Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 27:64
Command therefore that the sepulcher 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.
64. by night ] Omitted in the best MSS.
He is risen ] Rather, He rose.
error ] Better, deceit. The Greek word has the same root as deceiver, Mat 27:63.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Until the third day – That is, during two nights and the intervening day. This proves that when the Jews spoke of three days, they did not of necessity mean three whole days, but parts of three days, as was the case in our Saviours lying in the grave. See the notes at Mat 12:40.
The last error shall be worse than the first – That is, the last deception, or the taking him from the tomb, pretending that he rose, will have a wider influence among the people than the first, or his pretending to be the Messiah.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 64. Lest his disciples come by night] , by night, is wanting in ten of the uncial MSS., and in several others, and in most of the versions. Erasmus, Aldus, Bengel, and Boghard, with Griesbach, leave it out of the text.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
64. Command therefore that thesepulchre be made sureby a Roman guard.
until the third dayafterwhich, if He still lay in the grave, the imposture of His claimswould be manifest to all.
and say unto the people, heis risen from the deadDid they really fear this?
so the last error shall beworse than the firstthe imposture of His pretendedresurrection worse than that of His pretended Messiahship.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure,…. By this also they own, that he was buried; and they knew in what, and whose sepulchre he was laid, and where it was; and request of Pilate, that as he had given leave to Joseph to take the body and inter it, that he would also give orders that the sepulchre might be watched, that no body might come near it, and remove the body, and that
until the third day: not from the time they made this request, but from the time of Christ’s death; for no longer did they desire the sepulchre to be guarded; for if he did not rise, and no pretensions could be made to it in that time, they then very likely intended to expose his dead body, and triumph over him as an impostor; and after that time, they cared not what became of it, and were in no concern about watching the sepulchre; but till then they judged it necessary and desired it,
lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away: but of this there was no danger; they were too fearful and timorous to do such an action, had they been ever so much inclined to it; they all forsook him and fled immediately upon his apprehension; nor durst any of them appear at the time of his crucifixion, but John; and were now shut up for fear of the Jews; and besides, they had forgot what Christ said to them about his resurrection, though these men remembered it, and even disbelieved it when it was told them: the phrase “by night”, is not in two copies of Beza’s, nor in the Vulgate Latin and Arabic versions, nor in Munster’s Hebrew Gospel; but is in other copies, and in the Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions:
and say unto the people, he is risen from the dead; to the common people, that were illiterate, credulous, and easily imposed on: as for themselves, who were the learned, the wise and knowing, they were in no danger of being carried away with such a deception; but the populace, for whom they pretend a great concern, were:
so the last error shall be worse than the first; either their own error and mistake, should the sepulchre be neglected, and an opportunity given for such a report; this would be of more fatal consequence than their first mistake, in suffering him and his followers to go on so long: or rather, the error of the people, in believing that Jesus was the Messiah; which would be greatly strengthened and received by greater numbers, should it be given out, and there was any proof of it, that he was risen from the dead: nor were they mistaken in this, for the number of the disciples and followers of Christ greatly increased after his resurrection; to an hundred and twenty, which was their number upon Christ’s resurrection, three thousand were added at one time; being converted under one sermon, and that the first preached after Christ was risen.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The last error ( ). The last delusion, imposture (Weymouth), fraud (Moffatt). Latin error is used in both senses, from errare, to go astray. The first fraud was belief in the Messiahship of Jesus, the second belief in his resurrection.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Error [] . Not, as many render, deceit or imposture, referring to planov above; but error on the people’s part. The last error, namely, the false impression that he has risen from the dead, will be worse than the first error – the impression made by his impostures that he was the Messiah.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
(64) Until the third day.The phrase is worth noting as indicating the meaning which the priests attached to the words after three days. They were looking for the fraud which they anticipated as likely to be attempted at the beginning of the third day from the death.
The last error.Better, deceit, to connect the word, in English as in the Greek, with the deceiver of Mat. 27:63.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
64. The last error Namely, the triumph of the disciples of Christ in creating a faith in the resurrection. The first The temporary faith produced by Christ’s miracles and preaching in the popular mind that he was the Messiah. The Jews talk as if a previous error or mismanagement had allowed Jesus a temporary triumph while living; they fear that a worse oversight may give a permanent triumph to his cause after his death. How much worse has proved that error and how much greater the triumph, than they could have imagined!
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest haply his disciples come and steal him away. And say to the people, ‘He is risen from the dead,’ and the last error will be worse than the first.”
So they requested that Pilate, who had overall responsibility for the body, should secure the tomb in which Jesus’ body was lying, guarding it for three days in case His disciples came to steal it away and then tried to pretend that He had risen. Once the three days was over they could then if necessary prove that such a thing had not happened by producing the body. Let him consider what the disciples would be able to do if they were able to steal the body. They would be able to claim, ‘He is risen from the dead’. And that would simply compound the ‘deceptive error’ that Jesus had been declaring, that He was the Messiah Who would arise from the dead.
The Chief Priests would have known that they had no right themselves to set their own guard over what was Roman property (the body of Jesus), at least, not without permission. It would have made Pilate look as though he was being incompetent. And the tomb itself was a privately owned one, belonging to a respectable councillor. They would not themselves therefore have wished to cause offence by putting on an unofficial guard.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Mat 27:64 ] is more lively and natural when not taken as dependent on . The Vulgate renders correctly: et erit.
] the last error (see on Eph 4:14 ), that, namely, which would gain ground among the credulous masses, through those who might steal away the body of Jesus pretending that He had risen from the dead.
] which found acceptance with the multitude through giving out and encouraging others to give out that He was the Messiah.
] worse, i.e. more fatal to public order and security, etc. For the use of this expression, comp. Mat 12:45 ; 2Sa 13:15 .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
64 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.
Ver. 64. Command therefore ] How fain would the devil by his agents have kept Christ still in the grave, when there they had him. But all in vain; for his resurrection was to be the demonstration of his deity, Rom 1:4 , and the ground work of our safety, 1Co 15:14 . He turned therefore their counsel into foolishness, and in the sight of so many armed witnesses, rose the third day, in despite of them, breaking the bonds of death as easily as Samson did the green cords, Jdg 16:7 .
Lest his disciples come by night ] A most vain and yet a most vexing fear, such as was that of Herod after he had beheaded John Baptist: he thought he heard that holy head ever shouting and crying out against him, for his cruelty. “This is John Baptist,” said he (when he heard the fame of Jesus), “whom I have beheaded.” “I will send the hornet,” saith God, “before thee,” Exo 23:28 . What was that hornet, but the misgiving fear of the Canaanites’ self-condemning consciences, that haunted them perpetually? So here.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Mat 27:64 . . : the definite specification of time here and in Mat 27:63 may have been imported into the story in the course of the tradition. , the last delusion = faith in the resurrection, belief in the Messiahship of Jesus being the first. , worse, not so much in character as in consequences, more serious.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
made sure = secured.
the third day. See App-148.
the dead. See App-139.
error = deception.
the first. They do not say what the first was. It may be the crucifixion itself.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Mat 27:64. , to be made sure, to be secured) They ignorantly minister to the confirmation of the truth. No human (making sure) hinders God; see Act 5:23; Act 16:23-26.- , unto the people) The Pharisees supposed that they should not believe it themselves. They wish (as they persuade themselves) to take precautions for the people.- , …, and the last error shall be, etc.) The latter victory of truth, however, spread more widely than the first.- , the last) A similar mode of expression occurs in 2Sa 13:16.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
and steal: Mat 28:13
so: Mat 12:45
Reciprocal: Exo 9:5 – a set time Est 5:1 – on the Psa 21:11 – are not Psa 41:8 – and Pro 19:21 – many Mat 12:40 – so Mat 26:32 – I am Luk 2:46 – after Joh 19:41 – and in Joh 20:1 – the stone Joh 20:2 – They have taken Act 4:17 – let Act 12:4 – delivered 1Co 15:4 – he rose
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
7:64
I do not believe these Jews actually feared the disciples would steal the dead body of their Lord; what could they do with it? Besides, they were discouraged and in no mood for trying any rash means of what at best could only have been propaganda that would soon have been exposed. But these Jews were foolish enough to think that a seal over the tomb would prevent Jesus from breaking it, just as there are people today foolish enough to think that by having their bodies cremated they can escape the lake of fire. Error and deceiver are from Greek words with virtually the same meaning. The last error means the last deception, and the thought was that if they let the disciples succeed in their plan, then they (the Jews) would be worse beaten at the game than they were the first time.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 27:64. Until the third day, from His death, the third after and including Friday.The best authorities omit by night.
Worse than the first. The claim to be the Messiah, etc., was in their view the first deceit. As regards the effects of a belief in the resurrection, they judged rightly.