Verse 6. And the archbishop received the silver, deciding: it is unworthy to put them in the corban, since there is a price for blood. Without shame, they admit that this is the price of blood, or the price for killing. It was a treasury where the gifts were placed. I believe that this is the so-called treasure storehouse (γαζοφυλακιον), because the Romans call γαζα wealth.

Verses 7-8. And having made a council, having bought with them the village of the poor, for a strange burial: by the same name the village was called a village of blood, to this day. It would have been much better for them to put the pieces of silver in the korvana, because the matter itself would not have been so universally revealed; but they, in order to denounce their abominable murder, bought a land, the name of which proclaims it louder than a trumpet. They constantly hold a meeting so that no one remains innocent. The Book of Acts (1:19) says that the land was called Akeldama, i.e., the land of blood. Therefore, this was the same land that the book of Acts speaks of.

Verses 9-10. Then shall be fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "And I have received thirty pieces of silver, the price of the Precious One, whose value I have received from the children of Israel, and I have given to the village of the poor, as the Lord hath spoken unto me." In the book of the prophet Jeremiah, which we now read, this is not written; it means that it was written in the lost one (Perhaps from the book that we are now reading, it was afterwards thrown out by the Jews maliciously, as happened with other sayings). Thus, the chief priests took the price of the priceless Christ, Whom they valued from the children of Israel, i.e. the Israelites. He also calls them high priests, when Judas said to them, "What wilt ye give, and I will deliver Him unto you?" and they offered him thirty pieces of silver (Matt. 26:15). He commanded me, that is, the Lord told me.

Verse 11. And Jesus stood before the hegemon... John (18:29-31) says that when they brought Jesus Christ to the praetorium, Pilate came out to them and said, "Bring this speech against this man; And he answered and said to him, "If this wicked man had not been, they would not have delivered him up to thee." And Pilate said unto them, Take Him, and judge Him according to your law... They handed Jesus Christ over to Pilate to kill him, not to investigate the case. But he could not allow Jesus Christ to be killed before the case was investigated, and therefore he wants to know what the guilt of Jesus Christ is; but they, not trusting in themselves, do not say guilt, but only answer: If this evildoer had not been, they would not have delivered Him up to you, because we never do anything unjust. Pilate, indignant that they want to kill Jesus Christ without investigation, leaves it to them to kill himself. Deceived in hope, they accuse Him against their will, as Luke writes (23:2), who says: "And when Nan began to see, he said, "By this he has found our tongue, and forbidding Caesar to give tribute, declaring Christ the King to be unto Himself." Pay attention to their cunning. Wishing to arouse Pilate's wrath against Jesus Christ and thus quickly take Him to be killed, they accuse Him of rebellion and usurpation of royal power; they do this also so that Pilate, being afraid of Caesar, even if he wanted to, could not release Jesus Christ from death.

Verse 11. And the hegemon asked him, saying, Are you the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou speakest. Thou hast spoken, thou hast spoken, etc., an irreproachable and humble agreement. John (18:33-37) also told about this in more detail: "Come Pilate to the praetor, and invite Jesus, and say to Him: Are you the King of the Jews? Jesus answered him, "Do you say this about yourself, or do you speak to you about Me? Pilate answered: I am a Jew; Thy generation and the bishop delivered Thee unto me: what hast Thou done; And Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have striven, that they might not have been delivered up by a Jew: but now my kingdom is not from here. And Pilate said unto him, Thou art a king; Jesus answered, "Thou sayest that I am the King." Hearing about the indignation and usurpation of royal power and being frightened, Pilate asked Jesus Christ in private, wanting to learn something secret from Him. But Jesus Christ, in turn, asked him: "Do you speak these things about yourself, or do you speak about Me?" not because he did not know, but in order to reproach them for not immediately appointing accusers and forcing them to produce proofs of their indignation and arrogation of royal power to Himself, in order to shame them still more. In his defense, Pilate says that he did not say this on his own behalf: "Am I a Jew to know Thy works? Thy fellow-countrymen, and the most honorable ones at that, have delivered Thee to me, and they themselves say so. Then He asks: What have You done that they accuse You of this? Finally, Jesus Christ destroys the suspicion that He has appropriated royal power, saying that His Kingdom is not of this world, and frees Pilate from fear. To confirm this thought, He adds the following consideration: the kingdom of this world is strong in its servants, and His kingdom, as the heavenly kingdom, is strong in its own power. By saying, "My kingdom is not of this world," Jesus Christ did not exclude the world from His dominion, but showed that His Kingdom, like the kingdoms of this world, does not need servants, is not subject to fear, and has no end. Then, going out, Pilate tried to free Jesus Christ. Luke (23:4-7) says that he said to the chief priests and the people, "I do not find guilt in this man." And they were strong, saying, as he corrupts men, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee to here. And Pilate, hearing Galilee, asked, Is there a man of Galilee; And when Pilate heard from Jesus Christ that His kingdom was not of this world, and having learned that He had no power-hungry plans or signs of an earthly kingdom, and recognizing the accusation as unproven, Pilate declared Him innocent. Since the Jews could not provide evidence for the accusations made, they moved on to another accusation, saying that he corrupts, that is, he stirs up people by teaching. They affirm only what He teaches, but they do not say what He teaches, so that they may not be ridiculed... Herod, having done what Luke says, sent Jesus Christ back to Pilate, while the chief priests and scribes followed Him and shouted loudly against Him (Luke 23:11). Pilate, having called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, said to them, as Luke relates (23:13-16): "Bring me this man, as a destroyer of men: and behold, I have tormented before you, and I find not one in this man the guilt of Nan: but not Herod, for he sent to him, and behold, nothing was done about him worthy of death: having punished him, I will let him go. By punishment he here means a little scourging to calm and stop their anger, so that, considering Jesus Christ defeated, they would soften their rage that had gone out of bounds. But for all this, they were no less brutal, unswervingly striving for one goal, that is, to kill Jesus Christ as soon as possible; So they bark again.

Verse 12. And when Nan spoke to the bishop and the elders, he did not answer you. Because they were madly hungry to kill Him, and nothing could deter them, the Savior knew that any answer would have been in vain.

Verse 13. Then Pilate said to Him, "Do you not hear, they bear witness to the colic against Thee?" He says this, urging Jesus Christ to defend himself and be free, because He knew that He could easily refute their calumnies.

Verse 14. And did not answer him to a single word... Since he himself could not restrain them, he expected a lengthy answer to his words from Jesus Christ. Pilate, not loving unrighteousness, strongly desired to release Jesus Christ, but being weak, he yielded to the demands of the Jews.

Verse 14. For the hegemon was amazed. The governor was amazed that He showed such meekness and, being able to defend Himself and put them to shame, voluntarily kept silent and endured.

Verses 15-17. And on (every) feast it is the custom for the hegemon to release one people to the messenger, whom he wants: and then the name is bound deliberately, saying to Barabbas: And Pilate said unto them that were gathered together unto them, Whom wilt ye (from both) release unto you, Shall I release unto you, Shall it be Barabbas, or of Jesus Christ? For a holiday. Of course, Pascha, since John (18:39) says that Pilate said: "There is a custom for you, that I may release one to you at the Passover." Of Barabbas Luke (23:19) speaks more clearly, namely, that he was put in prison for the rebellion and murder he had committed in the city. Thus, Pilate, although he could not free Jesus Christ as completely innocent, nevertheless tried to forgive Him on the feast, as if condemned.

Verse 18. For thou knowest that for the sake of envy thou hast betrayed Him. He believed and knew that in no case would they prefer the murderer Barabbas to Him. Therefore, having gained courage, he asks: Whom do you want to let you go? Before this question, as Mark says (15:8), the people began to cry out and ask for what they had always done for them. This request was to release one prisoner to the people. Seizing upon this opportunity, Pilate ventured, as has been said, to question them.

Verse 19. And he sat down at the judgment seat, and his wife sent an ambassador to him, saying, Nothing to thee and to that Righteous One: for thou hast suffered much this day in His sleep. It was not Pilate himself who had such a dream, either because he was unworthy, or because he could keep silent about it, as a judge, and because they could not believe the dream, as if invented for the liberation of Jesus Christ; but the woman sees it either as more worthy, or as deserving of the trust of the Jews, so that they, believing her, may hold on. And she does not just dream, but suffers, that is, she suffers so that the husband, at least out of compassion for his wife, will resist the murder, even if they do not believe this dream. Nothing to you and to that Righteous One, that is, let there be no dispute between you and Him, refrain from it. It should be noted that day (σημερον) σ is consumed in relation to night.

Verse 20. And the bishop and the elders have brought unto the nations, let them ask Barabbas, and they shall destroy Jesus. The murderers preferred a murderer to the Giver of Life, and not just a murderer, but a deliberate one, i.e., known to everyone for his crimes; so inflamed was their envy. Being corrupt themselves, they also corrupted the people, so that they might also be punished for their deception. Mark (15:11) says that they baited the people, i.e. stirred them up.

Verse 21. And the hegemon answered and said to them, "Whom do you want from both, will I release to you?" He had asked before; but as they had not yet answered, for he was busy informing his wife, he repeated the question.