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Matthew 27

When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:

And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.

And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.

Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.

Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value;

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

And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.

And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.

Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?

And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.

Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.

And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.

Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?

For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.

When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.

But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.

Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.

And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.

When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.

And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.

And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.

And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,

They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.

And sitting down they watched him there;

And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.

And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,

And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,

He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.

And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.

The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.

Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:

Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.

When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple:

He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.

And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.

Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,

Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.

Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.

Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.

So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

What does Matthew 27:65 mean?

Explanation

Matthew 27:65 refers to Pilate's interaction with the chief priests and Pharisees who were concerned about the security of Jesus' tomb after his crucifixion.

Understanding the fear that Jesus' disciples might steal the body to claim he had risen, as Jesus himself had prophesied, these Jewish leaders requested Pilate to secure the tomb.

Pilate's response, "Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can," effectively grants them the authority to secure the tomb as they deem necessary.

This suggests not only that Pilate was dismissive of their concerns but also that he wanted to absolve himself of further involvement with Jesus' affairs.

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Historical Context

This verse is part of the Passion Narrative in the Gospel of Matthew, depicting the events immediately following Jesus’ death.

The historical context suggests that the Romans allowed the Sanhedrin some degree of self-governance, including maintaining their own temple guard (“watch”).

Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, demonstrated indifference to Jewish religious matters, seeing them as internal issues of the people, unless they threatened Roman order.

Theological Insights

Theologically, this verse illustrates themes of doubt, disbelief, and the fulfillment of prophecy.

Doubt is shown in the Jewish leaders' worries over the possible theft of Jesus' body.

Jesus had proclaimed he would rise again after three days, which the authorities seem to take more seriously than his own disciples at this point.

Different viewpoints may argue about Pilate’s role in the crucifixion narrative.

Some see Pilate’s actions throughout as reluctant submission to the will of the Jewish leaders, yet here he seems to distance himself from further proceedings.

Theologically, this action of sealing the tomb and setting a guard is seen by Christians as inadvertently contributing to the verification of the resurrection since it rules out the possibility of grave tampering.

Practical Applications

Practically, the verse offers a lesson in facing doubts and concerns with a certain level of pragmatism.

For followers today, it can also serve as a reminder that God's purposes will be fulfilled despite human intervention or disbelief.

It also exemplifies the idea of delegating responsibility and authority, a principle applicable in leadership and management contexts.

Cross-References

Matthew 27:62-66 - This passage narrates the events leading up to and including Matthew 27:65, providing more detail about the request of the Jewish leaders and the securing of the tomb.
Matthew 28:2-4 - After the resurrection, an angel of the Lord descends and the guards shake for fear.
John 20:1-9 - The Gospel of John’s account of the discovery of the empty tomb on the third day.
Acts 13:29-30 - Paul speaks about Jesus' death and burial, emphasizing the fulfillment of the resurrection prophecy.

Language Study

Key words in the original Greek text include:

"Watch" (κουστωδία - koustōdia): This Greek term refers to the guard or watch, implying a group of soldiers.
"Sure" (ἀσφαλής - asphalēs): Translating to "as sure as ye can," suggesting that it should be made secure or safe from tampering.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In comparison to other cultural myths and religious narratives, the burial and guarding of a deity’s tomb is not common.

However, the story emphasizes the tension between the ruling authority and local religious beliefs, a motif found in many other ancient accounts and legends, where the divine often upends human expectations and interventions.

Scientific Perspectives

Scientific perspectives might explore the practical considerations of guarding a tomb in ancient times, such as the logistics of setting a watch and sealing a stone.

Archeologically, there is interest in the kind of security measures common in the period, though direct connections to the biblical narrative cannot be made scientifically.

Commentaries

Commentaries generally concur that this verse illustrates Pilate's indifference and the Jewish leaders' anxieties regarding Jesus’ prophecy.

William Barclay notes that this act of sealing the tomb and setting a guard adds a dramatic twist to the story since any claim of resurrection now requires overcoming this significant obstacle.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary discusses how providence uses even the enemies of the gospel to provide evidence for its truth.

Matthew 27

Matthew 27

What does Matthew 27:65 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Matthew 27:65 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?