Matteo 26:53

53 Pensi tu forse che io non potessi ora pregare il Padre mio, il qual mi manderebbe subito più di dodici legioni d’angeli?

Matteo 26:53 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 26:53

Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father
Meaning, if he thought proper, or that there was any necessity for it, or that he was desirous of being rescued out of such hands he was falling into. This must be understood of him as man: for, as God, the angels were his creatures and ministering servants, whom he had the command of himself, and so had no need, as such, to pray to his Father to detach a number of them to his assistance, and which, as man, he could only want.

And he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels.
A Roman legion consisted of about six thousand soldiers, or upwards; some add six hundred sixty six; and others make the number far greater. Twelve are mentioned, either with respect to the twelve apostles; or in allusion, as others think, to the Roman militia; a proper and full army with them consisting of such a number of legions: and that there is an innumerable company of angels, thousand thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand, is certain; and the Persic version here reads; "twelve myriads" of legions; and that these are at the command of God, and he can dispatch them at once, on any emergent occasion, is very evident; and what is it that such a company of angels is not capable of, when a single angel slew in one night an hundred, fourscore, and five thousand men, ( 2 Kings 19:35 ) , wherefore had Christ had any inclination to have been rescued from the present danger, he stood in no need of Peter's sword.

Matteo 26:53 In-Context

51 Ed ecco, un di coloro ch’erano con Gesù, distesa la mano, trasse fuori la spada, e percosse il servitore del sommo sacerdote, e gli spiccò l’orecchio.
52 Allora Gesù gli disse: Riponi la tua spada nel suo luogo; perciocchè tutti coloro che avranno presa la spada, periranno per la spada.
53 Pensi tu forse che io non potessi ora pregare il Padre mio, il qual mi manderebbe subito più di dodici legioni d’angeli?
54 Come dunque sarebbero adempiute le Scritture, le quali dicono che conviene che così avvenga?
55 In quella stessa ora Gesù disse alle turbe: Voi siete usciti con ispade e con aste, come contro a un ladrone, per prendermi; io tuttodì sedeva appresso di voi, insegnando nel tempio; e voi non mi avete preso.
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