Matthew 26:67Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Why did they act in such a way if their aim was to eliminate Him? What was the purpose of such mockery? Was it merely to display their arrogant demeanor? Indeed, in what they perceived as their moment of victory, they revealed their fierce madness: in their elation, they descended upon Him with wicked glee, exposing their murderous rage. Observe, then, the wisdom of the disciples: how thoroughly they recount the events! Their dedication to truth shines through; they present what appears disgraceful with complete accuracy, withholding nothing, ashamed of nothing. They rightfully view it as a great honor that the Lord of all creation chose to endure suffering for our sake.

Upon His condemnation, they started to mock Him and hurl insults, covering His face with a robe, as noted by another Gospel writer (Luke 22:63-64). Considering they regarded Him as a prophet, they unleashed their curses upon Him. To bruise signifies striking with the hands curled, or more straightforwardly, to pound with the fists.

We could express the words of a holy prophet: The heavens were in awe and trembled greatly, declares the Lord, the God of all, the Sovereign of sovereigns and Master of masters; for one among Us faces dishonor, suffers the blows inflicted by the wicked, and demonstrates to us an image of His profound humiliation. How could He, who examines hearts and minds (Rev. 2:23), the source of all prophecy, be unaware of those who struck Him (Mt. 26:68)?

This fulfills the words spoken, "I have offered my cheeks to those who strike me, and I have not concealed my face from the disgrace of spitting" (Lamentations 3:30). According to the New Synodal Russian Translation, "He presents his palm to the one who strikes him; he is filled with reproach." In the original Greek, this section reads: Λώσει τώ παίοντι αύτόν οταγόνα, χορτασθήσεται όνειδεσμών; In Latin, it is rendered as: Dabit percutienti se maxillam, saturabitur opprobriis, which translates to, "He shall turn his cheek to the one who strikes him; he shall be filled with insults." The Slavonic and Russian versions convey a similar meaning, while a more precise text can be found in Isaiah 50:6.

Let heaven and earth and all creation tremble in horror! What a visage, what disgrace was heaped upon Him! Many referred to Jesus Christ as a prophet; now they denounced Him as a false prophet. They covered His face with a cloth to obscure His vision, as noted by Mark (Mark 14:65) and Luke (Luke 22:64), while others struck Him, demanding, ‘Prophet, tell us, who hit You?’ The term κολαφισμος refers to a blow to the neck that produces a sound, while ραπισμος signifies a blow to the face. Following the unjust judgment, they placed Jesus Christ in the center, treating Him with scorn, so that not only the free but even the enslaved mocked Him relentlessly. Their wrath was displayed in numerous ways, yet He endured it all nobly, exemplifying patience.

The act of being spat upon for our sake encourages us to set aside all human pride and abandon our longing for worldly acclaim.

They spat in His face. O fairest of all the sons of men (Psalm 44:3)! The splendor of Your visage is disfigured! You have proclaimed, “I have not hidden My face from the shame of spitting” (Isaiah 50:6). A person of courtesy would ideally choose a suitable spot to spit, avoiding an act that is deemed disgraceful among men, wanting to avoid personal dishonor. Is there a more contemptible place than Your radiant countenance, O Lord, when such disrespectful and vile individuals dare to dishonor it? O brilliant Sun! How the dark clouds have obscured Your light, and spittle has dulled Your brilliance! Your words resonate here: “What comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a man” (Matthew 15:18).

The members of the Sanhedrin, after delivering the verdict of death, departed to find rest until the approaching morning. They handed over Jesus, whom they had condemned, to their attendants. As recorded by St. Luke, these attendants brought Jesus to the courtyard, where Peter was standing (Luke 22:55, 61). The diligent servants of the Sanhedrin acted in complete alignment with the intentions and desires of their council. Some of them spit on His face, an act considered the utmost disgrace and a profound expression of disdain according to the law (Numbers 12:14; Deuteronomy 25:9). Others struck Him harshly on the palms of His hands.

They spat in his face, demonstrating their complete disdain and humiliation, and they silenced him by beating him on the head and mouth, hitting him with their hands clenched into fists, while others also struck him with their fists.

The Pharisees, comprising a significant portion of the council, likely initially considered the teachings of Jesus with both patriotic fervor and religious conviction, even feeling some degree of sympathy towards him. However, the internal conflict they faced before ultimately rejecting His claims led, as is typical in human nature, to a steadily escalating animosity that culminated in a profound hatred. It was these fervent council members who instigated the tumultuous and dramatic conclusion of the meeting. Throughout the final examination of the witnesses, Jesus remained silent; nevertheless, the weight of His assertion to Messiahship and divinity haunted the judges, becoming unbearable in the end.

Following the pronouncement of death upon Christ, He was handed over to the court attendants, who subjected Him to His initial degradation. The arrogant nobles ridiculed Him in every conceivable manner, seemingly to curry favor with their superiors.

Similar to a guilty offender, they proceeded to revile and ridicule Christ. "Spit in His face" signifies complete disdain and degradation (Num. 12:14, Job 30:10). They "stifled Him," hitting Him on the head or, more accurately, on the mouth, attempting to silence Him; they "struck Him with their hands, bending their fingers, or, to put it plainly, they pummeled Him with their fists" (Theophilus).