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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Matthew 26:51 - 26:54
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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat_26:51-54
51And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. 52Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. 53Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?"
Mat_26:51 From the parallel in Joh_18:10 and Luk_22:50-51, we know that this was Peter and the servant was Malchus. The disciples had previously been admonished to buy swords (cf. Luk_22:36-38), but obviously, they had misunderstood Jesus' true meaning concerning this issue. It must be said on Peter's behalf that he was fully willing to die for his Lord at this point. In the face of great odds, he drew one of two swords. But, again, the inappropriateness and impulsiveness of his actions characterized his personality.
Mat_26:52 "all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword" This was a cultural proverb (cf. Rev_13:10). It was not meant to be taken as a literal truth in every individual example, but a characteristic truth that is obvious in itself. This is also like the biblical book of Proverbs. It may relate to the fact that Jesus was being arrested as a common criminal. His disciples then are also seen as bandits and robbers, those who carry swords! See Special Topic: Apollumi at Mat_2:13.
Mat_26:53 Jesus knew who He was (cf. Joh_13:1). He knew the resources of His Father, but now He was resolved to die (cf. Joh_10:17-18)!
▣ "more than twelve legions of angels" A Roman legion had 6,000 men, but the term was also an idiom for several thousand.
see hyperlink at Mat_14:20.
Mat_26:54; Mat_26:56 "How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled" If this phrase in Mat_26:54 relates to the same phrase in Mat_26:56, then this is a general statement that everything has happened according to a predetermined divine plan (cf. Luk_22:22; Act_2:23; Act_3:18; Act_4:28). We know that John accompanied Jesus through the trials and the crucifixion and that Peter followed at a distance (cf. Mat_26:58). Therefore, this is a general reference going back to Isa_53:6. Jesus knew that events were proceeding just as they should to fulfill the Father's purpose.
It is possible that this refers to the sufferings Jesus had foretold the disciples several times (first in Mat_16:21-28), involving a suffering, rejected Messiah (i.e., Gen_3:15; Psalms 22; Isaiah 53; Zechariah 9; Zechariah 12).