translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: MAT

label: NET study note

text: See the note on crucified in 20:19 .


text: The suggestion here is that Jesus was too popular to openly arrest him.


text: A jar made of alabaster stone was normally used for very precious substances like perfumes. It normally had a long neck which was sealed and had to be broken off so the contents could be used.


text: This required getting a suitable lamb and finding lodging in Jerusalem where the meal could be eaten. The population of the city swelled during the feast, so lodging could be difficult to find. The Passover was celebrated each year in commemoration of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt; thus it was a feast celebrating redemption (see ). The Passover lamb was roasted and eaten after sunset in a family group of at least ten people ( m. Pesahim 7.13). People ate the meal while reclining (see the note on table in 26:20 ). It included, besides the lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs as a reminder of Israel’s bitter affliction at the hands of the Egyptians. Four cups of wine mixed with water were also used for the meal. For a further description of the meal and the significance of the wine cups, see E. Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity, 523-24.


text: The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me. The point of Jesus’ comment here is not to identify the specific individual per se, but to indicate that it is one who was close to him – somebody whom no one would suspect. His comment serves to heighten the treachery of Judas’ betrayal.


text: 33 pc mae), the likelihood of homoioteleuton becomes rather remote. Jesus’ death established the forgiveness promised in the new covenant of Jer 31:31 . Jesus is reinterpreting the symbolism of the Passover meal, indicating the presence of a new era.


text: After singing a hymn. The Hallel Psalms ( Pss 113-118 ) were sung during the meal. Psalms 113 and 114 were sung just before the second cup and 115-118 were sung at the end of the meal, after the fourth, or hallel cup.


text: A quotation from Zech 13:7 .


text: This cup alludes to the wrath of God that Jesus would experience (in the form of suffering and death) for us. See Ps 11:6; 75:8-9 ; Isa 51:17, 19, 22 for this figure.


text: This remark is parenthetical within the narrative and has thus been placed in parentheses.


text: Judas’ act of betrayal when he kissed Jesus is especially sinister when it is realized that it was common in the culture of the times for a disciple to kiss his master when greeting him.


text: A legion was a Roman army unit of about 6,000 soldiers, so twelve legions would be 72,000.


text: The guards would have been the guards of the chief priests who had accompanied Judas to arrest Jesus.


text: An allusion to Ps 110:1 . This is a claim that Jesus shares authority with God in heaven. Those present may have thought they were his judges, but, in fact, the reverse was true.


text: The expression the right hand of the Power is a circumlocution for referring to God. Such indirect references to God were common in 1st century Judaism out of reverence for the divine name.


text: An allusion to Dan 7:13 (see also Matt 24:30 ).


text: When Peter went out and wept bitterly it shows he really did not want to fail here and was deeply grieved that he had.