Matthew 26 67

Matthew 26:67 kjv

Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,

Matthew 26:67 nkjv

Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands,

Matthew 26:67 niv

Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him

Matthew 26:67 esv

Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him,

Matthew 26:67 nlt

Then they began to spit in Jesus' face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him,

Matthew 26 verses

Matthew 26 67 Meaning

Matthew 26:67 details the intense physical abuse inflicted upon Jesus by His accusers and their servants immediately after the Sanhedrin's verdict of blasphemy. It describes them spitting in His face, striking Him with their fists, and slapping Him, acts demonstrating extreme contempt, mockery, and violence toward the one they deemed a criminal worthy of death.

Matthew 26 67 Context

This verse is situated at a critical juncture in the passion narrative, immediately after Jesus' trial before the Jewish Sanhedrin. Having been illegally seized in Gethsemane (Matt 26:47-56) and interrogated through the night (Matt 26:57-66), Jesus stands condemned by the high priest Caiaphas and the council for "blasphemy" (Matt 26:65-66) due to His claim of being the Son of God, seated at the right hand of power. This public, physical abuse, preceding His delivery to Pilate for formal Roman judgment, reveals the profound hatred and contempt His divine claim invoked in His accusers. Historically and culturally, spitting in someone's face was an act of extreme dishonor and rejection, used to express utter contempt, even against a woman in disgrace (Num 12:14) or to shame a brother refusing a levirate marriage (Deut 25:9). Beating and slapping were also forms of severe degradation and punishment, often reserved for slaves or those of very low status. The "polemic" here is not directly against a specific contemporary belief, but rather the stark contrast between the Divine Son of God enduring such depths of human depravity and the very religious leaders, ostensibly upholding God's law, being the perpetrators of such ungodly violence.

Matthew 26 67 Word analysis

• Then (Greek: Tote)

  • Indicates immediate consequence and sequence, tying the abuse directly to the preceding verdict of blasphemy by the Sanhedrin. It signals the beginning of the intense suffering that fulfills prophecy.

• they (Greek: Autoi)

  • Refers to the collective group present at the trial: the members of the Sanhedrin, their servants, and temple guards. This was not a private act but occurred in the presence of those assembled for the judgment.

• spit (Greek: Eptyon)

  • Meaning: to spit, to eject saliva from the mouth.
  • Significance: An ancient and universally recognized act of profound contempt, revulsion, and utter disrespect. In the Jewish context, it was deeply insulting and defiling, making the person an object of scorn and shame, as seen in instances in Numbers 12:14 and Deuteronomy 25:9. This action highlights the utter disdain for Jesus by His accusers.

• in His face (Greek: eis to prosopon autou)

  • Meaning: directly onto His countenance.
  • Significance: Emphasizes the personal and direct nature of the insult. Spitting in the face is an intimate violation designed to maximize humiliation and disgrace, contrasting sharply with Jesus' divine dignity.

• and beat Him with their fists (Greek: ekolaphisan auton)

  • Meaning: to strike with a fist, to buffet, to punch repeatedly. The term kolaphizo implies not just a single blow but continuous, forceful beating.
  • Significance: Indicates physical assault and brutality beyond mere symbolic insult. It was a deliberate act of violence aimed at causing pain and further dehumanization.

• and others (Greek: hoi de)

  • Meaning: A different group, or a subset of the previous group.
  • Significance: Shows a wider participation in the abuse, demonstrating that various individuals among the persecutors took part in inflicting violence, signifying a collective rejection and animosity.

• slapped Him (Greek: eerrhaphisan)

  • Meaning: to strike with an open hand, a slap, often on the cheek. While rhapizo can sometimes imply a lighter strike, in this context of violent assault, it denotes a painful blow. It can also imply striking with a rod.
  • Significance: Another form of physical abuse and humiliation, further reducing Jesus' perceived status to that of a helpless criminal. This specific action also recalls Jesus' own teaching in Matt 5:39.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "Then they spit in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him": This cumulative description of physical and verbal abuse highlights the deliberate, widespread, and cruel nature of the persecution. It showcases the intense animosity and dehumanization inflicted upon Jesus. The sequence of actions—spitting, punching, slapping—represents escalating contempt and violence, illustrating the depths of His suffering and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah's passion. This abuse was extra-judicial, demonstrating their unchecked hatred after securing a verdict of "guilty."

Matthew 26 67 Bonus section

• The public nature of this abuse, within the high priest's residence, intensified the humiliation, making Jesus a public spectacle of scorn before religious authority figures.
• The silence of Jesus throughout this ordeal (contrast with Jn 18:22, where He responds to a single slap) highlights His willing acceptance of suffering, mirroring Isa 53:7, "He did not open His mouth."
• The irony is profound: those who accused Him of blasphemy (dishonoring God) were themselves dishonoring the very Son of God through their actions.
• This physical abuse initiated the process of Jesus' public degradation, stripping Him of any pretense of dignity before His crucifixion.

Matthew 26 67 Commentary

Matthew 26:67 serves as a visceral testament to the profound humiliation and suffering endured by Jesus Christ. Following His solemn affirmation of divine Sonship before the Jewish High Council, He was not merely condemned but immediately subjected to a torrent of physical and emotional abuse. Spitting in the face was the ultimate ancient sign of utter contempt and revulsion, an act of ritualistic defilement meant to degrade an individual to the lowest possible status. Coupled with the brutal blows of fists and open-handed slaps, these actions underscore the complete lack of dignity and justice afforded to Jesus.

This moment perfectly aligns with prophetic foresight (e.g., Isa 50:6, 53:5-7) and foreshadows the further tortures Jesus would endure leading to the cross. It starkly reveals the human depravity that rejected the incarnate Son of God, not simply with words, but with direct, physical violence. Jesus' silent endurance of this savage treatment, rather than defending or retaliating, is a powerful display of His willing submission to God's plan for redemption, bearing humanity's scorn and sin. It epitomizes His role as the Suffering Servant, enduring unimaginable ignominy for the sake of human salvation, fulfilling the redemptive purpose for which He came. This scene, therefore, is not merely a historical account of abuse, but a profound theological statement on the nature of vicarious suffering and selfless love.