Albert Barnes

Meanwhile, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came up to him. “You also were with Jesus the Galilean,” she said.

“Now Peter sat without in the palace - Mark says the first denial took place while Peter was “beneath in the palace.” This “palace” was the large hall or court belonging to the residence of the high priest.”

When Peter had gone out to the gateway, another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

“When he was gone out into the porch - The “entrance,” or the small apartment between the outer door and the large hall in the center of the building. See plan of a house, Notes, Mat 9:1-8.”

After a little while, those standing nearby came up to Peter. “Surely you are one of them,” they said, “for your accent gives you away.”

“And after a while - That is, about an hour after (Luke). Peter by this time had returned into the palace or hall, and stood warming himself by the fire, Joh 18:25.”

Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

“And Peter remembered the word of Jesus ... - Luke has mentioned a beautiful and touching circumstance omitted by the other evangelists, that when the cock crew, “Jesus turned and looked upon Peter,” and that then he remembered his words.”

When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people conspired against Jesus to put Him to death.

“Jesus is brought before Pilate - See also Mar 16:1; Luk 23:1; Joh 18:28. When the morning was come - This was not long after Jesus had been condemned by the Sanhedrin. Peter’s last denial was probably not far from three o’clock a.”

When Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was filled with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.

“Then Judas, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself - This shows that Judas did not suppose that the affair would have resulted in this calamitous manner.”

So Judas threw the silver into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

“And he cast down ... - This was an evidence of his remorse of conscience for his crime. His ill-gotten gain now did him no good. It would not produce relief to his agonized mind.”

After conferring together, they used the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners.

“And they took counsel ... - They consulted among themselves about the proper way to dispose of this money. And bought with them - In Act 1:18, it is said of Judas that “he purchased a field with the reward of his iniquity.””

Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on Him by the people of Israel,

“Spoken by Jeremy the prophet - The words quoted here are not to be found in the prophecy of Jeremiah. Words similar to these are recorded in Zec 11:12-13, and from that place this quotation has been doubtless made.”

and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord had commanded me.”

“And gave them - In Zechariah it is, I gave them. Here it is represented as being given by the priests. The meaning is not, however, different. It is, that this price “was given” for the potter’s field.”

Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, who questioned Him: “Are You the King of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied.

“And Jesus stood before the governor - Many things are omitted by Matthew, in the account of this trial, which are recorded by the other evangelists. A much more full account is found in Joh 18:28-40. And the governor asked him ...”

And when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He gave no answer.

“When he was accused ... - To wit, of perverting the nation, and of forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, Luk 23:2, Luk 23:5. Probably this was done in a tumultuous manner and in every variety of form.”

Then Pilate asked Him, “Do You not hear how many charges they are bringing against You?”

“They witness against thee - This means, rather, that they accused him. They were not “witnesses,” but accusers. These accusations were repeated and pressed.”

Now it was the governor’s custom at the feast to release to the crowd a prisoner of their choosing.

“See also the parallel places in Mar 15:6-14; Luk 23:17-23; Joh 18:39-40. Mat 27:15 At that feast - The feast of the Passover. The governor was wont to release ... - that is, was “accustomed” to release.”

All the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”

“His blood be on us ... - That is, let the guilt of putting him to death, if there be any, be on us and our children. We will be answerable for it, and will consent to bear the punishment for it.”

Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company around Him.

“See also Mar 15:15-20; Joh 19:1-3. Mat 27:27 Into the common hall - The original word here means, rather, the governor’s palace or dwelling. The trial of Jesus had taken place outside of the palace.”

And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means The Place of the Skull,

“Golgotha - This is a Hebrew word, signifying the place of a skull. This is the word which in Luke is called “Calvary.” The original Greek, there, also means a skull. The word “calvary” is a Latin word meaning “skull,” or place of “skulls.””

When they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments by casting lots.

“And they crucified him - To “crucify” means to put to death on a cross. The “cross” has been described at Mat 27:32.”

Above His head they posted the written charge against Him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

“And set up over his head - John says Joh 19:19 that Pilate wrote the title and put it upon the cross. Probably Pilate wrote it or caused it to be written, and directed the soldiers to set it up.”

From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.

“Now from the sixth hour - That is, from our twelve o’clock. The Jews divided their day into twelve hours, beginning to count at sunrise.”

When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He is calling Elijah.”

“This man calleth for Elias - This was done purposely to deride him and his pretensions to be the Messiah. The words “Eli, Eli,” they might easily pretend that they understood to mean Elias, or so pervert them.”

At that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split.

“The vail of the temple - This was doubtless the veil, curiously performed, which separated the holy from the most holy place, dividing the temple into two apartments, Exo 26:31-33. In twain - In two pieces or parts.”

After Jesus’ resurrection, when they had come out of the tombs, they entered the holy city and appeared to many people.

“And came out of the graves after his resurrection - The narrative of Matthew does not determine whether they came to life before Jesus rose, and remained in the tombs, or came to life after he died. The latter is probably the correct opinion.”

And many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to minister to Him.

“Beholding afar off - These women were probably not suffered to come near the cross because it was surrounded by soldiers. They witnessed with intense feelings his sufferings from some convenient place as near as they could approach.”

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who himself was a disciple of Jesus.

“When the even was come - That is, some time after three o’clock in the afternoon. Before this, the Jews had besought Pilate that the legs of those who were crucified might be broken and the bodies be taken down, that they might not remain…”