Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 27:43
He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
43. He trusted in God ] See Psa 22:8. The chief priests unconsciously apply to the true Messiah the very words of a Messianic psalm.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 43. If he will have him] Or, if he delight in him – . The verbs and , are used by the Septuagint in more than forty places for the Hebrew chaphets, which signifies, earnestly to desire, or delight in. Now as this is a quotation from Ps 22:8, He trusted in the Lord, that he would deliver him; let him deliver him, ( ki chaphets bo,) for he HATH DELIGHTED IN HIM: – , Sept. This will sufficiently vindicate the above translation; as the evangelist quotes the words from that version, with the simple change of , if, for , because.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He trusted in God,…. That is, he pretended to claim an interest in him, to be high in his favour and esteem, and to have great faith and confidence in him:
let him deliver him now; directly, from the cross, and the death of it:
if he will have him; or if he is well pleased with him as his own Son, or delights in him as such, and will show him any favour and good will; see Ps 22:8, where are these very words, and which are predicted should be said by these men to Christ; and are a wonderful confirmation of the truth of that Psalm and prophecy belonging to him:
for he said, I am the Son of God; not only in his ministry, but he had said so in their grand council, before them all.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Let him deliver him now ( ). They add the word “now” to Matt 27:21; Matt 22:8. That is the point of the sneer at Christ’s claim to be God’s son thrown in his teeth again and at the willingness and power of God to help his “son.” The verb here may mean
love as in the Septuagint (Ps 18:20; Ps 41:12) or “cares for” (Moffatt), “gin he cares ocht for him” (Braid Scots).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
If he will have him [ ] . Rev., correctly, If he desireth him : i e., If he likes him. Compare Ps. xviii. (Sept. 17) 19; because he delighted in me [ ] , Ps. xli. (Sept. 40) 11 [ ] .
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
43. He trusted in God. This, as I said a little ago, is a very sharp arrow of temptation which Satan holds in his hand, when he pretends that God has forgotten us, because He does not relieve us speedily and at the very moment. For since God watches over the safety of his people, and not only grants them seasonable aid, but even anticipates their necessities, (as Scripture everywhere teaches us,) he appears not to love those whom he does not assist. Satan, therefore, attempts to drive us to despair by this logic, that it is in vain for us to feel assured o the love of God, when we do not clearly perceive his aid. And as he suggests to our minds this kind of imposition, so he employs his agents, who contend that God has sold and abandoned our salvation, because he delays to give his assistance. We ought, therefore, to reject as false this argument, that God does not love those whom he appears for a time to forsake; and, indeed, nothing is more unreasonable than to limit his love to any point of time. God has, indeed, promised that he will be our Deliverer; but if he sometimes wink at our calamities, we ought patiently to endure the delay. It is, therefore, contrary to the nature of faith, that the word now should be insisted on by those whom God is training by the cross and by adversity to obedience, and whom he entreats to pray and to call on his name; for these are rather the testimonies of his fatherly love, as the apostle tells us, (Heb 12:6.) But there was this peculiarity in, Christ, that, though he was the well-beloved Son, (Mat 3:17,) yet he was not delivered from death, until he had endured the punishment which we deserved; because that was the price by which our salvation was purchased. (273) Hence it follows again that the priests act maliciously, when they infer that he is not the Son of God, because he performs the office which was enjoined upon him by the Father.
(273) “ Pource que c’estoit le prix de nostre salut et redemption;” — “because it was the price of our salvation and redemption.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(43) Let him deliver him now.It seems at first hardly conceivable that priests and scribes could thus have quoted the very words of Psa. 22:8, and so have fulfilled one of the great Messianic prophecies. But (1) we must remember that they, ignoring the idea of a suffering Christ, would not look on the Psalm as Messianic at all, and (2) that their very familiarity with the words of the Psalm would naturally bring its phraseology to their lips when occasion called for it. Only they would persuade themselves that they were right in using it, while Davids enemies were wrong.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
43. Let him deliver him Here is another argument. If God is on this man’s side he will not suffer him to be slain.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“He trusts on God. Let him deliver him now, if he desires him, for he said, I am the Son of God.”
Then they also raised the question of His claim to be the Son of God (Mat 26:63; compare Mat 21:37-38; Mat 22:2). As such surely He trusted in God? Well, if He did, let God reveal it by delivering Him now. If He is really His Son, and if God truly has any desire for Him, let Him demonstrate the fact by delivering Him. There is again an echo here of Psa 22:8, ‘Commit yourself to the Lord, let Him deliver Him, let Him deliver Him seeing He delights in Him’ (LXX has, ‘let Him deliver Him if He wants Him’, which Matthew’s use here suggests is based on an underlying Hebrew text).
It will be clear from this that the ideas in Psalms 22 permeate this whole narrative. See on Mat 27:34, Mat 27:35, Mat 27:39 and here. It will shortly be made patent in Mat 27:46.
It should be noted that we would expect members of the Sanhedrin to be present at the cross, not only because they would want to gloat, but also because they could hardly allow such a prominent figure, whom they had caused to be crucified, to hang in public without being themselves there to defend their position. And we would also expect the kinds of comments made here, for they were still sore at what Jesus had said to them in the High Priests’ palace, and at the inscription that had been placed above Jesus’ head. These comments are therefore exactly what we would expect.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Mat 27:43 In the mouth of the members of Sanhedrim , who in Mat 27:41 are introduced as joining in the blasphemies of the passers-by, and who, Mat 27:42 , have likewise the inscription over the cross in view, the jeering assumes a more impious character. They now avail themselves even of the language of holy writ , quoting from the 22d Psalm (which, moreover, the Jews declared to be non -Messianic), the 5th verse of which is given somewhat loosely from the LXX. ( , , , ).
] is the rendering of the Heb. , and is to be interpreted in accordance with the Septuagint usage of (see Schleusner, Thes. II. p. 51, and comp. on Rom 7:21 ): if He is the object of his desire, i.e. if he likes Him; comp. Tob 13:6 ; Psa 18:19 ; Psa 41:11 . In other instances the LXX. give the preposition as well, rendering the Hebrew (1Sa 18:22 , al.) by . Fritzsche supplies ; but in that case we should have had merely without ; comp. Col 2:18 .
] The emphasis is on , as conveying the idea: I am not the son of a man, but of God, who in consequence will be certain to deliver me.
Comp. Wis 2:18 .
Observe further the short bounding sentences in which their malicious jeering, Mat 27:42 f., finds vent.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
Ver. 43. He trusted in God ] These were cruel mockings, as those were called, Heb 11:36 . Nothing troubled David more than to be hit in the teeth with his God, to have his religion laid in his dish,Psa 42:1-11Psa 42:1-11 ; Psa 43:1-5 . And it went to Job’s heart to hear his friend Eliphaz (a godly man otherwise) scoff him for his religion, Job 4:6 . Is not thy fear (or thy religion) become thy folly? Zedekiah feared more to be mocked by the Jews than the Chaldees, Jer 38:9 .
Let him deliver him now ] But what if he do not deliver him now, is he therefore no Son? So they would seem to argue; and so Satan would fain persuade the saints when held awhile under the cross. But the apostle assures us otherwise, Heb 12:6-8 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
43. ] See Psa 22:7-8 . This is not according to the LXX, which has , , . This is omitted by Mark and Luke. for amare aliquem , occurs in reff. Ps. We have with an accus. of the thing in reff. and Eze 18:23 ; Eze 18:32 a [182] .; and followed by with a person, 1Ki 18:22 ; 1Ch 28:4 (not Col 2:18 ; see note there), a [183] .
[182] alii = some cursive mss.
[183] alii = some cursive mss.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 27:43 . his looks like a mere echo of Psa 22:9 (not a literal quotation from the Sept [153] , however, rather recalling Isa 36:5 ) rather than a word likely to be spoken by the Sanhedrists. What did they know about the personal piety of Jesus? Probably they were aware that He used to call God “Father,” and that may be the basis of the statement, along with the confession of Sonship before the Sanhedrim: . , now is the time for testing the value of His trust; a plausible wicked sneer. , if He love Him, an emphatic if, the love disproved by the fact. is used in the sense of love in the Sept [154] (Psa 18:20 ; Psa 41:12 ). Palairet gives examples of a similar use in Greek authors.
[153] Septuagint.
[154] Septuagint.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
trusted. See App-150. Quoted from Psa 22:8.
if He will. The condition assumed, as in Mat 27:42. Compare Psa 18:19; Psa 41:11.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
43.] See Psa 22:7-8. This is not according to the LXX, which has , , . This is omitted by Mark and Luke. for amare aliquem, occurs in reff. Ps. We have with an accus. of the thing in reff. and Eze 18:23; Eze 18:32 a[182].; and followed by with a person, 1Ki 18:22; 1Ch 28:4 (not Col 2:18; see note there), a[183].
[182] alii = some cursive mss.
[183] alii = some cursive mss.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 27:43. , He trusted) cf. the end of the verse.- , …, for He said, etc.) We may consider that this was either uttered by those who were passing by, or added by the Evangelist for the sake of explanation. The LXX. in Psalms 22(21):8, have , , , He trusted in the Lord, let Him deliver Him: let Him save Him, since He delighteth in Him.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
trusted: Psa 3:2, Psa 14:6, Psa 22:8, Psa 42:10, Psa 71:11, Isa 36:15, Isa 36:18, Isa 37:10
I am: Mat 27:40, Joh 3:16, Joh 3:17, Joh 5:17-25, Joh 10:30, Joh 10:36, Joh 19:7
Reciprocal: Gen 37:19 – Behold 2Sa 22:20 – delighted 1Ki 22:24 – Which way 2Ki 18:5 – trusted 2Ki 18:22 – We trust 2Ki 18:30 – make you 2Ch 32:11 – The Lord our God Psa 21:7 – For the Psa 35:25 – so Psa 144:7 – Send Dan 3:15 – and who Joe 2:17 – wherefore Mic 7:10 – Where Nah 1:7 – that Mat 14:33 – Of Mat 26:63 – the Christ Mat 27:49 – let us Mat 27:54 – Truly Mar 9:7 – This Mar 15:18 – Hail Mar 15:39 – he said Luk 3:22 – Thou art Luk 22:70 – the Son Joh 1:34 – this Act 9:20 – that Rom 1:3 – his Son 1Ti 4:10 – because Heb 2:13 – I will
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
7:43
Let him deliver him means for God to deliver his Son from the cross. This was as insincere as the statement of the preceding verse. They must have known that God would have the same reason for not interfering with the crucifixion as Jesus had for not resisting it.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 27:43. He trusteth on God. In their mockery they repeat almost the very language of Psa 22:8. Their Pharisaical scrupulousness made them substitute God for Jehovah, which occurs in the Psalm, and which the Jews would not utter. Yet that Psalm was now finding its fulfilment, and the verse they echo is preceded by a description (Mat 27:7) of their very gestures. See Mat 27:46.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
The leaders were probably unwittingly quoting Psa 22:8 (cf. Joh 11:51-52). They meant that God’s failure to rescue Jesus proved that God did not delight in Him. Jesus’ claims to be God’s Son were therefore pretentious in their sight. God would identify His Son by delivering Him from death, but not in the way the religious leaders supposed. Presently God had to abandon His Son (cf. Psalms 2).