John 18
DOYLY— And when he had said this, he went out &c.] Pilate, satisfied of the innocence of Jesus, waits for no answer to an inquiry, which, in the exercise of His judicial office, did not concern him.
— I find in him no fault at all.] I cannot find that He has done any thing which is worthy of death. Dr. Clarke.
John 18:4
4.—knowing all things that should come upon him,] That is, having a full knowledge of all which was to befall Him. Bp. Mann.
The officers fall to the ground. Peter denieth Christ. Anno DOMINI 23. went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?
John 18:6
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— they went backward, and fell &c.] Such was the majesty with which He spake, and so great the Divine power which accompanied His words. Dr. S. Clarke.
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— Take ye him, and crucify him.] He tells them that, if they were determined to crucify Him, they must do it at their own peril, for that he could not condemn a man without a fault. Dr. Whitby.
John 18:7
- — by our law he ought to die.] They allude either to the law against false prophets, Deut. xviii. 20, or rather to that against blasphemy, Lev. xxiv. 16. The other Evangelists specially relate that He was charged with blasphemy, for confessing that He was the Son of God. Dr. Whitby.
— because he made himself the Son of God.] Thus it appears that our Lord suffered death according to the Jewish law, as a blasphemer, because, avowing Himself to be the Son of God, He was clearly under-
stood to represent Himself as equal with God. This sufficiently proves that the Jews understood the title of “the Son of God,” in the sense of absolute divinity. Bp. Tomline.
John 18:8
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— let these go their way:] These My disciples. We should well observe our Saviour’s love to His disciples: He is anxious for their safety, while He voluntarily exposes His own life to the malice of His enemies. Bp. Mann.
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— was the more afraid.] Was the more afraid to crucify Him, not knowing who this person might at last appear to be, about whom so many reports were spread, and against whom the Jews argued so inconsistently. Dr. S. Clarke.
John 18:9
- That the saying might be fulfilled.] By this means that speech of His at chap. xvii. 12, 15, had another, besides the ordinary, completion, that no one of His disciples was cut off with Him. Dr. Hammond.
John 18:11
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— the cup] See note at Matt. xx. 22.
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— Thou couldest have no power &c.] I could easily secure Myself, and thou couldest have no power to hurt Me, were it not My Father’s will, that, for great and wise reasons, I should at this time submit to be delivered to you by the envy and malice of the Jews. But, since thus it is, and they urge thee with so much vehemence to cause Me to be put to death, thy sin in yielding to their importunity is not so great as theirs, who, out of mere malice, and against the greatest means of knowledge, clamour against Me as a malefactor, and urge thee to pass sentence upon Me. Dr. S. Clarke.
John 18:12
- — thou art not Cesar’s friend.] This allegation had the greatest effect on Pilate, because, as historians relate, Tiberius Cesar, who was then the Roman emperor, was most jealous of any opposition to his government, and punished with death all political crimes; Pilate therefore durst not venture that any such charge should be laid against him by the Jews. Dr. Whitby.
John 18:13
- — to Annas first; &c.] See note at Luke iii. 2.
John 18:14
- — that one man should die] See the speech of Caiaphas at chap. xi. 50.
John 18:15
- — so did another disciple:] By some supposed to be St. John himself, (Dr. Hammond,) by others
thought rather to be some inhabitant of Jerusalem. Grotius.
John 18:16
- — her that kept the door.] It was customary with the Hebrews to have female doorkeepers. Grotius.
John 18:18
- — for it was cold:] Even snow and frost have been known to take place in Judea about the season of the passover. Biddulph, the English traveller, speaks of heavy cold dews which sometimes chilled the air at that season of the year: and it was now the middle of the night. Dr. Lightfoot.
Bp. Pocock also mentions that, in the night of the 8th of May, a time of year much later than the passover, when he was entertained by the Sheikh of Sephourg, a place in Galilee, a fire was made for them to sit by, in a small ruined building. Harner.
John 18:23
- — If I have spoken evil,] If there is any evil in the speech which I have now uttered, accuse Me and prove it: but if not, why dost thou smite Me? Dr. Hammond.
Christ’s arraignment before Pilate. Anno DOMINI 53. 23.
John 18:40
- — Now Barabbas was a robber.] See note at Matt. xxvii. 16.
Chap. XIX. ver. 1. Then Pilate therefore &c.] See further notes on the contents of this chapter at Matt. xxvii.