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Joh 19:31. Ἐν τῷ Σαββάτῳ, on the Sabbath) This special reason includes that general reason, of which Deu 21:23 speaks: The criminal’s “body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him on that day (for he that is hanged is accursed of God), that thy land be not defiled.”-γὰρ, for) This assigns the reason why the Preparation (παρασκευή) urged them to make haste.-μεγάλη, a great) inasmuch as the Sabbath and the Feast met together on the same day: add, that the Rest of the Lord in the sepulchre was an accessory circumstance of its greatness [though this was not perceived by the Jews].-ἐκείνου) This is a more appropriate reading than ἐκείνη;[393] for the word σαββάτῳ precedes, and ἐκείνου is to be referred to it.-κατεαγῶσιν, might be broken) Thomas Magister denies that the augment has place here, and reads κατεάγωσιν, like τετύφωσιν [the Middle Perf. Subjunctive], from κατἑχαγα, viz. in the verb καταγῆναι. But even ἀνεῳχθῆναι is used in Luk 3:21, the ε remaining beyond the Indicative even in the case of the Aorist.[394] The breaking of the legs was formerly effected by means of a club, as in our days by the wheel.-ἈΡΘῶΣΙΝ, might be taken away) viz. the bodies.
[393] Nevertheless the margin of Ed. 2 prefers ἐκείνη; whilst the Germ. Version follows the decision of the Gnomon.-Again, the Harm. Ev., pp. 579, 580, gives the preference to ἐκείνη, subjoining moreover this, “John has throughout such readers in his mind as are not Jews, but need instruction on Jewish subjects: ch. Joh 2:13, Joh 4:9, Joh 5:1, Joh 6:4, Joh 7:2, Joh 11:55, Joh 19:40; Joh 19:42. It is for this reason that he generally marks the ‘greatness’ of the Sabbath as surpassing all other festivals whatever (Deu 23:3) [This, though given both in Ern. Bengel’s Ed. of the Gnomon, and in the Germ. Harmony, seems to me a mistake for Lev 23:3.-E. and T.]: although that day of the Sabbath had in it something peculiar, because it both entered among the days of unleavened bread, and was the first of the seven Sabbaths which divided the Passover from Pentecost, and, on account of the ‘handful’ or ‘sheaf of the first fruits’ to be waved before the Lord on the following day (Lev 23:10), was observed with more than common reverence.”-E. B.
[394] So κατεαγῶσιν here is the 2d Aor. Subjunctive, not the Perfect Subj.-E. and T.
Ἐκείνη is the reading of Vulg. c and the Elzevir Rec. Text. But the weight of authorities is for ἐκείνου, ABLab.-E. ana T.