Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 27:11-14

"Now Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then saith Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he gave him no answer, not even to one word: insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly." — Matthew 27:11-14 (ASV)

St. Augustine of Hippo: Matthew, having finished his digression concerning the traitor Judas, returns to the course of his narrative, saying, Jesus stood before the governor. ¹

Origen of Alexandria: Notice how He who is ordained by His Father to be the Judge of the whole creation humbled Himself, and was content to stand before the judge of the land of Judea, and to be asked by Pilate, either in mockery or doubt, Are you the King of the Jews?

St. John Chrysostom: Pilate asked Christ what His enemies were continually charging Him with, for because they knew that Pilate did not care about matters of their Law, they resorted to a public charge. ²

Origen of Alexandria: Or, Pilate spoke this affirmatively, as he afterward wrote in the inscription, The King of the Jews. By answering the Chief Priest, You have said, He indirectly reproved his doubts, but now He turns Pilate's speech into an affirmation: Jesus says to him, You say so.

St. John Chrysostom: He acknowledges Himself to be a King, but a heavenly one, as it is more explicitly said in another Gospel, My kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36), so that neither the Jews nor Pilate were excusable for insisting on this accusation.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: Or, when asked by the High Priest if He was Jesus the Christ, He answered, You have said, because He had always maintained from the Law that Christ would come. But to Pilate, who was ignorant of the Law and asks if He was the King of the Jews, He answers, You say so, because the salvation of the Gentiles is through faith in that present confession.

St. Jerome: But observe that to Pilate, who asked the question unwillingly, He did answer something; but to the chief priests and priests He refused to answer, judging them unworthy of a word: And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Luke explains what the accusations alleged against Him were: And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King (Luke 23:2). ³

But it is of no consequence to the truth in what order they relate the history, or that one omits what another inserts.

Origen of Alexandria: Neither then nor now did Jesus make any reply to their accusations, for the word of God was not sent to them, as it was to the prophets in the past. Neither was Pilate worthy of an answer, as he had no fixed or lasting opinion of Christ, but veered between contradictory assumptions.

Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?

St. Jerome: Thus, although it is a Gentile who sentences Jesus, he places the cause of His condemnation on the Jews.

St. John Chrysostom: He said this out of a desire to release Him, if He would justify Himself in His answer. But the Jews, though they had so many practical proofs of His power, meekness, and humility, were still enraged against Him and driven by a perverted judgment. Therefore, He answers nothing, or if He makes any answer, He says little, so that total silence might not be interpreted as obstinacy.

St. Jerome: Or, Jesus would not make any answer, lest if He cleared Himself, the governor would have let Him go, and the benefit of His cross would have been delayed.

Origen of Alexandria: The governor marveled at His endurance; knowing that he had the power to condemn Him, He yet remained peaceful, placid, and immovable in His prudence and gravity. He marveled greatly, for it seemed to him a great miracle that Christ, brought before a criminal tribunal, stood so fearless of death, which all people find so terrible.

1. de Cons. Ev., iii, 7
2. Hom. lxxxvi
3. de Cons. Ev., iii, 8