Matthew 26 55

Matthew 26:55 kjv

In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.

Matthew 26:55 nkjv

In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.

Matthew 26:55 niv

In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me.

Matthew 26:55 esv

At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me.

Matthew 26:55 nlt

Then Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn't you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day.

Matthew 26 verses

Matthew 26 55 Meaning

Matthew 26:55 captures Jesus’ direct challenge to the armed crowd sent to arrest Him. He questions their violent, surreptitious approach, contrasting it sharply with His daily, open teaching in the Temple where they had every opportunity to apprehend Him peacefully if His actions were truly criminal. This verse exposes the hypocrisy and fear of the religious authorities, highlighting that His arrest was not based on public misconduct but on a concealed, malicious plot.

Matthew 26 55 Context

Matthew 26:55 occurs immediately after Judas’s betrayal in Gethsemane and Peter’s attempt to defend Jesus by striking the high priest’s servant (Malchus). The arrest itself is detailed in the preceding verses. The larger context of Matthew 26 is the conspiracy of the chief priests and elders against Jesus during the Passover feast, their decision to arrest Him "by trickery" and "not during the feast" (Matt 26:4-5) due to fear of the people. This verse captures Jesus’ verbal response to the absurdity and underlying injustice of His capture, occurring in the dark, away from public view, despite His consistent public presence and teaching in the Temple. His question serves as a potent rebuke, exposing the cowardice and manipulative intent of those behind His arrest.

Matthew 26 55 Word analysis

• In that hour (ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ, en ekeinē tē hōra):
  • Signifies a precise moment, pregnant with meaning.
  • Highlights the immediate present of the arrest, drawing a direct contrast with the "day after day" of His public ministry.
  • This "hour" (Gk. hōra) is frequently used in John's Gospel to denote Jesus' destined time for crucifixion (e.g., Jn 2:4, 7:30, 8:20, 12:23, 13:1, 17:1), emphasizing divine timing in God's plan.
• Jesus said (εἶπεν [Iēsous], eipen [Iēsous]):
  • Jesus directly addresses the arresting party. This is not a lament but a challenging statement.
  • He maintains control of the moment even in His arrest.
• to the crowds (τοῖς ὄχλοις, tois ochlois):
  • The Greek word ochlois implies a mixed multitude, a disorderly group.
  • It's not just Roman soldiers or official temple guards, but a group perhaps stirred by the religious authorities, possibly including zealous temple thugs or even curious onlookers. This suggests a less "official" yet highly charged mob.
• "Have you come out (ἐξεληλύθατε, exelēluthate) as against a robber (ὡς ἐπὶ λῃστήν, hōs epi lēstēn) with swords (μετὰ μαχαιρῶν, meta machairōn) and clubs (καὶ ξύλων, kai xylōn) to capture me (συλλαβεῖν με, syllabein me)?":
  • "Have you come out": Implies a purposeful, organized, and perhaps covert expedition. It asks why this dramatic, armed approach was necessary.
  • "As against a robber": Lēstēs (robber/bandit) is a loaded term. It usually signifies an armed bandit, revolutionary, or insurgent—someone engaging in violent anti-social acts or rebellion (e.g., Barabbas, Mk 15:27, 28; Lk 23:19; Jn 18:40).
    • Jesus refutes the charge that He is a dangerous revolutionary inciting violence or plunder.
    • This accusation is a false one, subtly foreshadowing the later charge before Pilate (Mk 15:7) and the ultimate crucifixion between two lēstai (Mk 15:27).
  • "Swords and clubs": Symbolize violent force and a pre-planned, hostile encounter.
    • Swords (machairōn): Often used by soldiers or zealots for serious armed confrontation.
    • Clubs (xylōn): Crude wooden sticks, typical for a mob, implying less disciplined aggression than military swords, fitting the ochlois mentioned.
  • "To capture me": The objective. Jesus directly names their intention, showing His full awareness.
    • Syellabein means "to seize" or "to apprehend."
• "Day after day (καθ’ ἡμέραν, kath' hēmeran) I sat (ἐκαθεζόμην, ekathezzomenēn) in the temple (ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, en tō hierō) teaching (διδάσκων, didaskōn), and you did not seize me (καὶ οὐκ ἐκρατήσατέ με, kai ouk ekratēsate me).":
  • "Day after day": Emphasizes the consistent, public, and open nature of His ministry. There was no attempt to hide.
  • "I sat": The typical posture of a teacher or rabbi, signifying authority and accessibility in the act of instruction.
  • "In the temple": The most public and sacred space in Jewish life, frequented by multitudes.
    • Jesus chose this open, visible platform for His teaching, inviting public scrutiny. This directly refutes any claim that He was acting covertly or subversively.
  • "Teaching": His primary public activity, focused on divine truth and righteousness, not insurrection or violence.
  • "And you did not seize me": A rhetorical question implicitly highlighting their cowardice, fear of the people (Matt 21:26, Lk 19:48, 20:19), or divine intervention preventing earlier arrests (Jn 7:30, 8:20). It exposes the true character of their malicious plot: it had to be done in darkness, outside the public eye, because His public ministry was irreproachable.
  • Kratein (to seize/arrest) used here contrasts with syllabein. While similar, kratein implies exerting strong control or laying hold of someone forcefully, underlining the aggressive nature of the desired seizure.

Matthew 26 55 Bonus section

The "robber" (lēstēs) charge levied against Jesus in this moment, and implicitly in His crucifixion, was deeply strategic by the Jewish authorities. By labeling Him as such, they not only denigrated Him but also aimed to justify their call for Roman intervention and condemnation, presenting Jesus as a public menace and revolutionary. This political dimension allowed them to hand Him over to Pilate under Roman law, despite the fact that His ministry was unequivocally spiritual and His kingdom "not of this world" (Jn 18:36). The term lēstēs helped construct a narrative that fit Roman concerns about insurrection, even though Jesus constantly eschewed violence. The silence of the crowd or guards, as Matthew recounts Jesus’ challenge, is notable, emphasizing the rhetorical power of Jesus’ words and the undeniable truth in them. They had no valid counter-argument.

Matthew 26 55 Commentary

Matthew 26:55 reveals the inherent contradiction in Jesus's arrest. By questioning the use of swords and clubs and the necessity of apprehending Him like a "robber" in the darkness, Jesus highlights the clandestine and unjust nature of their actions. He pointedly contrasts their current aggressive methods with His open and peaceful public ministry in the Temple. His daily presence and teaching there offered ample, lawful opportunities for arrest if any genuine offense had occurred. The fact that they waited until night, in a secluded garden, with an armed contingent, underscores that their motivations were not justice but rather malice, fear of the populace, and a determination to fulfill a pre-ordained conspiracy against Him (cf. Matt 26:4). This verse underscores Jesus's innocence, the religious authorities' hypocrisy, and the ultimate divine orchestration of His arrest and suffering.