Ver. 1. After two days] Two days after the former discourse. This Sun of righteousness shone most amiably toward his going down.
Ver. 2. Not on the feast day] And yet they did it on the feast day, as loth to lose the opportunity then offered them by Judas the traitor. But God had a special hand in it, that by the circumstance of time Christ might appear to be the true passover. He was crucified on the very true day of that feast.
Ver. 3. Of spikenard very precious] Or pure, right, sincere, αδολον, not sophisticate, or adulterate; so Theophylact interprets it. But Scultetus saith it was spikenard of Opis, a town not far from Babylon, whence the most precious odours and ointments were transported into other parts (πιστικης, melius better δπιστικης).
Ver. 4. [See Trapp on “Mt 26:8”]
Ver. 5. Three hundred pence] That is, 52 French pounds and more, as Budaeus computes it. She spared for no cost. They murmured against her] But Judas began: so dangerous a thing it is to converse with hypocrites. One rotten sheep may rot the rest. Uvaque conspecta livorem ducit ab una. Great danger there is, if not of infection, yet of defection. Peter by his halting compelled others to do so too, Galatians 2:13, ενεβριμωντο. Murmur et fremitus indignantium significatur. Beza.
Ver. 6. [See Trapp on “Mt 26:10”]
Ver. 7. [See Trapp on “Mt 26:11”]
Ver. 8. [See Trapp on “Mt 26:12”]
Ver. 9. [See Trapp on “Mt 26:13”]
Ver. 10. [See Trapp on “Mt 26:14”]
Ver. 11. [See Trapp on “Mt 26:15”] [See Trapp on “Mt 26:16”]
Ver. 12. [See Trapp on “Mt 26:17”]
Ver. 13. [See Trapp on “Mt 26:17”] [See Trapp on “Mt 26:18”]
Ver. 14. The guest chamber] In a private house, for the whole city was then turned into a great inn, for the receipt of strangers that came up to the feast.
Ver. 15. [See Trapp on “Mt 26:18”] [See Trapp on “Mt 26:19”]
Ver. 16. [See Trapp on “Mt 26:18] [See Trapp on “Mt 26:19]
Ver. 17. [See Trapp on “Mt 26:20”]
Ver. 18. [See Trapp on “Mt 26:21”]
Ver. 19. [See Trapp on “Mt 26:22”]
Ver. 20. [See Trapp on “Mt 26:23”]
Ver. 21. Good were it for that man] For his own particular: for otherwise, in respect of the glory of God’s justice, in that man’s righteous condemnation, good it was that he was born.
Ver. 22. [See Trapp on “Mt 26:26”] The Lord’s supper is (as Justin Martyr saith) τροφη ευχαριστηθεισα, food made up all of thanksgiving.
Ver. 23. [See Trapp on “Mt 26:27”]
Ver. 24. [See Trapp on “Mt 26:28”]
Ver. 25. I will drink no more] ουκετι ου μη, “I will not, not, not drink”; so Hebrews 13:5 “I will not, not, not forsake thee.” Our Saviour here seemeth to allude to that grace cup (as they call it), after which they might not eat anything more till the day following.
Ver. 31. I will not deny thee] The Syriac addeth Mari, that is, Domine mi, my God. And this he affirmed, magis ex abundanti. So did Pendleton the apostate, when he said to Sanders the martyr, with greatest vehemence, I will see the uttermost drop of this grease of mine molten away, and the last gobbet of this flesh consumed to ashes, before I will forsake God and his truth. (Acts and Mon.)
Ver. 32. [See Trapp on “Mt 26:36”]
Ver. 33. Began to be sore amazed] Animo et corpore per horrescere, horripilari, ορθοτριχειν. Now it was, that he took that terrible cup at his Father’s hands, and drunk it off all at once, which we must else have been sipping and sucking at throughout all eternity.
Ver. 36. Abba, Father] Father, Father, with greatest earnestness. This was an effectual prayer, had he said no more. God can feel breath in prayer, Lamentations 3:56. Not what I will, but, &c.] Aposiopesis emphatica, saith Beza.
Ver. 37. Couldst thou not watch] How, then, wilt thou die with me? So how will they endure wounds for Christ, that cannot endure words? See Jeremiah 12:5.
Ver. 40. Neither wist they what to answer] They were ashamed to excuse it, yet fell again into it.
Ver. 41. Sleep on now, take your rest] If you can, at least, or have any mind to it, with so many swords and halberds about your ears. They were in heaviness, and yet are sharply reproved for relapsing so often into the same sin. Let not us be more mild than Christ was, but deal freely and faithfully with all.
Ver. 42. Rise up, let us go] To meet the enemy in the face. See how courageous he grew upon his prayers.
Ver. 43. [See Trapp on “Mt 26:47”]
Ver. 44. Had given them a token] συσσημον. Signum consignans, vel commune signum de composito datum; a watchword, or as soldiers call it, the word.
Ver. 47. And one of them] Beza gathered from this text that Mark received not this Gospel from Peter, because Peter would no less have confessed this rashness in himself than he had done his denial of his Master. And cut off his ear] This was his indiscreet zeal, proceeding ab affectu carnis, non ab afflatu Spiritus sancti, from the flesh, not spirit. (Piscator.)
Ver. 51. And there followed him a certain young man] That this was St John, Calvin counts a fancy. He might be one well affected to Christ, who, bearing the noise, came to see the news, and hardly escaped with the skin of his teeth; such is the rudeness and rage of persecutors.
Ver. 52. And there followed him a certain young man] That this was St John, Calvin counts a fancy. He might be one well affected to Christ, who, bearing the noise, came to see the news, and hardly escaped with the skin of his teeth; such is the rudeness and rage of persecutors.
Ver. 53. [See Trapp on “Mt 26:57”]
Ver. 54. At the fire] προς το φως. At the light, or by the light, that is (say some), by the candle light (for that discovered him), referring ad lumen to the light, to sedens. to sitting.
Ver. 55. [See Trapp on “Mt 26:59”]
Ver. 56. Agreed not] ισαι ουκ ησαν. Were not mat ches, or amounted not to an accusation of death.
Ver. 61. The Son of the Blessed?] So God is called, because to be everlastingly blessed and praised of men and angels. Hence God is frequently set forth in the commentaries of the Hebrew doctors by Baruch-hu, He that is blessed. So Zacharias begins his canticle with, “Blessed is the Lord God,” &c., Luke 1:68.
Ver. 62. [See Trapp on “Mt 24:30”] [See Trapp on “Lu 22:70”] [See Trapp on “Lu 22:71”]
Ver. 63. Rent his clothes] So they used to do in case of blasphemy, to signify that their very hearts were rent with grief at so sad a hearing.
Ver. 64. They all condemned him] As a blasphemer, because he made himself the Son of God. This may comfortably assure us that we are freed by Christ from that crime of blasphemy we stand guilty of, for affecting a deity in our first parents.
Ver. 65. Prophesy] Est hic sarcasmus amarulentissimus. (Piscator.) This is a most bitter taunt.
Ver. 66. [See Trapp on “Mt 26:69”]
Ver. 68. He went out] Thinking to steal away, and here he heard the cock, but recanted not.
Ver. 71. To curse and to swear] Let him that stands, take heed, &c. Cavebis autem si pavebis. God had a sweet providence in all this, that Peter might be an eyewitness of our Saviour’s sufferings.
Ver. 72. And when he thought thereon] Or adding to his grief, proportioning his sorrow to his sin; or, throwing his garment over his head (which was the garb of deep mourners, 2 Samuel 15:30 Es 6:12), so Theophylact expounds it. Or, prorupit in fletum, he burst out and wept. That is an impudent fable, that, long after this, he solicited the blessed virgin, after her assumption, to intercede to Christ for pardon of his thrice denying him, and that Christ thereupon made him and his successors his vicars here, &c. As Xaverius reporteth in Peter’s life, written by him in the Persian language. Augens, id est, abunde flevit, επιβαλων.