Matthew 27:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.”

NIV: While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: 'Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.'

NASB: And while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, 'See that you have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.'

CSB: While he was sitting on the judge's bench, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for today I've suffered terribly in a dream because of him."

NLT: Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: 'Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night.'

KJV: When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto 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.

NKJV: While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.”

One of Pilate's hopes was that by giving the crowds an obvious choice between two prisoners, the people themselves would choose to release Jesus. If they agree to keep Barabbas, a "notorious" murderer (Matthew 27:16; Mark 15:7), in prison, Pilate will have averted an incident—and stymied Jerusalem's religious leaders. Pilate certainly knows how popular Jesus had become (Matthew 21:10–11).

From the beginning of this encounter, Pilate has been inclined to release Jesus instead of condemning Him to death. He is not fooled by the Jewish religious leaders and their overt lies. Pilate knows they are using him to eliminate a rival (Matthew 27:24). He doesn't honestly believe Jesus is a threat to Rome (John 18:33–36). And yet, Pilate is in an awkward position. His tenure as governor was marked with violence, something which his Roman superiors did not appreciate. With an impending religious holiday (Matthew 27:15) and swollen crowds, any threat of a riot in Jerusalem is heightened (Matthew 27:20, 24; Mark 15:11, 15).

The Gospels record two other factors that are added into Pilate's hesitation. One comes from the gospel of John and suggests that Jesus claiming to be "Son of God" may have aroused pagan superstition (John 19:7–9). The fear that Jesus just might be supernatural, or favored by some deity, struck him with fear.

The other incident is depicted here, though we don't know exactly when it occurred during the proceedings. At some point, Pilate receives a message while sitting on the judgment seat. It's from his wife. She has been greatly troubled by a dream. She tells her husband, in effect, to keep away from doing any harm to Jesus of Nazareth. The only details Scripture records are the contents of her message. We cannot say for sure whether this was a supernatural message from God, a coincidence, or something else. We do know that many people of that era, including pagans, took dreams with deadly seriousness.

Regardless of the unknown details, this message only confirms what Pilate is already inclined to do. He wants to release Jesus. And yet, any sense of morality, conscience, or fear of the divine will soon be overwhelmed by Pilate's fear of political trouble (Matthew 27:22–24).

Matthew 27:11–26 describes Jesus' trial before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. The Jewish religious leaders are asking Pilate to condemn Jesus to death, hurling accusations. Pilate is amazed that Jesus remains silent, barely saying anything in His own defense. Pilate offers the Passover crowds the choice between releasing Jesus or releasing Barabbas. They choose Barabbas and call for Jesus to be crucified. Pilate recognizes the obvious feud driving this persecution; he is more concerned with civil order than with justice. He agrees to execute Jesus while claiming no responsibility for the decision. Further details are found in Mark 15:1–15, Luke 23:1–25, and John 18:28—19:16.

When Judas learns Jesus has been condemned, he regrets betraying the Lord. He throws down his ill-gotten money and hangs himself. Jesus is taken to Pilate, who finds nothing to charge Him with. Given the choice, the people shout for the release of a convicted murderer and insist on Jesus' death. Jesus is mocked by a battalion of soldiers and then taken to be crucified. On the cross, He is mocked for not being able to save Himself. After three hours of darkness, Jesus dies. He is buried by a rich follower in a new tomb. This location is tightly guarded to prevent anyone from stealing the body.

Matthew 27 begins with an official meeting of the Jewish ruling council. They affirm Jesus' condemnation from the previous night, described in chapter 26. Judas confesses his betrayal and hangs himself. Pilate tries to release Jesus, but the mob shouts for Jesus to be crucified. Jesus is humiliated by Roman soldiers and marched to be executed. On the cross, He is mocked by Jewish religious leaders and others. He dies and is buried in a never-used tomb. Extensive efforts to secure His body from being stolen only serve to prove the miraculous nature of His resurrection, which is detailed in chapter 28.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.