Matthew 27:10

Mat 27:10. Ἔδωκαν, they gave) In Zechariah it is ἔδωκα, I gave; and some[1177] have introduced it from the Prophet into the Evangelist, and Gebhardi clearly approves it on Zec 11:13. In this passage, however, it is written ἔδωκαν; and the force of ἔδωκα, and therefore the whole difference of the words of St Matthew from those of Zechariah, is supplied by the clause, “As the Lord enjoined me.”[1178] The LXX. have the same formula in Exo 9:12—καθὰ συνέταξε Κύριος τῷ Μωυσῇ, as the Lord enjoined Moses.[1179]—συνέταξε, enjoined) sc. to write or to say.

[1177] In his Apparatus Criticus, Bengel says, “ἔδωκαν) ἔδωκα, Aug. 4, duobus locis, Syr. Ex Zacharia. Probat Amama Antibarb., p. 573, et versu 9 construit, ἔλαβον ἀπὸ, κ.τ.λ. Sic quoque Io. Kaiserus et alii, quos notat Rus. T. 3, Harm. Ev., p. 1073, accepi a filiis Israel. ἔβαλον L. Ambigue. Vid. Gnom.”—(I. B.)

[1178] E. V. “As the Lord commanded me.”—(I. B.)

[1179] This is the reading of the Codex Alexandrinus: the Vatican MS. omits the two last words.—(I. B.)

Tisch. says that 3 MSS. and both Syr. Versions read ἔδωκα. But the cass of authority is for ἔδωκαν.—ED.

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

And gave them for the potter's field,.... In the prophet it is, "and I cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord", Zac 11:13; whereas here it is, "they gave them"; but the word Matthew uses may be rendered, "I gave", as it is by the Syriac; and as the last words require it should, "as the Lord commanded me"; otherwise there will be no coherence between them: and whereas the thirty pieces of silver are, in the prophet, said to be cast, or given "to the potter", and here, "for the potter's field", there is no contradiction: the plain sense is, that they were given to the potter, as a valuable consideration for his field: and whereas it is added, "in the house of the Lord", which the evangelist does not cite the reason is, because this money was first cast down in the temple by Judas, and after being taken up by the priests, they covenanted with the potter for his field, and paid him for it with this money in the sanctuary. The evangelist, instead of this last clause, puts,

as the Lord commanded me; which have made some think, that there should: be a different reading; and that instead of "the house", it should be read "according to the commandment": but there is no need to suppose this: the evangelist is justified in the use of this phrase, by what is said in the prophet in the beginning of Zac 11:13, "and the Lord said unto me": and this is only a transposition and explanation, according to a rule the Jews have, , "invert, or transpose the Scripture, and explain it" (e). Should it be said that the Messiah, and not the betrayer, nor the priests, is said to cast this money to the potter, or give it for the potter's field; it may be replied, that Jesus may be said to do that which Judas, and the chief priests did; because, by his almighty power and providence, he overruled those things for good, which in themselves were evil. Judas thought to have converted the money to his own use, and the priests would have been glad to have taken it again to themselves; but Christ obliged Judas to carry back the money to the priests, and cast it into the temple, and worked upon the minds of the priests, not to put it into the treasury, but to buy the potter's field with it, whereby the prophecy, in its literal sense, was fully accomplished.

(e) T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 119. 2. & Vajikra Rabba, sect. 27. fol. 167. 4.

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

10 And gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me.

Ver. 10. And gave them for the potter’s field] To the potter (saith Zechariah), in the house of the Lord. What the prophet sets down in short, and more obscurely, the evangelist expounds, and applies to Christ the antitype. So true is that observation of divines, that the Old Testament is both explained and fulfilled in the New, by a happy harmony.

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.

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.

As the Lord appointed me - That is, “commanded” me. The meaning of the place in Zechariah is this: He was directed to go to the Jews as a prophet - a pastor of the people. They treated him, as they had done others, with great contempt. He asks them to give him “his price” - that is, the price which they thought he and his pastoral labors were worth, or to show their estimate of his office. If they thought it of value, they were to pay him accordingly; if not, they were to “forbear” - that is, to give nothing. To show their “great contempt” of him and his office, and of God who had sent him, they gave him thirty pieces of silver - “the price of a slave.” This God commanded or “appointed him” to give to the potter, or to throw into the pottery to throw away. So in the time of Jesus the same thing was substantially repeated. Jesus came as the Messiah. They hated and rejected him. To show their contempt of him and his cause, they valued him “at the price of a slave.” This was thrown down in the temple, taken by the priests, and appropriated to the purchase of a field owned by a “potter” - worn-out land of little or no value; all showing at how low a price, through the whole transaction, the Son of God was estimated. Though the words quoted here are not precisely like those in Zechariah, yet the sense and general structure are the same.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Gave them for the potter"s field. This part of the citation is borrowed from Jeremiah"s purchase of the field of Hanamel (Mt 32). The Christian writer introduces a second fulfilment of the ancient word. As the Lord appointed me. This must be the equivalent of Zechariah"s "the Lord said unto me". (Zec_11:13) The destination of these wages of iniquity was foreordained. They could not be used by the Shepherd, nor stored in the temple treasury, nor kept by Judas or the priests; they were to be employed for another purpose.

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

As the Lord commanded me - To write, to record.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

10. ἔδωκα] א 122 S1; ἔδωκαν, B al. See above.

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