Matthew 27 27

Matthew 27:27 kjv

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.

Matthew 27:27 nkjv

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him.

Matthew 27:27 niv

Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him.

Matthew 27:27 esv

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him.

Matthew 27:27 nlt

Some of the governor's soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and called out the entire regiment.

Matthew 27 verses

Matthew 27 27 Meaning

This verse describes the immediate actions following Jesus' condemnation by Pontius Pilate. The governor's soldiers seized Jesus and brought Him into their headquarters, known as the Praetorium. There, they gathered the entire military unit to participate in the mockery and humiliation of Jesus before His crucifixion. This act signifies the shift from an unjust legal process to a public spectacle of abuse orchestrated by Roman authority.

Matthew 27 27 Context

Matthew 27:27 takes place at a critical juncture in Jesus' passion narrative. It follows Pilate's reluctant condemnation of Jesus (Matt 27:24-26), where he washes his hands, declaring himself innocent of Jesus' blood, and then delivers Jesus to be scourged and crucified. The previous verses established Jesus' innocence, the Jewish leaders' insistence on His death, and the Roman governor's weak resolve. This verse marks the physical transition of Jesus from the legal courtroom into the hands of the Roman military, where the suffering foretold by the prophets and by Jesus Himself begins its intensified, brutal phase leading directly to the crucifixion. It signifies the commencement of a period of organized physical and psychological torture.

Matthew 27 27 Word analysis

• Then (Τότε - Tote):
  • Significance: Indicates immediate chronological sequence, linking the event directly to Pilate's decision and the crowd's clamor for crucifixion. It signifies a pivotal transition.
• the soldiers (οἱ στρατιῶται - hoi stratiōtai):
  • Significance: Represents Roman military power and authority. These were hardened professional soldiers, likely detached from any emotional involvement, simply executing orders. Their actions underscore the state's role in Jesus' suffering.
• of the governor (τοῦ ἡγεμόνος - tou hēgemonos):
  • Significance: Explicitly identifies these soldiers as belonging to Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect (governor) of Judea. This highlights that Jesus' subsequent abuse was officially sanctioned state action, not random mob violence. It links the event directly to the highest earthly legal authority present.
• took (παραλαβόντες - paralabontes - having taken/received):
  • Significance: Denotes receiving something from someone or taking someone into custody. In this context, it implies taking charge of Jesus following His formal handing over by Pilate, as one might take a prisoner for execution.
• Jesus (τὸν Ἰησοῦν - ton Iēsoun):
  • Significance: The central figure, God's Son and the innocent Messiah, now delivered to suffering. The simplicity of His name highlights His individual, vulnerable state before overwhelming power.
• into the common hall (εἰς τὸ πραιτώριον - eis to praitōrion - into the Praetorium):
  • Praetorium: This term refers to the official residence or headquarters of a Roman governor, often serving as a combined court, administrative office, and military barrack. In Jerusalem, it was widely believed to be Herod the Great's Palace or the Fortress Antonia.
  • Significance: The Praetorium symbolizes the center of Roman authority and military might. Bringing Jesus here transformed His execution from a simple public punishment into a structured, institutionalized spectacle of humiliation, specifically for Roman amusement and assertion of power. It signifies a setting of profound political and military oppression.
• and gathered unto him (καὶ συνήγαγον ἐπ' αὐτὸν - kai synēgagon ep' auton - and gathered upon him):
  • Significance: Implies a deliberate assembly with a specific, cruel purpose. It suggests a pre-meditated act of organized degradation rather than spontaneous individual malice. The soldiers were specifically convened to witness and participate.
• the whole band of soldiers (ὅλην τὴν σπεῖραν - holēn tēn speiran - the whole cohort):
  • Cohort (σπεῖρα - speira): A standard Roman military unit, typically consisting of around 600 soldiers. While "band" could sometimes mean a smaller group, contextually here it refers to a full cohort or a substantial detachment.
  • Significance: The emphasis on "whole" and "band/cohort" stresses the vast numerical superiority and overwhelming force arrayed against Jesus. It created a grand, public, humiliating spectacle. This many soldiers were not needed simply to guard one prisoner; they were gathered for collective entertainment, mockery, and to make an example of someone Rome perceived as a seditious king.

Matthew 27 27 Bonus section

The mockery and torture of Jesus in the Praetorium, which this verse introduces, highlight the profound irony of the event. Roman soldiers, symbols of earthly power, unknowingly fulfill divine prophecy. Their acts of dehumanization ironically confirm Jesus' identity as the suffering Servant (Isaiah 53). The deliberate gathering of "the whole cohort" suggests not only a desire for collective entertainment but also potentially an attempt to create a united front or communal ownership over the execution, lessening individual accountability amongst the large group. The Roman methods of humiliation, including public flogging and making the condemned a spectacle, were psychological warfare, designed to instill fear and deter rebellion, emphasizing their dominance over life and death in the occupied territories. Yet, in Jesus' case, His silence and endurance under this organized abuse revealed a different kind of sovereignty.

Matthew 27 27 Commentary

Matthew 27:27 concisely narrates the handover of Jesus from the juridical realm to the brutal hands of the Roman military. The term "Praetorium" signals the official nature of the ensuing abuse, placing Jesus within the very seat of imperial authority. The gathering of the "whole band" or cohort – a force of several hundred trained soldiers – was not merely for guard duty, but to amplify the spectacle of mockery and physical torture. This was a deliberate act of public humiliation, intended to break Jesus' spirit, strip Him of dignity, and solidify the power of Rome over any perceived threat, especially one who claimed kingship. This scene graphically illustrates human depravity and organized cruelty, juxtaposed with Jesus' innocent and silent suffering, which was the voluntary act of the Lamb of God surrendering Himself for the sins of the world. It directly fulfills His own prophecies and Old Testament foreshadowings of a despised and rejected Messiah.