NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible | Page 165
1758 | Matthew 27:6
A first-century Roman inscription found at Caesarea Maritima confirms Pilate as the prefect of Judea.
© William D. Mounce
6 The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the
treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s
field as a burial p
lace for foreigners. 8 That is why it has been c alled the F
ield of B
lood v to
this day. 9 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: w “They took the
thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, 10 and they used them
to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.” a x
Jesus Before Pilate
27:11-26pp — Mk 15:2-15; Lk 23:2,3,18-25; Jn 18:29 – 19:16
27:8 v Ac 1:19
27:9 w Mt 1:22
27:10 x Zec 11:12, 13;
Jer 32:6‑9
27:11 y Mt 2:2
27:12 z Mt 26:63;
Mk 14:61; Jn 19:9
27:13 a Mt 26:62
27:14 b Mk 14:61
27:15 c Jn 18:39
11 Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you
the king of the Jews?” y
“You have said so,” Jesus replied.
12 When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. z 13 Then Pi
late a
sked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing a
gainst you?” a 14 But Jesus
made no reply, b not even to a single charge — to the great amazement of the governor.
15 Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner c chosen by the
crowd. 16 At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus b Barabbas.
a 10
See Zech. 11:12,13; Jer. 19:1-13; 32:6-9. b 16 Many manuscripts do not have Jesus; also in verse 17.
27:6 – 8 Ironically, despite the gross injustice
they have perpetrated against Jesus, the
chief priests refuse to disobey a minor law
about the use of money (cf. 23:23).
27:6 blood money. The silver is called this be-
cause it purchases Jesus’ bloody death.
27:7 the potter’s field. Traditionally believed
to have been in the southern end of the
Hinnom Valley, just outside Jerusalem. Even
when Matthew wrote this Gospel, it was still
known as and called “the Field of Blood”
(v. 8).
27:9 – 10 Prophecy is again fulfilled typologi-
cally (see notes on 1:22; 2:15; 12:15 – 21; 15:7 – 9)
as key events related to God’s interaction
with humanity form parallel patterns to
those of their predecessors. Matthew cre-
ates a composite quotation from bits of Zech
11:12 – 13; Jer 19:1 – 13; 32:6 – 9. He refers only
to Jeremiah in keeping with a convention of
referring to the lesser known or less obvious
of two passages in such a composite.
27:11 – 26 Jesus appears before Pilate. Like
Caiaphas and the Jewish leaders before them,
Pilate and the Roman authorities think they
have condemned Christ. But they have actu-
ally condemned themselves by their actions,
although Jesus’ death also makes possible
their forgiveness, should they repent.
27:11 – 14 A Roman official would care little if a
Jew made blasphemous religious claims. But
if he aspired to be “king of the Jews” (v. 11;
cf. 2:2 – 3; 21:5), the empire would need to
take action. Jesus’ reply in v. 11 uses the same
veiled affirmative as in 26:64, with the same
possible additional implications. This time he
refuses to say anything more.
27:15 governor’s custom. The custom of an
annual Passover amnesty is at most only
hinted at in other historical sources, but it
makes good sense to placate the Jews at
the time they celebrate their liberation from
Egyptian oppression centuries earlier. Pilate
thinks he can pit the crowd against its leaders
and free the innocent Jesus, but the people
opt for one of their freedom fighters, Barab-
bas (v. 21; see John 18:40).
27:16 Jesus Barabbas. He is only called this in
Matthew, and only in some manuscripts. Still,
Jesus was a common name and many scribes
might have preferred not to note that the
man whose release kept Jesus of Nazareth in
prison shared his name. It is hard to imagine
any Christian inventing this detail. Ironically,
Barabbas means “a son of [his] father,” con-
trasting with Jesus as the heavenly Son of his
Father, God.