Judas then having received a band of men
From the captain of this band, who in ( John 18:12 ) ; is called
a "Chiliarch", that is, a commander of a thousand men, one might
conclude there were so many in this band; but it seems, that such
an officer might have two bands under his command; and if this
was, the case, there were at least five hundred men in this
company; a large number indeed, to take an unarmed person; and
yet, as if this was not sufficient, it is added,
and officers from the chief priests and
Pharisees;
servants that belong to each of these, and who seem to be a
considerable number also; for these are said to be "a great
multitude"; ( Matthew
26:47 ) ; nay, not only so, but the chief priests, captains
of the temple, and elders of the people, were themselves among
them, ( Luke
22:52 ) ; to see that the men did their work, and did not
return without him; as these officers, when sent by them once
before, did:
cometh thither with lanterns, and torches, and
weapons:
(onp) , which is no other
than the Greek word here used for a lantern, the Jews tell us
F21, was an earthen vessel, in which a
candle was put and covered, that the wind might not put it out,
and it had holes in the sides of it, through which light was let
out; their (dypl) , or
"lamp", here rendered "torch", they say F23, was
also an earthen vessel in the form of a reed, at the top of which
was a proper receptacle, in which they burnt old rags dipped in
oil: now though it was full moon, being the time of the passover,
they brought these along with them to discover him by the light
of, and find him out with them, if he should hide himself among
the trees, or in any of the more shady places in the garden; and
they took warlike instruments, as swords, spears, and staves, as
if they had a thief or a murderer to apprehend, or a little army
of men to encounter with; whereas there were only Christ, and his
eleven disciples; and these in no condition, nor had any design,
to defend themselves in an hostile manner.