has a name: προσάββατον (Judith 8:6; Mark 15:42) or παρασκευή (Matt. 27:62).
… The Arimathean "took it down" (Mk. and Lk.) or "took it away" (Jn.) from the Cross, with the help of Nicodemus, who had come with about 100 pounds of myrrh and aloes, embalmed Jesus, wrapped him in the shroud he had bought, and placed him in the tomb hewn out of the rock (Mk. 15:42-46; Lk. 23:50-54, have almost the same text; Mt. 27:57-60; Jn. 19:38-42 is the only one that mentions Nicodemus). …
… And having learned it from the centurion, he gave the corpse to Joseph" (Mk. 15, 42-47).
Mark 15:42 says that when Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate to request the body of the crucified Jesus, it was p. (preparation), that is, the pre-Sabbath, the day preceding the Sabbath. …
15:43
ARIMATHEA. - A city of Judea, the homeland of the Sanhedrist Joseph (v.) of A. (Mt. 27:57; Mk. 15:43; Lk. 23:51; Jn. 19:38). On the basis of the data of Eusebius and St. Jerome (Onomasticon, 144, 28; ed. Klostermann, p. 32) it is today identified with Rentijah (Rentis), 12 km northeast …
15:46
… dared to go to Pilate and ask him for the body of Jesus" (Mk. 13:43). With the help of Nicodemus he wrapped it in a shroud (v.), and placed it in his own new tomb, hewn out of the rock of Calvary, and rolled a great stone to the entrance (Mt. 27:59; Mk. 15:46; Lk. 23:53).
15:47
… From her the Savior had cast out seven demons (ibid.; Mk. 16:9). She was present on Calvary (Mt. 27:56-61; Mk. 15:40-47; Jn. 19:25); she witnessed the burial of Jesus (Mt. 27:61; Mk. 15:47); on the morning of the Resurrection she went to the tomb and was favored with an appearance of Jesus (Mt. 28:1-9; Mk. 16:1-9; Lk. 24:10; Jn. 20:11-18).
15:61
… of the new covenant, promised by Yahweh, later became, in apocryphal and rabbinic literature (Enoch, 48:10; Ps. Sol., 17:36; 18:6 etc.), his exclusive title; the anointed par excellence, hammāšīah, claimed by the Redeemer himself (Mt. 16:15 ff.; Mk. 15:61), or "the Christ," the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew passive participle.
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · Vulgata Clementina · original Douay-Rheims (Rheims 1582), transcription by EEBO-TCP (CC0) · La Sacra Bibbia, tradotta dalla Volgata da Antonio Martini (1769-1781) (LaParola (laparola.net), Martini OSIS text, Public domain (LaParola's electronic edition marks it 'Dominio pubblico')). Public domain.