Matthew 26:49

26:49 Judas . . . gave him the kiss: Judas’s use of a sign of affection to betray Jesus amplifies the heinousness of his betrayal.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mat 26:49. Κατεφίλησε, kissed Him repeatedly, Lat. deosculatus est) He kissed Him more than once in opposition to what He had said in the preceding verse, and did so as if from kindly feeling. He violated the inviolable countenance of Jesus with the utmost temerity.

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

Mat_26:49. Εὐθέως] is not to be taken with εἶπε (Fritzsche), but with προσελθών: immediately, as soon as he had given them this signal, he stepped up, etc. No sooner said than done.

κατεφίλησεν] embraced and kissed Him, kissed Him most endearingly. Xen. Mem. ii. 6. 33: ὡς τοὺς μὲν καλοὺς φιλήσαντός μου, τοὺς δʼ ἀγαθοὺς καταφιλήσαντος; Tob_7:6; Sir_29:5; 3Ma_5:49; Test. XII. patr. p. 730. It is not the case, as de Wette imagines (see Luk_7:38; Luk_7:45; Act_20:37), that in the New Testament (and the LXX.) the compound has lost the force here ascribed to it; but it is to be insisted on in our present passage as much as in classical Greek. The signal, as arranged, was to be simply a kiss; the signal actually given was kissing accompanied with embraces, which was entirely in keeping with the excitement of Judas, and the desire he felt that there should be no mistake as to the person intended.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 26:49 . κατεφίλησεν , kissed Him heartily. In late Greek there was a tendency to use compounds with the force of the simple verb, and this has been supposed, to be a case in point (De Wette). But coming after φιλήσω , Mat 26:48 , the compound verb is plainly used with intention. It occurs again in Luk 7:38 ; Luk 7:45 ; Luk 15:20 , obviously with intensive force. What a tremendous contrast between the woman in Simon’s house (Luk 7 ) and Judas! Both kissed Jesus fervently: with strong emotion; yet the one could have died for Him, the other betrays Him to death. Did Jesus remember the woman at that moment?

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

(49) Hail, master.—Better, Rabbi, both St. Matthew and St. Mark (Mar_14:45) giving the Hebrew word. The Greek word for “hail” is somewhat more familiar than the English has come to be for us. It was, we may believe, the disciples’ usual greeting.

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

49. Hail, master] Rather, Rabbi.

kissed him] The Greek verb is forcible, kissed him with fervour or repeatedly.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Jesus said unto him, friend,.... Not in an ironical and sarcastic way, but because he pretended to be his friend, by saluting and kissing him, in the manner he had done; or rather, because Christ had always used him as his friend, his familiar friend, who had been of his councils, and had ate at his table; and therefore this carried in it something very cutting, had Judas had any conscience, or sense of gratitude:

wherefore art thou come? The Ethiopic version reads, "my friend, art thou not come?" that is, art thou come as my friend? is thy coming as a friend, or as an enemy? if as a friend, what means this company with swords and staves? if as an enemy, why this salutation and kiss? or what is thine end in coming at this time of night? what is thy business here? thou hast left my company, and my disciples, what dost thou do here? The Syriac version reads it,

"to that";

and the Arabic,

"to this art thou come?"

to kiss me, and by a kiss to deliver me into the hands of my enemies? to which agrees what is said in Luke,

"Judas, betrayest thou the son of man with a kiss?"

Luk 22:48. This he said, to let him know he knew him, and therefore he calls him by name; and that he knew his design in kissing him, and that what he was doing was against light and knowledge; he, at the same time, knowing that he was the son of man, the true Messiah,

Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him; that is, the multitude, the Roman band, the captains and officers of the Jews, when Judas had given the sign; though not till Christ had given them a specimen of his power, in striking them to the ground; to let them know, that Judas could never have put him into their hands, nor could they have laid hold on him, had he not thought fit to surrender himself to them. The seizing and apprehending him is related by Luke and John as after the following circumstance; though the Ethiopic version here reads, "they lift up their hands, and did not lay hold on the Lord Jesus".

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

49 And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.

Ver. 49. Hail, Master, and kissed him] But love is not always in a kiss, saith Philo the Jew; nor in crying Rabbi, Rabbi, as the traitor here did, Mar 14:45, out of a seeming pity of his Master’s misery. There are those who think that he would have carried his treachery so cunningly, as if he had had no hand in it; and therefore kissed him as a friend, and so would still have been taken. (Aretius.)

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.

Hail, Rabbi. And he kissed him. This kind of salutation was ordinary with the Jews. St. Luke tells us, Christ called Judas friend; and added, Is it with a kiss thou betrayest the Son of man? By what we read in St. John, these men that came with Judas, seem not to have known our Saviour: for when he asked then, whom seek you? they do not answer, thyself, but Jesus of Nazareth. There were struck with a blindness, which St. John Chrysostom looks upon as done miraculously. The second miracle was, that when Christ said, I am he, they fell to the ground, as thunder-struck. The third was, let these go, by which they had no power to seize any one of his disciples. The fourth was, the healing of Malchus’ ear. (Witham)

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).

49. Forthwith he came to Jesus… and kissed him — As, in Mat_26:46, Jesus said, “Let us be going,” he turned his firm face to his foes, yet unseen, and walked forth to meet them. His disciples — first the three, and then the eight — start as we may suppose from their slumbers, and follow him along in irregular train. Thus, as Jesus alone leads the little band of his peaceful followers, Judas leads the hostile multitude of assailants. They two singly meet — the Divine victim and the diabolical betrayer — face to face. The traitor, prostituting the purest signal of love to the purpose of death, accomplishes the greatest masterpiece of treachery known to the universe. The Saviour calmly accepts the kiss; and surely, amid all the mockeries he suffered, this kiss was the most repulsive. Well did the German writer, Pfenninger, (quoted by Stier,) remark: “Wouldst thou know what Satan can do and God can suffer — what the basest of mankind can commit and the best of mankind can bear? behold the lips of Judas who kisses, and the cheek of Jesus who receives the kiss!” Hail, Master — The same lips that gave the false kiss preceded it with this false salutation. It was doubtless uttered with a loud voice. It proclaimed to the soldiery, “I have found the man I betray.” It proclaimed to our Lord, “You have found the man who betrays you.” The question at the supper-table, “Master, is it I?” now changes to the affirmation, “Master, it is I!”

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

Forthwith. The blood money was to become due on the accomplishment of the betrayal; so Judas, now that the opportunity had arrived, lost no time in completing his part of the bargain. Kissed him (katefilhsen , a strong word, kissed him eagerly, or, kissed him much). Judas was more than usually demonstrative in his salutation. "The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords". (Psa_55:21) So Joab treated Amasa before he murdered him. (2Sa_20:9, 2Sa_20:10) What infinite patience for the Lord to submit to this hypocritical caress! It is a type of the wonderful goodness and long suffering of God towards sinners, how he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good.

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

he came up to Jesus

"Judas came up to Jesus"

kissed him

"met him with a kiss." Good friends would kiss each other on the cheek, but a disciple would probably kiss his master on the hand to show respect. No one knows for sure how Judas kissed Jesus.

Then they came

Here "they" refers to the people with clubs and swords that came with Judas and the religious leaders.

laid hands on Jesus, and seized him

"grabbed Jesus, and arrested him"

translationWords

Rabbi

kiss

seize

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

49. Χαῖρε, ῥαββί. The joyous Greek salutation ‘be glad,’ and the Jewish term of respect ‘my master.’

κατεφίλησεν αὐτόν, ‘kissed him with fervour, or repeatedly;’ cp. Xen. Mem. II. 6. 33, ὡς τοὺς μὲν καλοὺς φιλήσοντὁς μου, τοὺς δὲ ἀγαθοὺς καταφιλήσοντος.

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.

49. εὐθέως] see above on ver. 47. The purpose of the kiss, supposing it to have taken place after John vv. 4-8, (and it is surely out of the question to suppose it to have taken place before, contrary to the plain meaning of John ver. 4,) has been doubted. Yet I think on a review of what had happened, it is very intelligible—not perhaps as some have supposed, to shew that Jesus could be approached with safety—but at all events as the sign agreed on with the Roman soldiers, who probably did not personally know Him, and who besides would have had their orders from the city, to take Him whom Judas should kiss. Thus the kiss would be necessary in the course of their military duty, as their authorization,—notwithstanding the previous declaration by Jesus of Himself.

κατεφ. is hardly as in my earlier editions, another word for ἐφίλ. It may well have its common and proper meaning, ‘Kissed him eagerly,’ with ostentation, as a studied and prearranged sign. See Ellicott, Lectures on the Life of our Lord, p. 331 note: and comp. Xenophon, Mem. ii. 6. 33, cited by Meyer, ὡς τοὺς καλοὺς φιλήσοντός μου, τοὺς δʼ ἀγαθοὺς καταφιλήσαντος.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

(M) 49. And immediately he came to Jesus and said, Hail, Rabbi: and kissed Him fervently.] Mk. has: “And coming immediately he came to Him, and saith, Rabbi: and kissed Him fervently.” Mt. omits Mk.’s ἐλθών as redundant; see Introduction, p. xxiv.—χαῖρε] added by Mt.

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

Kissed him [κατεφιλησεν] . The compound verb has the force of an emphatic, ostentatious salute. Meyer says embraced and kissed. The same word is used of the tender caressing of the Lord 's feet by the woman in the Pharisee 's house (Luk 7:38), of the father 's embrace of the returned prodigal (Luk 14:20), and of the farewell of the Ephesian elders to Paul (Act 20:37).

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.