Matthew26
King James Version · Public Domain
1And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples,
2Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.
3Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,
4And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him.
5But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.
6Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,
7There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.
8But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?
9For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.
10When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.
11For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.
12For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.
13Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.
14Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,
15And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
16And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.
17Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?
18And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.
19And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover.
20Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.
21And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
22And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?
23And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.
24The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.
25Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.
26And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
27And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
28For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
29But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.
30And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
31Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
32But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.
33Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.
34Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
35Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.
36Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.
37And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
38Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
39And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
40And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
41Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
42He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
43And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.
44And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
45Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
46Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.
47And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.
48Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.
49And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.
50And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.
51And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear.
52Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
53Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
54But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?
55In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.
56But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.
57And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.
58But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.
59Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;
60But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,
61And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.
62And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
63But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
64Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
65Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.
66What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.
67Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,
68Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?
69Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.
70But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.
71And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.
72And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.
73And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.
74Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
75And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Matthew 26.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The rulers conspire against Christ. (1–5). Christ anointed at Bethany. (6–13). Judas bargains to betray Christ. (14–16). The Passover. (17–25). Christ institutes his holy supper. (26–30). He warns his disciples. (31–35). His agony in the garden. (36–46). He is betrayed. (47–56). Christ before Caiaphas. (57–68). Peter denies him. (69–75).
vv1-5
Our Lord had often told of his sufferings as at a distance, now he speaks of them as at hand. At the same time the Jewish council consulted how they might put him to death secretly. But it pleased God to defeat their intention. Jesus, the true paschal Lamb, was to be sacrificed for us at that very time, and his death and resurrection rendered public.
vv6-13
The pouring ointment upon the head of Christ was a token of the highest respect. Where there is true love in the heart to Jesus Christ, nothing will be thought too good to bestow upon him. The more Christ's servants and their services are cavilled at, the more he manifests his acceptance. This act of faith and love was so remarkable, that it would be reported, as a memorial of Mary's faith and love, to all future ages, and in all places where the gospel should be preached. This prophecy is fulfilled.
vv14-16
There were but twelve called apostles, and one of them was like a devil; surely we must never expect any society to be quite pure on this side heaven. The greater profession men make of religion, the greater opportunity they have of doing mischief, if their hearts be not right with God. Observe, that Christ's own disciple, who knew so well his doctrine and manner of his life, and was false to him, could not charge him with any thing criminal, though it would have served to justify his treachery. What did Judas want? Was not he welcome wherever his Master was? Did he not fare as Christ fared? It is not the lack, but the love of money, that is the root of all evil. After he had made that wicked bargain, Judas had time to repent, and to revoke it; but when lesser acts of dishonesty have hardened the conscience men do without hesitation that which is more shameful.
Key Words
Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs): Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Israelites
τελέω (teléō): to end, i.e. complete, execute, conclude, discharge (a debt)
πᾶς (pâs): all, any, every, the whole
τούτους (toútous): these (persons, as objective of verb or preposition)
λόγος (lógos): something said (including the thought); by implication, a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, (with the article in John) the Divine Expression (i.e. Christ)
ἔπω (épō): to speak or say (by word or writing)
αὐτός (autós): the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
μαθητής (mathētḗs): a learner, i.e. pupil
εἴδω (eídō): used only in certain past tenses, the others being borrowed from the equivalent G3700 (ὀπτάνομαι) and G3708 (ὁράω); properly, to see (literally or figuratively); by implication, (in the perfect tense only) to know
ὅτι (hóti): demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because
Cross References
Matthew 26Prophetic price of thirty pieces of silver weighed out as wages, directly fulfilled by Judas's bargain.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The prophetic basis for the betrayer dipping his hand in the dish with Jesus.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Directly quoted by Jesus: 'I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.'
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Fulfills Zechariah's prophecy of the shepherd being smote and the sheep of the flock scattering.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Jesus' original statement about destroying the temple of His body, which the false witnesses twisted.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Jesus directly references the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven from Daniel's prophecy.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Jesus' reference to sitting on the right hand of power points directly to this Messianic Psalm.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallel account of the anointing in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper.
Supported by JFB
Identifies the woman as Mary and the precious ointment as spikenard anointing Jesus' feet.
Supported by JFB
The foundational law of the Passover lamb slain on the fourteenth day of the month.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Lukan parallel for the institution of the Lord's Supper, explaining 'this is my body'.
Supported by JFB
Paul's received tradition of the Lord's Supper, echoing the words and acts of Jesus.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
The blood of the covenant sprinkled by Moses, prefiguring Christ's blood of the new covenant.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
The prophetic promise of the New Covenant, sealed here by Christ's blood.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallel account of the arrival and initial prayers in Gethsemane.
Supported by JFB
Parallels Jesus' resolve to drink the cup of suffering, rebuking Peter's sword in the garden.
Supported by JFB
Luke's account of Gethsemane highlighting the submission of Christ's will to the Father's cup.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Prophetic typology of betrayal by a familiar friend, historically fulfilled by Judas' kiss.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Prophetic fulfillment of the suffering Servant who held His peace and opened not His mouth.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Prophecy of the Messiah giving His face to shame and spitting, fulfilled in the council's abuse.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Apostolic sermon identifying the gathering of rulers against Jesus as the fulfillment of Psalm 2.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Prophetic description of the kings and rulers taking counsel together against the Lord's Anointed.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Old Testament background for Jesus' statement that the poor will never cease out of the land.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallel account of Satan entering Judas and his covenant with the chief priests.
Supported by JFB
Matthew's own explicit reflection on the fulfillment of the thirty pieces of silver prophecy.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Jesus explicitly quotes Psalm 41:9 to identify Judas as the betrayer at the table.
Supported by JFB
Jesus insists that His betrayal and arrest must happen to fulfill the Scriptures.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
The angel confirms Jesus' promise to go before the disciples into Galilee after rising.
Supported by JFB
Lukan parallel of the Gethsemane prayer, highlighting submissive obedience to the Father's will.
Supported by JFB
Refers to Christ offering up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Jesus accepts the cup: 'the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?'
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Doctrinal exposition of Gethsemane's maxim: the spirit and the flesh are in active conflict.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Explicitly names Peter as the swordsman and Malchus as the high priest's servant.
Supported by JFB
The foundational covenantal law establishing that shedding human blood demands retribution.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Echoes the Sanhedrin's strategy of suborning false witnesses, later replicated against Stephen.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Fulfills David's lament that false witnesses rose up laying to his charge unknown things.
Supported by Matthew Henry