Thomas Aquinas Commentary Matthew 27:1-26

"Now when morning was come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: and they bound him, and led him away, and delivered him up to Pilate the governor. Then Judas, who betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood. But they said, What is that to us? see thou [to it]. And he cast down the pieces of silver into the sanctuary, and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the pieces of silver, and said, It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter`s field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, the field of blood, unto this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was priced, whom [certain] of the children of Israel did price; and they gave them for the potter`s field, as the Lord appointed me. 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. Now at the feast the governor was wont to release unto the multitude one prisoner, whom they would. And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. When therefore they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered him up. And while he was sitting on the judgment-seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that righteous man; for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. But the governor answered and said unto them, Which of the two will ye that I release unto you? And they said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What then shall I do unto Jesus who is called Christ? They all say, Let him be crucified. And he said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out exceedingly, saying, Let him be crucified. So when Pilate saw that he prevailed nothing, but rather that a tumult was arising, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man; see ye [to it]. And all the people answered and said, His blood [be] on us, and on our children. Then released he unto them Barabbas; but Jesus he scourged and delivered to be crucified." — Matthew 27:1-26 (ASV)

Above, the Evangelist recounted what Christ suffered from the Jews; here, he recounts what He suffered from the Gentiles. And he does four things:

1. He treats how He was handed over to the Gentiles.
2. He treats how He was examined.
3. He treats how He was condemned.
4. He treats how He suffered.

The second part is where it is said, And Jesus stood before the governor; the third part is where it is said, Upon the solemn day the governor was accustomed; and the fourth part is where it is said, Then the soldiers of the governor, taking Jesus into the hall, etc.

Concerning the first part, he does two things:

1. He recounts the decision by which Christ is handed over to the Gentiles.
2. He recounts the death and sin of the betrayer, where it is said, Then Judas, who betrayed him, seeing that he was condemned.

Concerning the first point, he does three things:

1. He states the motive for handing Christ over to the Gentiles.
2. He states the manner.
3. He states the events.

The cause of His condemnation was the proposal made concerning His death. Regarding this, he mentions three things by which their sin was aggravated:

1. Their sin was aggravated by their evil zeal to put Him to death; and he mentions this when he says: And when morning was come, they took counsel. For although they had been mocking Him the whole night, nevertheless, in the morning they took counsel. Hence, they were very eager to put Him to death: The murderer riseth at the very break of day (Job 24:14).
2. Their sin is aggravated by their pervasiveness, because all the chief priests took counsel. For if one or two had gathered together, they would have been excusable; but they all gathered together. From the sole of the foot unto the top of the head, there is no soundness therein (Isaiah 1:6); therefore, he says, All the chief priests. Son of man, these are the men that study iniquity, and frame a wicked counsel in this city (Ezekiel 11:2).
3. Their sin is aggravated by their cruelty, because they could have been thinking about many other things, but they were thinking about how they might put him to death. Their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood (Proverbs 1:16).

But how will they do this? They brought him bound. This was the custom that condemned men were brought bound, and by this it was indicated that they were condemned to death. And this signified that just as He destroyed our death by His death, so He destroyed the bonds of our sins by His bonds. And they delivered him to Pontius Pilate.

And why did they do this? There were three reasons:

1. One reason is historical: Pilate was the representative of the Emperor, and the Jews did not have the authority to inflict capital punishment. Because of this, it is said: It is not lawful for us to put any man to death (John 18:31).
2. Likewise, they delivered Him to Pilate due to their intention, for they did not want to kill Him secretly, but publicly, so that the news might be spread, according to what is stated: Let us condemn him to a most shameful death .
3. The third reason they delivered Him to Pilate was that He wanted to die for all men; therefore, He wanted all men to be gathered together, both Jews and Gentiles, so that what is written was fulfilled: The kings of the earth stood up, and the princes met together (Psalms 2:2).

Then Judas, who betrayed him, seeing that he was condemned, etc. Here, Judas’s repentance and death are treated. Concerning this, the Evangelist does two things:

1. He speaks about the betrayal.
2. He speaks about what happened to the wages of Judas, where it is said, But the chief priests having taken the pieces of silver, said.

Regarding the first thing:

1. Judas’s repentance is treated first.
2. His despair is treated second, where it is said, And casting down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed.

Concerning the first point, he does three things:

1. Judas’s motive is related. This motive is related where it is said: Then Judas seeing that he was condemned, repenting himself, brought back the thirty pieces of silver. It could be that Judas supposed when he sold Him that He would not be killed, but would only be scourged; therefore, seeing that He was condemned, he repented.
2. His repentance is related.
3. The effect of his repentance is related.

But a question arises: namely, when He was handed over to the governor, how could Judas have seen that Christ had been condemned? Jerome says that he saw this with his mind’s eye because, from the fact that he saw He had been condemned by the Jews and delivered to Pilate, he thought that Pilate would judge according to their will, that is, according to the Jews’ will.

Origen wrote that some said: ‘Judas seeing that he was condemned’ means that, because of this, Judas himself was moved to repent. Hence, it is said, repenting himself, brought back the thirty pieces of silver.

And this repentance was not a true repentance. Nevertheless, it had some characteristic of repentance, because repentance ought to be midway between hope and fear. Judas, however, indeed had fear and sorrow, since he was sorry for his past sin, but he did not have hope. Such is the repentance of the wicked: Repenting, and groaning for anguish of spirit .

And why was he repenting? It should be noted what Origen says: namely, that sometimes it happens that the devil impels a person to sin, and sometimes a person sins of himself. But this happens in different ways, for a person sins in order to satisfy his lust, but the devil impels a person to sin in order to destroy that person.

And if the devil incites a person to sin, then that person is not bound to sin because of his creation, and for that reason, he is able to repent. This is contrary to the Manicheans, who say that there is a twofold creation, good and evil, and those who are from the evil creation are unable to behave well, and vice versa. And, according to them, Judas was from the bad creation.

Therefore, how could he repent? Origen says, therefore, that the fact that he despaired was only due to his being negligent.

The effect of his repentance follows. The effect of repentance is that the sinner strives to amend. He had sinned because he had sold Christ, for he had done all he could do to Christ; therefore, he brought back the thirty pieces of silver.

And concerning this:

1. First, his retraction is related.
2. Second, his repentance is related, where it is said, I have sinned in betraying innocent blood.

Therefore, he brought back the thirty pieces of silver; and in this, he retracted by saying, I have sinned, meaning I have truly offended. Now, in that he says, Betraying innocent blood, even if he speaks well, he nevertheless does not speak entirely, because such words can be referred to a just man. Hence: If you put me to death, you will shed innocent blood against your own selves (Jeremiah 26:15).

Hence, Jerome says that if he had possessed a right faith, he would not have despaired. For he should have said, ‘Betraying God.’ In saying, Betraying innocent blood, he depreciated His power and showed that he did not have a right faith.

Then the obstinacy of the Jews is related, where it is said: But they said: What is that to us? Judas was acknowledging that Christ was a just man, and nevertheless, they say, What is that to us? My people have not known the judgment of the Lord (Jeremiah 8:7). Look you to it, meaning we will not follow your conscience.

Remigius says: What is that to us? You first sold Him, and afterwards, you acknowledge that He is a just man. Who do you seem to be to us, you who so change your mind? For to change from evil to good is good, but to change from evil to evil is bad. A just man stands firm for ever: but a fool is changed as the moon .

Then his despair is related. For one who has despaired cares nothing about temporal goods, and so this man acts, because casting down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed (he did not care about the money) and went and hanged himself with an halter. Hence, it is stated in Acts 1:18, that he hung himself and burst asunder in the midst.

And why did he hang himself? Origen says that it happens that the devil casts a person down into sin, and although he leaves him alone for a time, nevertheless, he wants to cast him down into another sin. The Apostle wishes to caution against this, saying: Lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow (2 Corinthians 2:7). So Judas became so swallowed up with sorrow that he went and hanged himself with a halter. And let not the deep water swallow me up (Psalms 68:16).

Origen relates the opinion of certain people, saying that because Judas had heard Christ speaking about the Resurrection, for that reason, he supposed he would meet Christ, and therefore, he hung himself.

Augustine asked when this took place. For if we consider this, we scarcely find time before the Passion during which this might have happened, because the chief priests were busy the whole day with Christ’s death. Likewise, the next day was the Sabbath, and they would not have accepted money on that day; therefore, Augustine seems to hold that this happened after the Resurrection. Yet, it can be said that even if some chief priests had gone to Pilate and were attending to Christ’s death, still some stayed in the Temple, and Judas handed over to them the thirty pieces of silver.

But the chief priests having taken the pieces of silver, said, etc. He shows what would be done with Judas’s money. And concerning this:

1. First, it is said how his money is excluded from the corbona.
2. Second, it is said on what it was spent.

He says, therefore: But the chief priests having taken the pieces of silver, said: It is not lawful to put them into the corbona, etc. It should be noted that free offerings or voluntary donations were placed into the corbona. Hence, some offerings were offered voluntarily, while other offerings were offered from a duty; voluntary offerings were put into the corbona, but the others were put elsewhere. The most High approveth not the gifts of the wicked .

It is not lawful to put them into the corbona, because it is the price of blood. And in saying this, the Lord’s words are verified: They are swallowing a camel and straining out a gnat (Matthew 23:24). They did not want to put this money into the corbona, but they were quite willing to deal with the death of the Son of God.

Then, he recounts what happened thereafter. And first, he says what happened; and second, he says what happened thereafter. He says, And after they had consulted together, etc. Why did they do this? It should be said that God thus made sure that this event would always be remembered.

Hence, they bought with them the potter’s field, to be a burying place for strangers—not for those who were from their country, but for foreigners. It was fitting in a mystical sense, because by Christ’s death, not only was justification hastened, but also the repose of death: From henceforth now, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors (Revelation 14:13). Or it can be that pilgrims are those who do not have their home in this world: Woe is me, that my sojourning is prolonged (Psalms 119:5). Now these people are buried with Christ. The Apostle says: You are buried together with him (Romans 6:4).

This field is holy Church. Hence: The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in a field (Matthew 13:44). This field is Christ. Hence, it is said: As clay is in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel (Jeremiah 18:6).

Then a confirmation of the event is related. First, there is a confirmation from the name of the field: For this cause that field was called Haceldama, that is, the field of blood, even to this day; more precisely, the field was so named until the time when this Gospel was written. Then he confirms the name of the field by a passage of Scripture: Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet.

But a question arises: why does he say, Was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, because these words, according to the words quoted here, are not written anywhere in Scripture? Nevertheless, something similar is found in Zechariah 11:12: They weighed for my wages thirty pieces of silver. Therefore, there is a question why it is asserted that this was said by Jeremiah, since it was said by Zechariah.

Augustine says that it is found written somewhere that this was said by ‘the Prophet,’ and not by Jeremiah; nevertheless, it seems that he is Jeremiah, as is stated in this text.

Jerome mentions as a solution that the prophets wrote some books which were canonized by the Jews. Hence, there are some books of the prophets which are not in the canon of the Bible; for example, Jude refers to certain things in his epistle, and the other Apostles also accepted all of them. Hence, he says that certain people brought to him a book of Jeremiah in which these words had been written word for word, and the Evangelist wrote according to what he found in an apocryphal text.

Augustine solves the question as follows: Sometimes it happens that when someone wishes to state the name of one author, the name of someone else comes to mind; therefore, it can be that when the Evangelist wished to write Zechariah, he wrote Jeremiah.

But there were many Jews then who knew the Law; why did they not correct this? It is because they thought that it was said divinely, because all the prophets spoke by the Holy Ghost, and the words of a prophet do not have efficacy except by the Holy Ghost; therefore, so that they might insinuate this mystery, they did not correct these words.

Another solution which he states is that although they are not the words of Jeremiah, nevertheless, a similar event is found there, as in Jeremiah 32, that he received a command that he should buy a field.

Or the Holy Ghost so moved Matthew in regard to the same event, as He moved Jeremiah. But if we wish, we can accept the words of Jerome in his book, On the Best Method of Translating, who says that a follower of Christ does not imply any mark of falsity, for it is the duty of a good interpreter not to consider the words, but the meaning.

For this reason, he cited the meaning of certain passages of Jeremiah and other passages of Zechariah, just as it is found in Mark that he cites a passage of Isaiah, of which one part belongs to Malachi and another to Isaiah.

So Matthew also joined together two sentences, one of which is taken from Zechariah and the other from Jeremiah chapter 32. For while the words from Zechariah 11:12, namely, that they weighed (meaning they took) thirty pieces of silver, are not found in Jeremiah, the detail that he bought a field, which made the event known to the whole nation, is from Jeremiah.

As the Lord appointed to me. This was expressly stated from what the Lord commanded Jeremiah, where it was said above that he should buy a field. Therefore, the first part of these words is found in Zechariah, and the second part is found in Jeremiah.

And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him. Above, the Evangelist recounted how the Lord was put into the hands of the Gentiles; here, however, he discusses His trial. Concerning this, he does three things:

1. He recounts how He is present before an earthly judge.
2. He recounts how He is examined.
3. He recounts how He is accused.

He says, therefore: ‘Thus it was said concerning Judas when he had betrayed Jesus to the governor.’ Jesus, therefore, stood before the governor, meaning as one who is guilty and accused: Thy cause hath been judged as that of the wicked, cause and judgment thou shalt recover (Job 36:17). For by this He merited to become the judge of the living and the dead.

Then the examination follows; and first, a question is related, and second, His reply is related, where it is said, Jesus saith to him. The chief priests were accusing Him of many things, namely, of overthrowing the Law, and that He was calling Himself a king. Hence, Pilate was not interested in questioning Him about the Law, but rather about what seemed to touch upon the crime of treason. Namely, He asked: Art thou the king of the Jews? Because it is stated in John 19:12: Whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.

Then, His reply follows: Jesus saith to him: Thou sayest it. Jerome says that Christ so moderated His words that He neither affirmed nor denied, but says: Thou sayest it. He that setteth bounds to his words, is wise (Proverbs 17:27).

Likewise observe, according to Hilary, that above (Matthew 26:63), when He was asked by the high priest of the Jews, If thou be the Christ the Son of God, He said: Thou hast said it, and He replied in the past tense. But when He replies to a Gentile, He answers in the present tense. By this it is indicated that the confession of Christ by the Jews is in the past, because it was done by the prophets: A king shall reign, and shall be wise (Jeremiah 23:5). But speaking to a Gentile He says, Thou sayest it, because the Gentiles were now confessing Christ.

Afterwards, the accusation of Christ is related. And first, the accusation is related, and second, the inducement to respond is related, where it is said, Then Pilate saith to him. He says, therefore, And when he was accused by the chief priests and ancients, he answered nothing.

Matthew is silent about what things He was being accused of, but Luke says this in chapter 23. This is the custom of the Evangelists, namely, that what one omits to say, another tells. Hence, it is said there that He was seducing the people, etc., and that He was forbidding giving tribute to Caesar, and, moreover, that He was saying that He was a king. This is false as to His intention, because they were seeking after a temporal kingdom; but He says: My kingdom is not from hence (John 18:36).

But Christ answers nothing. Then was fulfilled what was said by Isaiah: He shall be dumb as a lamb before his shearer, and he shall not open his mouth (Isaiah 53:7). Neither shall his voice be heard abroad (Isaiah 42:2). Then Pilate saith to him. From that time, Pilate was trying to free Him; therefore, he was trying to make Him respond. Hence, he said: Dost not thou hear how great testimonies they allege against thee?

And first, his prodding is related: Dost not thou hear, etc. Now he was saying this because he wanted to release Him, for those who were His accusers were witnesses, and for that reason, Pilate did not wish to respond. But a reason on Christ’s part why He did not respond was because He did not wish to free Himself from His Passion, for He could have freed Himself from it by speaking; therefore, He did not wish to speak: He was offered because it was his own will (Isaiah 53:7). Likewise, this was to give us an example, because when he was reviled, did not revile. Similarly, because the Jews had seen so many signs, they could have converted, and for that reason, He deemed them unworthy: Where there is no hearing, pour not out words .

And it should be observed that He speaks many times and He is silent many times, because if He were to always speak, He would excuse Himself; likewise, if He were always to keep silent, He would seem pertinacious. Now He sometimes answers Pilate, because Pilate was ignorant; therefore, sometimes He made the truth known to him, but the Jews were obstinate, and to them He was silent.

Then Pilate’s marveling is related: So that the governor wondered exceedingly. And why does he wonder? It is because he heard Him speaking very eloquently. This is what David says: But I, as a deaf man, heard not: and as a dumb man not opening his mouth (Psalms 37:14), meaning it was as though I were ignorant.

And note what he says, Exceedingly: for that someone who is wise answers nothing is something wondrous; but that a person would answer nothing in such a trial, in which he is being sentenced to death, is exceedingly wondrous. Likewise, he wondered because he saw that He was not terrified, for in such a case people are certainly terrified.

Then His condemnation is discussed. And first, the various efforts of those wishing to exonerate Him are related; second, the efforts of those wishing to condemn Him are related, where it is said, But the chief priests and ancients persuaded the people that they should ask Barabbas; and third, His condemnation is related, where it is said, Then he released to them Barabbas.

Concerning the first point, Pilate’s efforts to free Him are related first, and second, the efforts of the chief priests to condemn Him are related.

Concerning the first part, he first relates some opportunities for releasing Christ; second, he discusses Pilate’s efforts to release Christ; and third, he gives the reason for his efforts to release Christ.

The second part is where it is said, They therefore being gathered together, Pilate said; and the third part is where it is said, For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.

In the first part, he relates two opportunities. He says, therefore: Now upon the solemn day the governor was accustomed to release to the people one prisoner. This custom was not from the Emperor’s law, but from Pilate’s will to make the people more loyal to himself; because on the solemn day they should be more agreeable, he did not want there to be a reason for sadness on this day.

So also, in Rome, on the day in which the Emperor entered, no one was sentenced to death. Likewise, Pilate had recently acquired the prefecture and, for that reason, he wanted them to be loyal to himself.

Nevertheless, something similar is read in the Old Testament, namely, that Saul freed Jonathan, who was sentenced to death (1 Kings 14). Then he relates an opportunity of releasing Him by way of a certain thief, who was called Barabbas, which is interpreted ‘son of his father’—namely, the devil: You are of your father the devil (John 8:44).

They therefore being gathered together, Pilate said: Whom will you that I release to you? Here Pilate acts contrary to the custom of the Jews, because he would not customarily ask them, but they would be asking him. He does this because he wanted to release Jesus, and it seemed that this would persuade them, because it seemed to him that they should prefer Christ to Barabbas, for the latter was guilty of treason and had harmed many people.

Moreover, he seemed persuasive by the fact that he calls Him Christ, saying: Or Jesus that is called Christ? For ‘the anointed one’ is called ‘Christ.’ Hence, he was calling Him a king; therefore, he supposed that they should choose Christ: Before man is life and death . Thus, Pilate placed before them a good man and an evil man; and they chose the evil one. For that reason, evil always follows them.

Then he relates his reason for trying to release Christ: For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. How did he know this? He had heard many good things about Him, and he saw that He was standing firm; hence, he knew that for envy they had delivered him. For just as envy was adverse to the first man, so the envy of these people ought to be adverse to Christ. For, in this way, Joseph was handed over out of envy by his brothers (Genesis 37).

And as he was sitting in the place of judgment, his wife sent to him. Above, the Evangelist related one reason why Pilate was trying to release Him; here likewise he relates another reason, namely, the warning of his wife. And first, the warning is related; and second, the reason for the warning is related, where it is said, For I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.

And as he was sitting in the place of judgment. As a certain gloss says, ‘the place of judgment’ (tribunal) is a judgment seat. The king, that sitteth on the throne of judgment, scattereth away all evil with his look (Proverbs 20:8). A seat properly belongs to teachers: The scribes and the Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses (Matthew 23:2). The place of judgment (tribunal) is so called from the tribunes, because first, tribunes were elected by the Romans to make judgments; and he says, In the place of judgment (pro tribunali): and this is a Greek manner of speech. For sometimes pro means ‘before’; as, for example, ‘the army is before (pro) the camp,’ meaning ‘in front of (ante) the camp.’ And other times pro means ‘in the place of’; hence, pro tribunali, meaning ‘in the place of judgment.’

His wife sent to him, saying. This woman was a Gentile and she represents the Church of the Gentiles, which received Christ, as it is said in 1 Corinthians 1. Have thou nothing to do with that just man, meaning it does not belong to you to judge Him; nay, He ought to be your judge: He who was appointed by God to be judge of the living and of the dead (Acts 10:42). For I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. Here, the reason is related. For such is a manner of speech: for when someone is withdrawn from their senses, some things appear in his imagination. It was customary that sight be referred to the things which appear, although there be an alienation from one’s senses: now this sometimes happens when one is awake, and other times in a dream. When this happens when one is awake, it is called a ‘vision’; hence, If there be among you a prophet of the Lord, I will appear to him in a vision, or I will speak to him in a dream (Numbers 12:6). Here, however, a prophetic “vision” is put for both.

It should be observed that the intrinsic reason for this is sometimes bodily, as when blood is superabounding, an apparition of red bodies appears, and, in like manner, concerning other apparitions. Other times an apparition is due to an extrinsic cause, such as when from coldness someone dreams that they are in the snow. Sometimes, however, an apparition occurs by a spiritual cause, and this is either by God through a good angel; and concerning this, it is said: By a dream in a vision by night he openeth the ears of men (Job 33:15–16). And these apparitions are true, and contain truths; yet, one ought not to trust them very much: Set not thy heart upon them, for dreams have deceived many .

Other times they occur by the devils, who can affect the imagination because it is a corporeal power; hence, divinations and the like are forbidden in the Law: Let there not be found among you any one that consulteth soothsayers, or observeth dreams and omens, etc. (Deuteronomy 18:10).

Concerning this vision, we can say that it was done by God through the good angels; or by the devil, because it was meant to impede the Passion. Because in the Passion there was the sin of killing, the vision was happening through the good angels to impede sin. But from the Passion fruit was produced; therefore, the devil, already perceiving Christ to be God and fearing to lose his power through the Passion—just as he had put it into Judas’s mind to betray Him—so also now he wanted to impede Pilate by this vision, not because he wanted to impede his sin, but rather, to impede the fruit of the Passion.

Then the efforts of the Jews wanting to kill Christ are related: But the chief priests and ancients persuaded the people that they should ask Barabbas. For the Jews in both groups show themselves to be abominable, because the chief priests are they who ought to correct others: He that justifieth the wicked is abominable (Proverbs 17:15). Similarly, they are abominable in that they are the ancients: Iniquity came out from the ancient judges (Daniel 13:5).

And the governor answering, said to them. Here, he relates an attempt by which Pilate was attempting to release Christ. And first, he shows what words he spoke to free Christ; and second, he shows what actions he did, where it is said, And Pilate seeing that he prevailed nothing. He tried to release Him, to free Him. First, he tried to free Him on account of a comparison; second, he tried to free Him on account of His dignity; and third, he tried to release Him on account of His innocence.

He tried to free Him on account of a comparison, for he compared Him to an evildoer, namely, when he was answering the petition of the people, or more precisely, when answering these chief priests who were instigating them: Whom will you that I release to you? But they said: Barabbas.

For doing which Peter also reproached the people, saying concerning Christ: Whom you indeed delivered up and denied before the face of Pilate, when he judged he should be released. But you denied the Holy One and the Just: and desired a murderer to be granted unto you, etc. (Acts 3:13–14).

Pilate, therefore, says: What shall I do then with Jesus that is called Christ? Here he asserts His dignity saying, What shall I do then with Jesus, as though he were to say: ‘It will be harmful to you if you kill him, that is called Christ.’ But they could not be frightened: on the contrary, they all said, Let him be crucified: for this was the most shameful death.

Therefore, what was said is fulfilled: Let us condemn him to a most shameful death ; Their tongue, and their devices are against the Lord (Isaiah 3:8). The governor said to them: Why, what evil hath he done? He alleges His innocence, intending to free Him, as though using those words which are said: What iniquity have your fathers found in me? (Jeremiah 2:5). And: Which of you shall convince me of sin? (John 8:46). But they cried out the more, saying: Let him be crucified. Hence, they could not be deterred, according to that which is written: They have laid hold on lying, and have refused to return (Jeremiah 8:5). Therefore, they were pertinacious in malice.

And Pilate seeing that he prevailed nothing. Here, Pilate seeks His liberation by an action; and first, the action is related; and second, the people’s demand for punishment is related. He says: And Pilate seeing that he prevailed nothing. By this he gives to understand that he had said many other things, and that he prevailed nothing. Taking water washed his hands. This was the custom, that when someone wished to show that he was innocent he would wash his hands, and so he acted here in like manner; he said: I am innocent of the blood of this just man, etc. In accordance with this manner of acting, it is stated: I will wash my hands among the innocent (Psalms 25:6). And he would have truly been innocent if he had remained steadfast in his judgment; therefore, he calls Him a just man. Look you to it, meaning it belongs to you to decide what should happen. Hence, it is said: Take him you, and judge him according to your law (John 18:31).

Then the obligation to punishment follows: His blood be upon us and upon our children. And so it will happen that Christ’s Blood is required from them until today; and what was said applies well to them: The blood of thy brother Abel crieth to me from the earth (Genesis 4:10). But Christ’s Blood is more efficacious than Abel’s blood. We have blood which speaketh better than that of Abel (Hebrews 12:24); But if you put me to death, you will shed innocent blood against your own selves (Jeremiah 26:15).

Then he released to them Barabbas. He released, meaning he pardoned him from his sentence of death. And having scourged Jesus, delivered him unto them to be crucified. And why was He scourged? Jerome says that it was because there was a custom of the Romans that one who was condemned to death would first be scourged. And, as it is said in John 19, he scourged Him; hence, is fulfilled in Him that which is stated: I am ready for scourges (Psalms 37:18). Some people say that he scourged Him so that the Jews might be moved to pity, and, in this way, after He was scourged, they might release Him.