Matthew 17:22

22 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands,

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 He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, "Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you."

21

22 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands,

23 and they will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised." And they were greatly distressed.

24 When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and said, "Does your teacher not pay the temple tax?"

Footnotes

• [a]. Other ancient authorities read [living]