Able Accomplishing Arising Availed Beginning Blood Contrary Crowd Disturbance Front Gain Gained Gaining Getting Guiltless Hands Innocent Instead Man's Multitude Murder Nothing Nowhere Pilate Prevail Prevailed Profiteth Rather Responsibility Responsible Righteous Riot Saying Seeing Sight Starting Threatening Trouble Tumult Upright Uproar Wash Washed Washing Working Yourselves
27:24 {4} When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but [that] rather a tumult was made, he took water, and {g} washed [his] hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the {h} blood of this just person: see ye [to it].
(4) Christ being acquitted by the testimony of the judge himself is nonetheless condemned by him, in order to acquit us before God.
(g) It was a custom in ancient times that when any man was murdered, or there were other slaughters, to wash their hands in water to declare themselves guiltless.
(h) Of the murder; a Hebrew idiom.
27:24 When Pilate saw that... a tumult was made. It was a dangerous time for a tumult, with more than a million Jews in Jerusalem, and probably not a thousand Roman soldiers in the castle. If one occurred, it would be reported to Rome, and he could hardly make a plausible defense to the emperor. He therefore yielded, and gave his sanction to confessed wrong, rather than endanger himself.
Washed [his] hands. A symbolic act, meaning that the responsibility of the sin was upon the Jewish authorities and people instead of himself.
27:24 Then Pilate took water and washed his hands - This was a custom frequently used among the heathens as well as among the Jews, in token of innocency.
27:11-25 Having no malice against Jesus, Pilate urged him to clear himself, and laboured to get him discharged. The message from his wife was a warning. God has many ways of giving checks to sinners, in their sinful pursuits, and it is a great mercy to have such checks from Providence, from faithful friends, and from our own consciences. O do not this abominable thing which the Lord hates! is what we may hear said to us, when we are entering into temptation, if we will but regard it. Being overruled by the priests, the people made choice of Barabbas. Multitudes who choose the world, rather than God, for their ruler and portion, thus choose their own delusions. The Jews were so bent upon the death of Christ, that Pilate thought it would be dangerous to refuse. And this struggle shows the power of conscience even on the worst men. Yet all was so ordered to make it evident that Christ suffered for no fault of his own, but for the sins of his people. How vain for Pilate to expect to free himself from the guilt of the innocent blood of a righteous person, whom he was by his office bound to protect! The Jews' curse upon themselves has been awfully answered in the sufferings of their nation. None could bear the sin of others, except Him that had no sin of his own to answer for. And are we not all concerned? Is not Barabbas preferred to Jesus, when sinners reject salvation that they may retain their darling sins, which rob God of his glory, and murder their souls? The blood of Christ is now upon us for good, through mercy, by the Jews' rejection of it. O let us flee to it for refuge!
Blood Contrary Disturbance Gain Gained Hands Innocent Multitude Murder Pilate Prevail Rather Responsible Righteous Riot Starting Threatening Tumult Washed Water
Blood Contrary Disturbance Gain Gained Hands Innocent Multitude Murder Pilate Prevail Rather Responsible Righteous Riot Starting Threatening Tumult Washed Water
