Matthew 20:19

Mat 20:19. Τοῖς ἔθνεσι, to the Gentiles) i.e. to the Roman nation, which was the chief of them all.—ἐμπαῖξαι, to be mocked) What ignominy! He had, on two previous occasions, foretold His passion less definitely: He now expressly mentions the stripes, the cross, etc., as in ch. Mat 26:2, He does the consummation, namely, His crucifixion.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 20:19 . ἐμπαῖξαι , μαστιγῶσαι , σταυρῶσαι , mock, scourge, crucify; all new features, the details of the πολλὰ παθεῖν . Note the parts assigned to the various actors: the Jews condemn, the Gentiles scourge and crucify.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The ignomy of the cross, is the sure way to the glory of everlasting life.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 19. Deliver him to the Gentiles to mock] This was done by Herod and his Roman soldiers. See Lu 23:11.

To scourge, and to crucify] This was done by Pilate, the Roman governor. The punishment of the cross was Roman not Jewish; but the chief priests condemned him to it, and the Romans executed the sentence. How little did they know that they were, by this process, jointly offering up that sacrifice which was to make an atonement for the Gentiles and for the Jews; an atonement for the sin of the whole world? How often may it be literally said, The wrath of man shall praise thee!

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(19) And the third day he shall rise again.—This, as before, came as a sequel of the prediction that seemed so terrible. The Master looked beyond the suffering to the victory over death, but the disciples could not enter into the meaning of the words that spoke of it. St. Luke, indeed (as if he had gathered from some of those who heard them what had been their state of feeling at the time), reports that “they understood none of these things, and this saying was hid from them, neither understood they the things that were spoken” (Luk_18:34). All was to them as a dark and dim dream, a cloud upon their Master’s soul which time, they imagined, would disperse.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children,.... Whose name was Salome, as may be concluded from Mat 27:56 compared with Mar 15:40. She is not called the wife of Zebedee, who might be now dead, but the mother of his children, his two sons, as the Arabic version renders it: James and John, and who were the disciples of Christ: it is not certain, that Zebedee was ever a follower of him; and therefore the woman is described by her relation to her children, and not her husband; and the rather, because it was in their name, and on their account, that she came to Jesus. She is said to be the sister of Joseph, the husband of Mary, the mother of our Lord; and if so, might hope to succeed in her request, on the foot of relation; as also, since she herself had been a constant follower of, and attendant on him; and especially, inasmuch as her sons were his favourite disciples;

with her sons; her two sons, James and John, whom Mark mentions by name:

worshipping him,

and desiring a certain thing of him; that is, she came in a very submissive manner to him, either bowed unto him, or kneeled down before him, or threw herself at his feet, and signified that she had a single favour, and a very considerable one, to ask of him. Mark represents the case thus, that her two sons, James and John, came to Christ, and that they themselves spoke to him, and addressed him in this manner: "Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us, whatsoever we shall desire": which was a very odd request, both as to the matter and manner of it; that they should ask; and insist upon everything to be done for them, they desired; and suggest, that they expected that he would promise them this, before they declared the particular favour they had to ask of him. The matter may be reconciled thus. These two disciples, having observed what Christ had said concerning the twelve disciples sitting on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel, and what he had just related, concerning his rising again the third day, which they might understand of some display of his glory; and concluding from all this, that the setting up of his temporal monarchy was at hand, inform their mother of it, and move to her, to use her interest with Christ, in their favour: and which they did, partly to shun the envy and ill will of the rest of the disciples; and partly, to conceal their own pride and vanity; as also, they might think a request from her, on their behalf, would be more easily granted: accordingly, she agreeing to the motion, they all three came, as Matthew relates, and the mother is the mouth, and speaks for her sons; so that they may be said to make such a request by her, she representing them; or they joined in the petition with her; or as soon as she had made it, they seconded it, and made it their own.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.

Ver. 19. To mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him] What are all our sufferings to his? and yet we think ourselves undone, if but touched; and in setting forth our calamities, we add, we multiply, we rise in our discourse, like him in the poet, τρις κακοδαιμων και τετρακις, και πεντακις, και δωδεκακις, και μυριακις (Aristoph.). I am thrice miserable, nay, ten, twenty, a hundred, a thousand times unhappy. And yet all our sufferings are but as the slivers and chips of that cross, upon which Christ, nay, many Christians, have suffered. In the time of Adrain the emperor 10,000 martyrs are said to have been crucified in the Mount of Ararat, crowned with thorns, and thrust into the sides with sharp darts, after the example of the Lord’s passion. The chief of whom were Achaicus, Heliades, Theodorus, Carcerius, &c. (Acts and Mon.)

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The third day he shall rise again. We may take notice, that as often as Christ mentioned his sufferings and death, he also joined his resurrection, that they might take notice, and not lose their faith. (Witham) --- Like the rest of the Jews, the apostles were so fully prepossessed with the idea that the Messias would be immortal, that they could not understand what Jesus Christ said to them. He, however, did reveal these things, that, on a future day, recollecting how their Lord and Master had foreseen and foretold to them the most material circumstances relating to his passion and death, they might believe more firmly in him, and be convinced that he suffered of his own free choice. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

19. The Gentiles — The English word is from the Latin gens, a race. The Greek term εθνος, ethnos, is the word whence comes our heathen. The Jews from their own standpoint called other peoples the Gentiles, that is, the nations. Here it specifically designates the Romans.

The parallel passage in Luk_18:33-34, gives the fullest detail of our Lord’s words. But Luke adds: “This saying was hid from them; neither knew they the things which were spoken.” It was a striking instance of the influence of will over the understanding. They wished it otherwise, and would believe it otherwise than our Lord predicted. They saw, and heard, and imagined a great many things that seemed to contradict the natural import of the Lord’s prophecies. They declined, therefore, to accept their literal interpretation.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Gentiles. Pilate and the Romans. (Mat_27:2) This fact would show the treatment he was to expect, and the death he was to die. To mock, and to scourge. (see Mat_27:26, Mat_27:28-30) To crucify. This is the first time that Jesus distinctly announced his death by crucifixion. The fact of his death he had impressed upon his apostles, but the mode had. not been mentioned; such an unexpected, awful, and ignominious close was incredible. and needed special preparation ere it could be received as true. Intimations, indeed, of such a death had been given darkly, when his disciples were told that they must take up the cross and follow him, or when he spoke of being "lifted up" like the serpent in the wilderness; (Joh_3:14) but his words were not understood; they fell upon ears prejudiced to a certain erroneous conviction, which events alone could eradicate. He shall rise again. (see on Mat_16:21) It seems to us almost incredible that, after all that Christ said here and elsewhere, his resurrection should have come upon his followers as a surprise which they could not believe without tangible proof. But when we read of their dulness and unbelief; we are constrained to admire the candour and sincerity of narrators, who record such facts to their discredit without evasion or apology. As St. Luke says, "They understood none of these things; and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

19. Shall deliver him to the Gentiles. The Sanhedrim could condemn, but had no power to inflict capital punishment, because the government had passed into the hands of the Romans—a Gentile race. To mock and to scourge. For comment on these words, see Matt. 27:26–31. The third day. This expression, which occurs often, shows the sense in which the Jews understood the corresponding phrase, “three days and three nights.”

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

19. ἐγερθήσεται for ἀναστήσεται. Here the evidence is conflicting, the two great uncials א and B are on opposite sides. ἐγερθήσεται (א C*L and other uncials), ἀναστήσεται (B D E and the majority of MSS.).

19. εἰς τὸ ἐμπαῖξαι κ.τ.λ. The use of εἰς with the infinitive is equivalent to a final clause. Thus the guilt of the crucifixion is fastened on the Jews. St Mark has (τὰ ἔθνη) ἐμπαίξουσιν … ἐμπτύσουσιν κ.τ.λ., denoting independent action on the part of the Gentiles. St Luke, the Gentile Evangelist, passes over in silence the guilt of the Jewish chief priests and Scribes. That this is not accidental, but part of the evangelistic plan, seems proved by comparing the language of St Peter, Act 3:13-14 (where the crime is pointedly brought home to Israel) with his speech in the house of Cornelius, Act 10:39, ὅν καὶ ἀνεῖλαν κρεμάσαντες ἐπὶ ξύλου, where the subject of ἀνεῖλαν is tacitly dropped, and the Gentile mode of execution named.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

19. And shall deliver Him to the Gentiles for mocking, and scourging, and crucifying: and on the third day He shall be raised again.]—εἰς τὸ ἐμπαῖξαι] Mk. has καὶ ἐμπαίξουσιν, and adds καὶ ἐμπτύσουσιν αὐτῷ—καὶ σταυρῶσαι] Mk. has καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν. Mt.’s change is probably due to remembrance that crucifixion was the actual form of death. But there would be no difficulty in supposing that Christ, if He foretold His death, would speak of it as crucifixion. See on 10:38.—καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἐγερθήσεται] For Mk.’s μετὰ τπεῖς ἡμέρας ἀναστήσεται, see on 16:21.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.