The Meaning of Matthew 26:47 Explained

Matthew 26:47

KJV: And 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.

YLT: And while he is yet speaking, lo, Judas, one of the twelve did come, and with him a great multitude, with swords and sticks, from the chief priests and elders of the people.

Darby: And while he was yet speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great crowd with swords and sticks from the chief priests and elders of the people.

ASV: And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priest and elders of the people.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  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. 

What does Matthew 26:47 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The reader, who has been aware of Jesus" submissiveness to lay down His life voluntarily, may view the large armed mob as unnecessary. However the religious leaders had feared the reaction of the people if they arrested Jesus. The people who accompanied Judas probably did not come along just to restrain Jesus but also His disciples and other sympathizers. They probably thought they were going to have to contend with at least11frightened and belligerent disciples. Evidently everyone in this mob was either Jewish, from the Sanhedrin, or Roman ( John 18:12).

Context Summary

Matthew 26:47-56 - Betrayed And Forsaken
We cannot fathom the secret thoughts of the traitor. Did he hope that his act would compel Christ to take the course of self-vindication, which His mighty acts appeared to make possible? It seems unthinkable that there was not some explanation other than mere greed! Yet, when we look into our own hearts, can we be altogether surprised? How often have we betrayed the Lord by our reticence, when we should have spoken; by the kiss of the lip, when we were selfishly exploiting our association with Him to our own advantage!
Our Lord did not die a martyr's death. The martyr is led to the scaffold or stake because he is overpowered by superior force. But our Lord knew that the invisible world was full of help if only He had expressed the slightest wish. Others die because they are born; He was born that He might die. "He laid down His life that He might take it again." He would not receive help from the Father, or the angels, or Peter's sword, but poured out His soul unto death, because of a love that was stronger than death. See 1 Peter 2:21, etc. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 26

1  Jesus foretells his own death
3  The rulers conspire against him
6  The woman anoints his feet
14  Judas bargains to betray him
17  Jesus eats the Passover;
26  institutes his holy supper;
30  foretells the desertion of his disciples, and Peter's denial;
36  prays in the garden;
47  and being betrayed by a kiss,
57  is carried to Caiaphas,
69  and denied by Peter

Greek Commentary for Matthew 26:47

While he yet spake [ετι αυτου λαλουντος]
It was an electric moment as Jesus faced Judas with his horde of helpers as if he turned to meet an army. [source]
Let us go [αγωμεν]
The very horror of the thing is thus emphasized, that one of the chosen twelve apostles should do this dastardly deed.A great multitude (οχλος πολυς — ochlos polus). The chief priests and Pharisees had furnished Judas a band of soldiers from the garrison in Antonia (John 18:3) and the temple police (Luke 22:52) with swords (knives) and staves (clubs) with a hired rabble who had lanterns also (John 18:3) in spite of the full moon. Judas was taking no chances of failure for he well knew the strange power of Jesus. [source]
A great multitude [οχλος πολυς]
The chief priests and Pharisees had furnished Judas a band of soldiers from the garrison in Antonia (John 18:3) and the temple police (Luke 22:52) with swords (knives) and staves (clubs) with a hired rabble who had lanterns also (John 18:3) in spite of the full moon. Judas was taking no chances of failure for he well knew the strange power of Jesus. [source]
One of the twelve []
Repeated in all three evangelists, in the narratives both of the betrayal and of the arrest. By the time Matthew's Gospel was written, the phrase had become a stereotyped designation of the traitor, like he that betrayed him. [source]
A great multitude []
The Sanhedrin had neither soldiery nor a regularly-armed band at command. In John 18:3, Judas receives a cohort of soldiers and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees. Part of the band would consist of this regularly-armed cohort, and the rest of a crowd armed with cudgels, and embracing some of the servants of conspicuous men in the Sanhedrin. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 26:47

Mark 14:43 One of the twelve []
See on Matthew 26:47; as also onmultitude. [source]
Mark 14:2 Not during the feast [Μη εν τηι εορτηι]
They had first planned to kill him at the feast (John 11:57), but the Triumphal Entry and great Tuesday debate (this very morning) in the temple had made them decide to wait till after the feast was over. It was plain that Jesus had too large and powerful a following. See note on Matthew 26:47. [source]
Mark 14:43 And the scribes [και των γραμματεων]
Mark adds this item while John 18:3 mentions “Pharisees.” It was evidently a committee of the Sanhedrin for Judas had made his bargain with the Sanhedrin (Mark 14:1; Matthew 26:3; Luke 22:2). See discussion of the betrayal and arrest on Matthew 26:47-56 for details. [source]
Luke 22:47 Multitude - one of the twelve []
See on Matthew 26:47 [source]
Acts 16:24 Made their feet fast [τους ποδας ησπαλισατο αυτων]
First aorist (effective) middle of ασπαλιζω — asphalizō from ασπαλης — asphalēs (safe), common verb in late Greek, in the N.T. only here and Matthew 27:64. The inner prison was safe enough without this refinement of cruelty. In the stocks (εις το χυλον — eis to xulon). Χυλον — Xulon from χυω — xuō to scrape or plane, is used for a piece of wood whether a cross or gibbet (Acts 5:30; Acts 10:39; Acts 13:29; Galatians 3:13; 1 Peter 2:24) or a log or timber with five holes (four for the wrists and ankles and one for the neck) or two for the feet as here, χυλοπεδη — xulopedē Latin vervus, to shackle the feet stretched apart (Job 33:11). This torment was practiced in Sparta, Athens, Rome, and Adonirom Judson suffered it in Burmah. Χυλον — Xulon is also used in the N.T. for stick or staff (Matthew 26:47) and even a tree (Luke 23:31). Tertullian said of Christians in the stocks: Nihil crus sentit in vervo, quum animus in caelo esto4 (Nothing the limb feels in the stocks when the mind is in heaven). [source]
Acts 16:24 In the stocks [εις το χυλον]
Χυλον — Xulon from χυω — xuō to scrape or plane, is used for a piece of wood whether a cross or gibbet (Acts 5:30; Acts 10:39; Acts 13:29; Galatians 3:13; 1 Peter 2:24) or a log or timber with five holes (four for the wrists and ankles and one for the neck) or two for the feet as here, χυλοπεδη — xulopedē Latin vervus, to shackle the feet stretched apart (Job 33:11). This torment was practiced in Sparta, Athens, Rome, and Adonirom Judson suffered it in Burmah. Χυλον — Xulon is also used in the N.T. for stick or staff (Matthew 26:47) and even a tree (Luke 23:31). Tertullian said of Christians in the stocks: Nihil crus sentit in vervo, quum animus in caelo esto4 (Nothing the limb feels in the stocks when the mind is in heaven). [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 26:47 mean?

And yet of Him as He is speaking behold Judas one of the Twelve came with him a crowd great with swords clubs from the chief priests elders of the people
Καὶ ἔτι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος ἰδοὺ Ἰούδας εἷς τῶν δώδεκα ἦλθεν μετ’ αὐτοῦ ὄχλος πολὺς μετὰ μαχαιρῶν ξύλων ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρχιερέων πρεσβυτέρων τοῦ λαοῦ

ἔτι  yet 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ἔτι  
Sense: yet, still.
αὐτοῦ  of  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
λαλοῦντος  as  He  is  speaking 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: ἀπολαλέω 
Sense: to utter a voice or emit a sound.
ἰδοὺ  behold 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἰδού  
Sense: behold, see, lo.
Ἰούδας  Judas 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰούδας 
Sense: the fourth son of Jacob.
εἷς  one 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: εἷς  
Sense: one.
τῶν  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
δώδεκα  Twelve 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: δώδεκα  
Sense: twelve.
ἦλθεν  came 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἔρχομαι  
Sense: to come.
ὄχλος  a  crowd 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ὄχλος  
Sense: a crowd.
πολὺς  great 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: πολύς  
Sense: many, much, large.
μαχαιρῶν  swords 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Plural
Root: μάχαιρα  
Sense: a large knife, used for killing animals and cutting up flesh.
ξύλων  clubs 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Plural
Root: ξύλον  
Sense: wood.
ἀρχιερέων  chief  priests 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: ἀρχιερεύς  
Sense: chief priest, high priest.
πρεσβυτέρων  elders 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: πρεσβύτερος  
Sense: elder, of age,.
τοῦ  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
λαοῦ  people 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: λαός  
Sense: a people, people group, tribe, nation, all those who are of the same stock and language.