Matthew 17:22

22 (17-21) And when they abode together in Galilee, Jesus said to them: The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:

Matthew 17:22 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 17:22

And while they abode in Galilee
Munster's Hebrew Gospel reads it (wklhvkw) , "and while they were walking in Galilee", for they passed through it, when they departed from hence; see ( Mark 9:30 ) and as they were going to Capernaum, and so onward, to the coasts of Judea, in order to be at Jerusalem at the feast of the passover; where, and when, Christ was to suffer: and observing that the time of his death drew nigh, he inculcates it again to his disciples a third time, that they might be prepared for it, and not be discouraged and terrified by it;

Jesus said unto them, the son of man shall be betrayed into the
hands of men:
some copies read, "sinful men"; and so the angels report the words, in ( Luke 24:7 ) by whom may be meant the Gentiles, who, by the Jews, were reckoned very wicked men, and called sinners of the Gentiles. Now Christ intimates, that the son of man, meaning himself, should be betrayed by the Jews, into the hands of the Gentiles; than which, with the Jews, nothing was reckoned a fouler action, or a viler crime; their canons run thus F8:

``It is forbidden to betray an Israelite into the hands of the Gentiles, whether in his body or in his substance; and though he may be a wicked man, and a ringleader in sin, and though he may have oppressed and afflicted him; and everyone that betrays an Israelite into the hands of the Gentiles, whether in his body, or in his substance, has no part in the world to come.''

They forgot this rule, when they delivered Christ to Pontius Pilate. They go on to observe, that

``it is lawful to kill a betrayer in any place, even at this time, in which they do not judge capital crimes; and it is lawful to kill him before he betrays; but when he says, lo! I am about to betray such an one in his body, or in his substance, though his substance is small, he exposes himself to death; and they admonish him and say to him, do not betray: if he is obstinate, and says I will betray him, it is commanded to kill him; and he that is first to kill him, is a worthy man,''


FOOTNOTES:

F8 Maimon. Hilch. Chobel Umazzik, c. 8. sect. 9, 10.

Matthew 17:22 In-Context

20 (17-19) Jesus said to them: Because of your unbelief. For, amen I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain: Remove from hence hither, and it shall remove: and nothing shall be impossible to you.
21 (17-20) But this kind is not cast out but by prayer and fasting.
22 (17-21) And when they abode together in Galilee, Jesus said to them: The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:
23 (17-22) And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall rise again. And they were troubled exceedingly.
24 (17-23) And when they were come to Capharnaum, they that received the didrachmas, came to Peter, and said to him: Doth not your master pay the didrachma?
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