Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 27:30
And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
Verse 30. And they spit upon him] “Let us pay our adoration,” says the same pious writer, “and humble ourselves in silence at the sight of a spectacle which faith alone renders credible, and which our senses would hardly endure. Jesus Christ, in this condition, preaches to the kings of the earth this truth – that their sceptres are but reeds, with which themselves shall be smitten, bruised, and crushed at his tribunal, if they do not use them here to the advancement of his kingdom.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And they spit upon him,…. The Syriac and Persic versions add, “upon his face”, which he did not hide from spitting; see Isa 1:6, and so what with sweat, by being hurried from place to place, and with blood trickling down from his temples, scratched with thorns, and with the spittle of these filthy soldiers, his visage was more marred than any man’s, and his form than the sons of men,
Isa 52:14.
And took the reed, or “cane”, which was put into his right hand,
and smote him on the head; whereby they drove the sharp points of the thorns into it, which must give him inexpressible pain and torture.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(30) They spit upon him.See Note on Mat. 26:67.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
30. Smote The blow of the reed would have been too light to inflict much pain upon any other part than the head, and there it would aggravate the pain of the thorns.
At the present day, such is the spirit of Christianity, the criminal is left to the serene but stern action of the law, without any such voluntary insults and tortures as these, which serve to deprave the perpetrators as much as they torture the victim.
After this scourging and mockery Jesus is led forth from the inner court or Pretorium to the door of the palace, by Pilate, who presents him before the multitude in the hope that the sorrowful sight may awaken pity and produce his release. He declares Jesus innocent. They reply, that by Jewish law he is liable to death for blasphemy in claiming to be the “Son of God.”
Startled at this supernatural name, Pilate takes Jesus again into the interior court, and demands of him what is his true origin. Jesus retains his own mystery and silence; but Pilate coming forth, again pronounces Jesus innocent. At this point the Jews give Pilate the finishing stroke. If he lets this man go he is not Cesar’s friend. Before that threat the iron will of Pilate bent and yielded. See Joh 19:12-13.
The Roman emperors had ever lent a ready ear to the complaints of provinces against their governors. Augustus Cesar did so against Herod the Great. The remonstrances of the Jews prevented Archelaus from being king, and finally their complaints overthrew him. And Pilate himself was in fact ruined, as we have elsewhere narrated, by such a complaint of the Samaritans against him. He sacrifices Jesus, therefore, to his own security.” See note on Mat 27:2.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And they spat on him, and took the reed and smote him continually on the head.’
Spitting was, as it still is, a sign of contempt, and they held nothing back, and then one of them, no doubt to the delight of his comrades seized the reed from His hand and smote Him on the head with it. After which they all felt that they wanted to have a go. The spitting is again a reminder of Isa 50:6, although the connection is not brought out. Matthew’s Gospel is, however, full of such Scriptural nuances. The smiting with the reed was more in mockery than with the intention of hurting Him, but it would hit One Who was bruised and bleeding from His earlier scourging and could hardly have failed to cause pain.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
Ver. 30. And they spit upon him ] So doth profaneness still cast dirt and drivel into Christ’s face. See Trapp on “ Mat 26:67 “ Robert Smith, martyr, in his examination before Bonner, made one of his doctors to say, that his breaden god must needs enter into the belly, and so fall into the draught. To which he answered: What derogation was it to Christ, when the Jews spit in his face? Smith presently replied, If the Jews, being his enemies, did but spit in his face, and we, being his friends, throw him into the draught, which of us deserveth the greatest damnation?
And smote him on the head ] Or, into the head, : drove the thorns into his holy head with bats and blows, as Basiliades, the Duke of Russia, nailed an ambassador’s hat to his head, upon some displeasure conceived against him. At the taking of Heidelberg, the Spaniards took Monsieur Mylius, an ancient minister and man of God, and having abused his daughter before his face, they tied a small cord about his head, which with truncheons they wreathed about, till they squeezed out his brains. The monks of Pignerol roasted the minister of St Germain, till his eyes dropped out. And the Spaniards suppose they show the innocent Indians great favour, when they do not, for their pleasure, whip them with cords, scratch them with thorns, and day by day drop their naked bodies with burning bacon. So very a devil is one man to another.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
30. ] Observe the aor. of the one act of taking the reed, but the imperfects and of the continued and repeated acts of mocking and striking.
Here follows the exhibition of Jesus by Pilate, and his last attempt to release him, Joh 19:4-16 .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 27:30 . t this point rough sport turns into brutal treatment, as the moment for execution of the sentence approaches. : spitting, substituted for kissing, the final act of homage, followed by striking with the mock sceptre ( . . .).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
upon = at. Greek. eis. App-104.
smote = kept heating.
on. Greek. eis. Same word as “upon”, Mat 27:30.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
30.] Observe the aor. of the one act of taking the reed, but the imperfects and of the continued and repeated acts of mocking and striking.
Here follows the exhibition of Jesus by Pilate, and his last attempt to release him, Joh 19:4-16.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 26:67, Job 30:8-10, Isa 49:7, Isa 50:6, Isa 52:14, Isa 53:3, Isa 53:7, Mic 5:1, Mar 15:19, Luk 18:32, Luk 18:33
Reciprocal: Deu 25:9 – spit Job 30:10 – spare not to spit in my face Psa 69:7 – shame Mat 26:49 – Hail Luk 23:36 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
7:30
Isa 53:3 predicts that Jesus was to be “despised” which means to be treated with contempt or belittled. That was fulfilled when they spit upon him, which was done also when he was in the high priest’s house (chapter 26:67). They next took the reed out of his hand and struck him on the head. That indicated that he was to be dispossessed of the authority he claimed to have, and then be punished by the very authority he claimed to represent as king.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 27:30. And they spat upon him. The sport of wicked men wounds; if they are rough, it becomes brutality. Yet the Jews had done this (chap. Mat 26:67); Herod had taught these rude soldiers how to mock, and Pilate invited them to do it.
The reed. The mock sceptre. There was an alternation of mocking homage and cruel treatment.