Matthew 27:41

27:41 In ¹  the same way even the chief priests – together with the experts in the law ²  and elders ³  – were mocking him: ⁴ 

Matthew 20:19

20:19 and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged severely ⁵  and crucified. ⁶  Yet ⁷  on the third day, he will be raised.”

Matthew 27:31

27:31 When ⁸  they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes back on him. Then ⁹  they led him away to crucify him.

Matthew 27:29

27:29 and after braiding ¹⁰  a crown of thorns, ¹¹  they put it on his head. They ¹²  put a staff ¹³  in his right hand, and kneeling down before him, they mocked him: ¹⁴  “Hail, king of the Jews!” ¹⁵ 

Matthew 2:16

2:16 When Herod ¹⁶  saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent men ¹⁷  to kill all the children in Bethlehem ¹⁸  and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men.

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

² tn Or “with the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

³ tn Only “chief priests” is in the nominative case; this sentence structure attempts to capture this emphasis.

⁴ tn Grk “Mocking him, the chief priests…said.”

⁵ tn Traditionally, “scourged” (the term means to beat severely with a whip, L&N 19.9). BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1.a states, “The ‘verberatio’ is denoted in the passion predictions and explicitly as action by non-Israelites Mt 20:19; Mk 10:34; Lk 18:33”; the verberatio was the beating given to those condemned to death in the Roman judicial system. Here the term μαστιγόω (mastigow) has been translated “flog…severely” to distinguish it from the term φραγελλόω (fragellow) used in Matt 27:26; Mark 15:15.

⁶ sn Crucifixion was the cruelest form of punishment practiced by the Romans. Roman citizens could not normally undergo it. It was reserved for the worst crimes, like treason and evasion of due process in a capital case. The Roman historian Cicero called it “a cruel and disgusting penalty” (Against Verres 2.5.63-66 §§163-70); Josephus (J. W. 7.6.4 [7.203]) called it the worst of deaths.

⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

¹⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

¹³ tn Or “weaving.”

¹⁴ sn The crown may have been made from palm spines or some other thorny plant common in Israel. In placing the crown of thorns on his head, the soldiers were unwittingly symbolizing God’s curse on humanity (cf. Gen 3:18) being placed on Jesus. Their purpose would have been to mock Jesus’ claim to be a king; the crown of thorns would have represented the “radiant corona” portrayed on the heads of rulers on coins and other artifacts in the 1st century.

¹⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

¹⁶ tn Or “a reed.” The Greek term can mean either “staff” or “reed.” See BDAG 502 s.v. κάλαμος 2.

¹⁷ tn Grk “they mocked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated.

¹⁸ tn Or “Long live the King of the Jews!”

¹⁷ sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. Note the fulfillment of the prophecy given by the angel in 2:13.

¹⁸ tn Or “soldiers.”

¹⁹ map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.