Matthew 26:55
in Matthew 26At that time Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would an outlaw? Every day I sat teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest Me.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
In that hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a robber with swords and staves to seize me? I sat daily in the temple teaching, and ye took me not.
KJV
In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.
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This verse in Matthew 26
Commentary
13 notes on this verse(Verse 55.) At that hour Jesus said to the crowds: Are you coming out with swords and clubs to arrest me like a robber? Every day I was sitting in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. It is foolish, he said, to seek him with swords and clubs, who willingly surrenders himself to your hands, and to search for him like a lurking fugitive in the night, and to investigate him through a betrayer, who teaches in the temple every day. But you are gathering against me in the darkness, because your power is in darkness.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
Having commanded Peter to put up his sword, which was an instance of patience, and having (as another Evangelist writes [Luke 22:51.]) healed the ear that was cut off, which was an instance of the greatest mercy, and of Divine power, it now follows, In that hour said Jesus to the multitudes, to the end that if they could not remember His past goodness, they might at least confess His present,) Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me?
As much as to say, Robbers assault and study concealment; I have injured no one, but have healed many, and have ever taught in your synagogues.
It is folly then to seek with swords and staves Him who offers Himself to your hands, and with a traitor to hunt out, as though lurking under cover of night, one who is daily teaching in the temple.
And to His disciples He saith these things; but to the others, "Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me." See how many things He doeth that might awaken them. He cast them to the ground, He healed the servant's ear, He threatened them with being slain; "For they shall perish with the sword," He saith, "who take the sword." By the healing of the ear, He gave assurance of these things also; from every quarter, both from the things present, and from the things to come, manifesting His power, and showing that it was not a work of their strength to seize Him. Wherefore He also adds, "I was daily with you, and sat teaching, and ye laid no hold on me;" by this also making it manifest, that the seizure was of His permission. He passed over the miracles, and mentions the teaching, that He might not seem to boast. When I taught, ye laid no hold on me; when I held my peace, did ye come against me? I was in the temple, and no one seized me, and now do ye come upon me late and at midnight with swords and staves? What need was there of these weapons against Him, who was with you always? by these things teaching them, that unless He had voluntarily yielded, not even then would they have succeeded. For neither could they (who were not able to hold Him when in their hands, and who, when they had got Him in the midst of them, had not prevailed) even then have succeeded, unless He had been willing.
They did not lay hands on Him in the temple because they feared the multitude, therefore also the Lord went forth that He might give them place and opportunity to take Him. This then teaches them, that if He had not suffered them of His own free choice, they would never have had strength to take Him. Then the Evangelist assigns the reason why the Lord was willing to be taken, adding, All this was done that the Scriptures of the Prophets might be fulfilled.
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church3 voices
Then all the disciples forsook Him, and fled. And they that had laid hold on Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. But Peter followed Him afar off unto the high priest's court, and went …
In that same hour Jesus said to the multitudes. In this part he rebukes the servants: and he does two things. First, he recalls the deed; secondly, the unreasonableness of the deed, when he says you are come out as it were to a robber …
In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take Me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on Me. But all this was …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
In that same hour said Jesus to the multitude,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Are ye come out as against a thief - At this time Judea was much infested by robbers, so that armed men were obliged to be employed against them - to this our Lord seems to allude. See on Mat 26:52 (note). I sat daily with you - Why come in this hostile manner? Every day, for four days past, ye might have met with me in the temple, whither I went to teach you the way of salvation. See on Mat 21:17 (note).
We see in these verses the cup of our Lord Jesus Christ’s sufferings beginning to be filled. We see him betrayed by one of his disciples, forsaken by the rest, and taken prisoner by his deadly enemies. Never surely was there sorrow like his sorrow. Never may we forget, as we read this part of the Bible, that our sins were the cause of these sorrows! Jesus was “delivered was delivered for our offences.” ( Romans 4:25 ). Let us notice for one thing in these verses what gracious condescension marked our Lord’s intercourse with his disciples.
We see in these verses the cup of our Lord Jesus Christ’s sufferings beginning to be filled. We see him betrayed by one of his disciples, forsaken by the rest, and taken prisoner by his deadly enemies. Never surely was there sorrow like his sorrow. Never may we forget, as we read this part of the Bible, that our sins were the cause of these sorrows! Jesus was “delivered was delivered for our offences.” ( Romans 4:25 ). Let us notice for one thing in these verses what gracious condescension marked our Lord’s intercourse with his disciples. We have this point proved by a deeply touching circumstance at the moment of our Lord’s betrayal. When Judas Iscariot undertook to guide the multitude to the place where his Master was, he gave them a sign by which they might distinguish Jesus in the dim moonlight from his disciples: he said, “Whomsoever I shall kiss that same is he.” And so, when he came to Jesus, he said, “Hail master, and kissed him!” That simple fact reveals the affectionate terms on which the disciples associated with our Lord. It is a universal custom in eastern countries, when friend meets friend, to salute one another with a kiss ( ). It would seem therefore, that when Judas kissed our Lord, he only did what all the apostles were accustomed to do when they met their Master after an absence. Let us draw comfort from this little circumstance for our own souls. Our Lord Jesus Christ is a most gracious and condescending Saviour. He is not an “austere man,” repelling sinners and keeping them at a distance; he is not a being so different from us in nature that we must regard him with awe rather than affection: he would have us rather regard him as an elder brother, and a beloved friend. His heart in heaven is still the same that it was on earth: he is ever meek merciful and condescending to men of low estate. Let us trust him, and not be afraid.
The words behind it
30 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ἐν | en | In | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ἐκείνῃ | ekeine | that [very] | G1565 → | 260 times |
| τῇ | tea | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὥρᾳ | hora | hour | G5610 → | 106 times |
| εἶπεν | eipen | said | G2036 → | 925 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰησοῦς | iesous | Jesus | G2424 → | 908 times |
| τοῖς | tois | to the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὄχλοις· | ochlois | crowds; | G3793 → | 175 times |
| ὡς | hos | As | G5613 → | 500 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | against | G1909 → | 883 times |
| λῃστὴν | lesten | a robber | G3027 → | 15 times |
| ἐξήλθατε | exelthate | did you come out | G1831 → | 216 times |
| μετὰ | meta | with | G3326 → | 461 times |
| μαχαιρῶν | machairon | swords | G3162 → | 29 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ξύλων | xulon | clubs | G3586 → | |
| συλλαβεῖν | sullabein | to capture | G4815 → | |
| με; | me | Me? | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| καθ᾽ | kath᾽ | Every | G2596 → | 468 times |
| ἡμέραν | hemeran | day | G2250 → | 389 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἱερῷ | hi'ero | temple | G2411 → | 70 times |
| ἐκαθεζόμην | ekathezomen | I was sitting | G2516 → | |
| διδάσκων, | didaskon | teaching | G1321 → | 96 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἐκρατήσατέ | ekratesate | you did seize | G2902 → | 47 times |
| με. | me | Me. | G3165 → | 1936 times |
ἘνIn
enG1722 →2738 times
ἐκείνῃthat [very]
ekeineG1565 →260 times
τῇ<the>
teaG3588 →19766 times
ὥρᾳhour
horaG5610 →106 times
εἶπενsaid
eipenG2036 →925 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
ἸησοῦςJesus
iesousG2424 →908 times
τοῖςto the
toisG3588 →19766 times
ὄχλοις·crowds;
ochloisG3793 →175 times
ὡςAs
hosG5613 →500 times
ἐπὶagainst
epiG1909 →883 times
λῃστὴνa robber
lestenG3027 →15 times
ἐξήλθατεdid you come out
exelthateG1831 →216 times
μετὰwith
metaG3326 →461 times
μαχαιρῶνswords
machaironG3162 →29 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ξύλωνclubs
xulonG3586 →
συλλαβεῖνto capture
sullabeinG4815 →
με;Me?
meG3165 →1936 times
καθ᾽Every
kath᾽G2596 →468 times
ἡμέρανday
hemeranG2250 →389 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
ἱερῷtemple
hi'eroG2411 →70 times
ἐκαθεζόμηνI was sitting
ekathezomenG2516 →
διδάσκων,teaching
didaskonG1321 →96 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἐκρατήσατέyou did seize
ekratesateG2902 →47 times
με.Me.
meG3165 →1936 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
John 7:28Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “You know Me, and you know where I am from. I have not come of My own accord, but He who sent Me is…
it leads to
- John 8:42
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on My own, but He sent Me.
- John 8:19
“Where is Your Father?” they asked Him. “You do not know Me or My Father,” Jesus answered. “If you knew Me, you would know My Father as well.”
- Jeremiah 9:6
You dwell in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to know Me,” declares the LORD.
- John 8:14
Jesus replied, “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is valid, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I came from or…
- John 8:26
“I have much to say about you and much to judge. But the One who sent Me is truthful, and what I have heard from Him, I tell the world.”
- John 8:42
Through
Mark 12:35While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, He asked, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?
it leads to
- Luke 20:41–44
Then Jesus declared, “How can it be said that the Christ is the Son of David?
- Luke 20:41–44
Through
John 8:2Early in the morning He went back into the temple courts. All the people came to Him, and He sat down to teach them.
it leads to
- Luke 4:20
Then He rolled up the scroll, returned it to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on Him,
- Luke 21:37
Every day Jesus taught at the temple, but every evening He went out to spend the night on the Mount of Olives.
- Luke 4:20
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies31
On this verse
On this chapter
- Angelology
- Forgiveness
- The Words Nasa, Salach and Aphiemi
- Gethsemane (The Garden Called the Oil Press)
- The Words Todah, Yadah and Eucharisteo
- Hell and the Final State of the Lost
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About Matthew
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jerome, Commentary on Matthew; Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 84; John Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Origen of Alexandria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Remigius of Rheims, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Matthew and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Matthew.