How does Matthew distinguish reported actions, claims and later chronology in the death and burial account?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The chapter moves from delivery and Judas’s death through Pilate’s decision, crucifixion, death signs, burial and guards, without turning claims into established motives or later outcomes.

Chapter breakdown

# Matthew 27

At morning the chief priests and ancients take counsel to put Jesus to death and deliver him bound to Pontius Pilate. Judas sees the condemnation, repents himself, returns the thirty silver pieces, and confesses betraying innocent blood. The authorities answer that it is his concern. He casts the money into the temple, leaves and hangs himself with a halter. The priests say blood money cannot enter the corbona. After consultation they buy the potter’s field for burying strangers. The account calls it Haceldama, field of blood, to its own day, and identifies fulfillment of words attributed to Jeremias about the thirty pieces and potter’s field. It does not contrast Judas’s remorse with an otherwise defined true repentance.

Before the governor Jesus answers the question whether he is king of the Jews with “Thou sayest it,” but gives no answer to the priests’ accusations or Pilate’s question about them. Pilate wonders exceedingly. On the solemn day the governor customarily releases the prisoner the people choose. He offers the notorious Barabbas or Jesus called Christ, knowing the delivery was for envy. His wife sends word from her dream that he should have nothing to do with that just man. Chief priests and ancients persuade the people to request Barabbas and make Jesus away. They choose Barabbas and repeatedly demand crucifixion, even when Pilate asks what evil Jesus has done. Seeing no success but a tumult, Pilate washes his hands before them and claims innocence of this just man’s blood. The whole people answer that his blood be upon them and their children. This is the reported crowd’s statement, not an added judgment assigning guilt to a later population. Pilate releases Barabbas, has Jesus scourged and delivers him for crucifixion.

The governor’s soldiers gather their whole band in the hall, strip Jesus, put a scarlet cloak on him, and place a plaited thorn crown on his head and a reed in his right hand. Kneeling, they mock him as king of the Jews, spit on him and strike his head with the reed. They remove the cloak, restore his clothes and lead him to crucifixion. On going out they force Simon of Cyrene to take up his cross. At Golgotha, called the place of Calvary, Jesus tastes wine mingled with gall but will not drink. After crucifying him they cast lots to divide his clothes; the account cites prophetic fulfillment. They sit watching him, with the charge “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS” over his head. Two thieves are crucified on either side.

Passersby wag their heads and challenge the one they describe as destroying and rebuilding the temple to save himself and descend if God’s Son. Chief priests, scribes and ancients likewise mock his inability to save himself, demand descent as king of Israel to obtain their belief, and ask God to deliver him. These are their taunts, not the narrative’s findings of inability. Both thieves reproach him similarly. From the sixth to ninth hour darkness is over the whole earth. About the ninth hour Jesus cries “Eli, Eli, lamma sabacthani?” translated as “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Some say he calls Elias. One runs to give him vinegar in a sponge on a reed; others say to wait and see whether Elias delivers him. Jesus cries loudly again and yields up the ghost.

The temple veil tears in two from top to bottom, the earth quakes and rocks split. Graves open and many bodies of sleeping saints arise; their emergence from tombs, entry into the holy city and appearance to many are placed **after his resurrection**. The centurion and those watching with him, afraid at the earthquake and events, say he was the Son of God. Many women who followed from Galilee and ministered watch afar off, including Mary Magdalen, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons. The account does not say these watchers are the earlier mocking band or declare their subsequent faith history.

In the evening Joseph of Arimathea, a rich disciple, asks Pilate for Jesus’ body. Pilate orders delivery. Joseph wraps it in clean linen and lays it in his own new rock-hewn monument, rolls a great stone to the door and leaves. Mary Magdalen and the other Mary sit opposite. Next day, after preparation day, chief priests and Pharisees recall Jesus’ prediction of rising after three days and ask Pilate for a guard until the third day, lest disciples steal him and claim resurrection. This is their proposed fear, not a recorded theft attempt. Pilate says they have a guard and should guard as they know. They seal the stone and set guards. The chapter ends there without narrating resurrection or a result of the guard.

**Source commentary.** Corbona is explained as a place in the temple for people’s gifts or offerings. Preparation day is the sabbath eve when necessities are prepared, with even dressing meat prohibited on the sabbath. Neither note identifies a particular treasury chamber or a Roman seal.

The story inside

Judas returns the money; Pilate hears the crowd and his wife; soldiers crucify Jesus; Joseph obtains the body; authorities secure the tomb.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Judas is said to repent himself; a distinction from true repentance is not defined here.
2
Saints’ entry into the holy city occurs after the resurrection.
3
The guards are set; their later result is outside this chapter.

Test your recall

Barabbas; hand washing; Simon of Cyrene; sixth to ninth hour; Joseph’s new monument; sealed stone.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 114009–114093
27:1. And when morning was come, all the chief priests and ancients of the people took counsel against Jesus, that they might put him to death. 27:2. And they brought him bound and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. 27:3. Then Judas, who betrayed him, seeing that he was condemned, repenting himself, brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and ancients, 27:4. Saying: I have sinned in betraying innocent blood. But they said: What is that to us? Look thou to it. 27:5. And casting down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed and went and hanged himself with an halter. 27:6. But the chief priests having taken the pieces of silver, said: It is not lawful to put them into the corbona, because it is the price of blood. Corbona.... A place in the temple where the people put in their gifts or offerings. 27:7. And after they had consulted together, they bought with them the potter’s field, to be a burying place for strangers. 27:8. For this cause that field was called Haceldama, that is, the field of blood, even to this day. 27:9. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying: And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was prized, whom they prized of the children of Israel. 27:10. And they gave them unto the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed to me. 27:11. And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, saying: Art thou the king of the Jews? Jesus saith to him: Thou sayest it. 27:12. And when he was accused by the chief priests and ancients, he answered nothing. 27:13. Then Pilate saith to him: Dost not thou hear how great testimonies they allege against thee? 27:14. And he answered him to never a word, so that the governor wondered exceedingly. 27:15. Now upon the solemn day the governor was accustomed to release to the people one prisoner, whom they would. 27:16. And he had then a notorious prisoner that was called Barabbas. 27:17. They therefore being gathered together, Pilate said: Whom will you that I release to You: Barabbas, or Jesus that is called Christ? 27:18. For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. 27:19. And as he was sitting in the place of judgment, his wife sent to him, saying: Have thou nothing to do with that just man; for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. 27:20. But the chief priests and ancients persuaded the people that they should ask Barabbas and make Jesus away. 27:21. And the governor answering, said to them: Whether will you of the two to be released unto you? But they said: Barabbas. 27:22. Pilate saith to them: What shall I do then with Jesus that is called Christ? They say all: Let him be crucified. 27:23. The governor said to them: Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying: Let him be crucified. 27:24. And Pilate seeing that he prevailed nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, taking water washed his hands before the people, saying: I am innocent of the blood of this just man. Look you to it. 27:25. And the whole people answering, said: His blood be upon us and upon our children. 27:26. Then he released to them Barabbas: and having scourged Jesus, delivered him unto them to be crucified.
Lines 114095–114220
27:27. Then the soldiers of the governor, taking Jesus into the hall, gathered together unto him the whole band. 27:28. And stripping him, they put a scarlet cloak about him. 27:29. And platting a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand. And bowing the knee before him, they mocked him, saying: Hail, King of the Jews. 27:30. And spitting upon him, they took the reed and struck his head. 27:31. And after they had mocked him, they took off the cloak from him and put on him his own garments and led him away to crucify him. 27:32. And going out, they found a man of Cyrene, named Simon: him they forced to take up his cross. 27:33. And they came to the place that is called Golgotha, which is the place of Calvary. 27:34. And they gave him wine to drink mingled with gall. And when he had tasted, he would not drink. 27:35. And after they had crucified him, they divided his garments, casting lots; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: They divided my garments among them; and upon my vesture they cast lots. 27:36. And they sat and watched him. 27:37. And they put over his head his cause written: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 27:38. Then were crucified with him two thieves: one on the right hand and one on the left. 27:39. And they that passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads, 27:40. And saying: Vah, thou that destroyest the temple of God and in three days dost rebuild it: save thy own self. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. 27:41. In like manner also the chief priests, with the scribes and ancients, mocking said: 27:42. He saved others: himself he cannot save. If he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross: and we will believe him. 27:43. He trusted in God: let him now deliver him if he will have him. For he said: I am the Son of God. 27:44. And the selfsame thing the thieves also that were crucified with him reproached him with. 27:45. Now from the sixth hour, there was darkness over the whole earth, until the ninth hour. 27:46. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying: Eli, Eli, lamma sabacthani? That is, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? 27:47. And some that stood there and heard said: This man calleth Elias. 27:48. And immediately one of them running took a sponge and filled it with vinegar and put it on a reed and gave him to drink. 27:49. And the others said: Let be. Let us see whether Elias will come to deliver him. 27:50. And Jesus again crying with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 27:51. And behold the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top even to the bottom: and the earth quaked and the rocks were rent. 27:52. And the graves were opened: and many bodies of the saints that had slept arose, 27:53. And coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, came into the holy city and appeared to many. 27:54. Now the centurion and they that were with him watching Jesus, having seen the earthquake and the things that were done, were sore afraid, saying: Indeed this was the Son of God. 27:55. And there were there many women afar off, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: 27:56. Among whom was Mary Magdalen and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. 27:57. And when it was evening, there came a certain rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was a disciple of Jesus. 27:58. He went to Pilate and asked the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded that the body should be delivered. 27:59. And Joseph taking the body wrapped it up in a clean linen cloth: 27:60. And laid it in his own new monument, which he had hewed out in a rock. And he rolled a great stone to the door of the monument and went his way. 27:61. And there was there Mary Magdalen and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre. 27:62. And the next day, which followed the day of preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees came together to Pilate, The day of preparation.... The eve of the sabbath; so called, because on that day they prepared all things necessary; not being allowed so much as to dress their meat on the sabbath day. 27:63. Saying: Sir, we have remembered, that that seducer said, while he was yet alive: After three days I will rise again. 27:64. Command therefore the sepulchre to be guarded until the third day: lest perhaps his disciples come and steal him away and say to the people: He is risen from the dead. And the last error shall be worse than the first. 27:65. Pilate saith to them: You have a guard. Go, guard it as you know. 27:66. And they departing, made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone and setting guards.