Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 26:48
Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.
Verse 48. Gave them a sign] How coolly deliberate is this dire apostate! The man whom I shall kiss – how deeply hypocritical! That is he, hold him fast, seize him – how diabolically malicious!
Hail, Master] A usual compliment among the Jews. Judas pretends to wish our Lord continued health while he is meditating his destruction! How many compliments of this kind are there in the world! Judas had a pattern in Joab, who, while he pretends to inquire tenderly for the health of Amasa, thrust him through with his sword; but the disciple here vastly outdoes his master, and through a motive, if possible, still more base. Let all those who use unmeaning or insidious compliments rank for ever with Joab and Judas.
And kissed him.] And tenderly kissed him – this is the proper meaning of the original word , he kissed him again and again-still pretending the most affectionate attachment to him, though our Lord had before unmasked him.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Mark, Mar 14:44,45, differs not, only instead of hold him fast, he hath, lead him away safely; and instead of
Hail, master, he saith, Master, master. There is in these words nothing difficult or doubtful: Judas had given them a sign how to know Christ, that was his kissing of him: being come where he was, he steps to our Saviour and kissed him, by which he let them know that he was the person against whom their warrant was.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign,…. By which it might be known who he was; for it being night, though they had lanterns and torches, as John says, Joh 18:3, yet Judas himself might not be able to discern, him, so as to point him out, until he came very near him: moreover, Christ and his apostles might be clothed alike, so that a mistake might be easily made, and one of them be took for him: and so the Jews say l, that the two thousand men, they pretend were with him, were clothed with the same apparel; which story may take its rise from hence: add to this, that James, the son of Alphaeus, called the brother of our Lord, is reported to be very like unto him. Besides, it is very likely that the Roman soldiers, who were to be the principal persons in apprehending, binding, and carrying him away, might never have seen him, and so could not know him without some sign was given them; and which Judas gave them before he came out with them: and is as follows:
saying, whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he, hold him fast. Judas might the rather pitch upon this to be the sign, partly because it might be what had been usual with the disciples, when they had been at any time absent from Christ, and which he admitted of; and partly because he might think this would best cover his treacherous designs, who, with all his wickedness, had not effrontery enough to come sword in hand and seize him in a violent manner, and besides, might not judge such a method advisable, had he impudence enough to prosecute it, lest this should put Jesus upon taking some measures to make his escape. The reason of his advice, “hold him fast”, was, because he knew that once and again, when attempts were made to seize him, he easily disengaged himself, passed through the midst, and went his way; see Lu 4:30
Joh 10:39; and therefore gave them this caution, and strict charge, lest, should he slip from them, he should lose his money he had agreed with the chief priests for; or to let them know, that when he was in their hands, he had made good his agreement, and should expect his money: and that it lay upon them then to take care of him, and bring him before the sanhedrim. The account the Jews themselves give of the directions of Judas, is not very much unlike this; who represent him advising in this manner, only as on the day before:
“gird yourselves ready about this time tomorrow, and the man whom shall worship and bow to, the same is he; behave yourselves like men of war, fight against his company, and lay hold on him m.”
l Toldos Jesu, p. 16. m Ib.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Gave them a sign ( ). Probably just before he reached the place, though Mark (Mr 14:44) has “had given” () which certainly means before arrival at Gethsemane. At any rate Judas had given the leaders to understand that he would kiss () Jesus in order to identify him for certain. The kiss was a common mode of greeting and Judas chose that sign and actually “kissed him fervently” (, verse 49), though the compound verb sometimes in the papyri has lost its intensive force. Bruce thinks that Judas was prompted by the inconsistent motives of smouldering love and cowardice. At any rate this revolting ostentatious kiss is “the most terrible instance of the (Pr 27:6),” the profuse kisses of an enemy (McNeile). This same compound verb occurs in Lu 7:38 of the sinful woman, in Lu 15:20 of the Father’s embrace of the Prodigal Son, and in Ac 20:37 of the Ephesian elders and Paul.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
48. Now he who betrayed him. I have no doubt that Judas was restrained, either by reverence for our Lord, or by shame for his crime, from venturing openly to avow himself as one of the enemies; and the warning which, Mark tells us, he gave the soldiers — to lead the away cautiously, was given, I conjecture, for this reason, that he recollected the numerous-proofs by which Christ had formerly attested his divine power. But it was, at the same time, astonishing madness, either to attempt to conceal himself by frivolous hypocrisy, when he came into the presence of the Son of God, or to oppose the tricks and dexterity of men to his boundless power.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(48) Whomsoever I shall kiss.It is probable, from the known customs (1) of the Jews and (2) of the early Christians (Rom. 16:16; 1Th. 5:26) that this was the usual salutation of the disciples to their Master. St. John, it may be noted, makes no mention of the sign; probably because here, as elsewhere, he seeks to give touches that others had passed over, rather than to repeat what the oral or written teaching of the Church had already made familiar.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘Now he who betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, “Whoever I shall kiss, that is he. Take him.” ’
We now learn of the arrangement that Jesus had made. It is clear that there was a fear that in the dark, and among a group of people, all with beards, and with their heads covered, the wrong person might be arrested. In the circumstances that would be disastrous for news would then reach the pilgrims gathered in Jerusalem that a failed attempt had been made on Jesus, making the possibility of His arrest even more difficult. If they were to do it they had to get it right first time. And the arresting party would not necessarily know Jesus well.
The sign to be used, a kiss, possibly illuminates Judas’ thoughts. A kiss between men, except between those who were related, was usually used by a higher to a lower, a Rabbi to his student, the father to the prodigal son. Perhaps the iron had entered into Judas’ soul and he intended to indicate, as a riposte to Jesus’ earlier indication that He knew what he was about, that he had gained the mastery. But a kiss was also occasionally used between special friends (1Sa 20:41). And it may be that it had become a token of brotherhood among Jesus and the disciples in accordance with Mat 12:50, as it would be later among Christians (Rom 16:16; 1Co 16:20; 2Co 13:12 ; 1Th 5:26; 1Pe 5:14) where it was almost certainly a sign of brotherhood. We can consider also Luk 7:45 where philema, “a kiss, a mark of friendship,” is used by our Lord as indicating what Simon the Pharisee had omitted to give him, and may there refer to a sign of special welcome, although even there it would have been from a host to an honoured guest. Whichever way it was it would indicate friendship, esteem and affection rather than the opposite. In the same way as Judas had eaten with Jesus from the same dish, a token of friendship, so did he feel free to kiss Jesus. It goes with his callous words, “Whoever I kiss, that is he. Take him.” It is clear that he had little compunction and little sense of honour, something which must be remembered when we feel like sympathising with him. Even rogues can have a sense of honour. John alone omits mention of the kiss. He probably saw it as so heinous that he could not bear to bring it to mind.
‘Take Him.’ That is, ‘lay hold of Him’. He did not want there to be any possibility of Jesus escaping lest he lose his reward or be shamed.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Mat 26:48. He that betrayed him, gave them a sign The soldiers having perhaps never seen Jesus before, and it being now night, and there being twelve persons together, probably dressed much alike, Judas found it necessary to point him out to them by some such sign as this. It was a Jewish custom, after a long absence, or at departing from each other, to make use of the ceremony of a kiss. They used it likewise as a sign of affection to their equals, and as a mark of homage and reverence to their superiors. See Psa 2:12. Luk 7:45. It is very probable that our Lord, in great condescension, had used, agreeably to this custom, to permit his disciples thus to salute him, when they returned to him after having been any time absent. One would be apt to believe, from the precaution which Judas gives at the end of the verse, hold him fast, that he might suspect Christ would on this occasion renew the miraclesthathehad formerly wrought for his own deliverance; (compare Luk 4:30. Joh 8:59; Joh 10:39.) though he had so expressly declared the contrary, Mat 26:24
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Mat 26:48 . It is usual, though unwarrantable (see on Joh 18:24 ), to take in the sense of the pluperfect (comp. Mar 14:44 ), in which case it is necessary, with Ewald, to make Mat 26:48 a parenthesis. The Vulgate correctly renders by: dedit. He communicated the signal to them while they were on the way .
, . . .] Fritzsche inserts a colon after , and supposes the following words to be understood: est vobis comprehendendus . It may be given more simply thus: Whomsoever I shall have kissed, He it is (just He, no other is the one in question)! This serves to single out the person intended, from those about Him. Hermann, ad Viger . p. 733.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
48 Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.
Ver. 48. Whomsoever I shall kiss ] Ah, lewd losel! betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? a Givest thou thy Lord such rank poison in such a golden cup? Consignest thou thy treachery with so sweet a symbol of peace and love? b But this is still usual with those of his tribe. Caveatur osculum Iscarioticum. Jesuits at this day kiss and kill familiarly; officiose occidunt, as one saith of false physicians. When those Rhemish incendiaries, Giffard, Hodgson, and others, had set Savage to work to kill Queen Elizabeth, they first set forth a book to persuade the English Catholics to attempt nothing against her. So when they had sent Squire out of Spain to poison the queen, they taught him to anoint the pummel of her saddle with poison secretly, and then to pray with a loud voice, God save the Queen. Lopez, another of their agents, affirmed at Tyburn, that he had loved the queen as he had loved Jesus Christ: which, from a Jew, was heard not without laughter. So Parsons, when he had hatched that nameless villany the gunpowder plot, set forth his book of resolution; as if he had been wholly made up of devotion, E societate Iesu fuit qui Iesum tradidit. He was from the fellowship of Jesus whom Jesus had taught.
a . Philo.
b Sacramento pacis tradidit sacrificium pacis. Jerome.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
48. ] The common rendering of as a plusq. perf. is unnecessary and unwarranted: the aorist is simply historical , gave them a sign; when is not stated. On Mark’s addition, , see notes there.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 26:48 . : the traitor, as he approached the place where he shrewdly guessed Jesus would be, gave ( dedit , Vulg [139] ), not had given . His plan was not cut and dry from the first. In flashed upon him as he drew near and began to think how he would meet his Master. The old charm of the Master reasserts itself in his soul, and he feels he must salute Him affectionately. At the same instant it flashes upon him that the kiss which both smouldering love and cowardice compel may be utilised as a sign. Inconsistent motives? Yes, but such is human nature, especially in the Judas type: two-souled men, drawn opposite ways by the good and evil in them; betraying loved ones, then hanging themselves.
[139] Vulgate (Jerome’s revision of old Latin version).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Mat 26:48 . , He and no other is the man.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
gave = had given.
hold Him fast = seize Him.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
48.] The common rendering of as a plusq. perf. is unnecessary and unwarranted: the aorist is simply historical,-gave them a sign;-when is not stated. On Marks addition, , see notes there.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
[48. , seize hold of Him) Judas feared lest Jesus should escape on the present, as He had done on a former occasion.- , and they seized hold of Him) First the multitude seized upon Jesus; in the meantime occurred the blow and the miracle on Malchus, whose ear the Saviour touched and healed;[1152] then they surrounded and apprehended Him as an actual prisoner. The former is expressed in Matthew and Mark by the verb , to seize hold of, the latter in Luke [Luk 22:54] and John [Joh 18:12], by , to apprehend. Then they moreover bound Him.-B. H. E., p. 530.]
[1152] In the German this is beautifully expressed by the words, dessen Ohr der HEYLAND angerhret und GEHEILET.-(I. B.)
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Whomsoever: 2Sa 3:27, 2Sa 20:9, 2Sa 20:10, Psa 28:3, Psa 55:20, Psa 55:21
hold: Mar 14:44
Reciprocal: Psa 69:8 – become Pro 27:6 – the kisses Jer 9:8 – one Mat 2:8 – that Luk 7:45 – gavest Luk 22:48 – betrayest Act 16:23 – to keep Jam 1:15 – when
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
6:48
Hold him fast. Judas had no doubt of the ability of Jesus to escape from the hand of the mob and really expected him to do so. Then if the priests complained of their loss and demanded the recovery of the money on a pretense of fraud, he could remind them of his warning and thus reject their complaint. Had things turned out as he expected, Judas would have procured the money which his covetous heart craved, and at the same time Jesus would not have been any worse off.
Verse 49. Hail means a salutation that comes from a Greek word denoting a friendly greeting that includes good wishes. It is as if Judas had said, “Master, I give you my good wishes for your happiness,” and then pretended to verify his wishes by a kiss.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 26:48. Gave them a sign, previously agreed upon; comp. Mar 14:44, had given.
Whomsoever I shall kiss. The kiss among the ancients was a sign of affectionate and cordial intimacy, and particularly a token of fidelity, Gen 29:11.
Take him. Judas may have feared He might still elude them, either by some exercise of His acknowledged power, or, more probably, with the help of His disciples. If the incidents mentioned by John (Joh 18:4-9) took place, as is probable, on the first appearance of the crowd, most of those present already knew which was Jesus. But the signal agreed upon would be necessary to point Him out to the Roman soldiers, who might not have understood the conversation or had orders to act upon this sign. Our Lord had probably rejoined the other disciples.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 48
Kiss; according to the customary mode of salutation.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
Judas needed to identify Jesus because it was dark and because, even though many people knew about Jesus, far fewer had really seen Him up close. Judas turned the symbol of friendship, a kiss, into a symbol of hypocritical betrayal with his action. His greeting was to mark Jesus, not to show affection and honor Him. Judas kissed Jesus repeatedly, loudly, and effusively (Gr. katephilesen).
Jesus’ greeting, "Friend," was not intimate but gracious. Jesus’ following words could have been either a statement or a question. If they were a statement, they reflect Jesus’ sovereign control in this situation. If they were a question, they offer an ironic rebuke. Of course, Jesus knew why Judas had come.