Matthew Poole and continuators on John 18:28

28 ¶ Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment , and it was early , and they themselves went not into the judgment-hall, lest they should be defiled: but that they might eat the passover .

The Chief Priests having in their Sanhedrim done with our Saviours case, and judg'd him worthy of death, as we read Matth. 26.66. Mark 14.64. which two Evangelists, with Luke, relate this History of Christs Tryal before the Sanhedrim, with many more circumstances than Iohn doth, (see the notes on those Texts) they now lead him from the Ecclesiastical Court, to the Court of the Civil Magistrate; either kept in Pilates House, who was the present civil Governor under the Romans, or some where at least where he sat as Judge; which was therefore called the Hall of Iudgment.

How early it was, we cannot tell, but early i[illegible: 1 letter] was; probably about five or six of the Clock.

The Iews would not go into the Judgment-hall, that they might not be defiled, for they accounted a legal pollution and uncleanness to come into an Heathens House, or to touch any thing which an Heathen had touched; now the reason is assigned why they were afraid of contracting any legal pollution, viz. That they might eat the Passover. Obj. But had they not eaten the Passover the night before; that was the time prescribed by the Law, to the latter of which there is no doubt but that our Saviour strictly kept himself? Ans. Some say, that they had not, because, the day wherein they should have eaten it, this year, falling the day before their Sabbath, the Passover was put off to be kept on the Sabbath, that two great Festivals might not be kept two days successively; so as, tho our Saviour kept it at the time appointed by the Law, yet the Iews did not. But this is denied by oother very Learned men, who tell us, the Iews never altered their day for keeping their Passover, neither for the succeeding Sabbath, nor any other reason. They say therefore, that by the Passover which is mentioned in this Verse, is to be understood, The Feast mentioned, Num. 28.17. which was to be kept the fifteenth day, which day was a day of great solemnity with them from the morning to the evening; all the seven days they also offered various Sacrifices, which all went under the name of the Passover, because they followed in the days of the Paschal Feast. Thus the term Passover is taken, Deut. 16.2. Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the Passover unto the Lord thy God, of the flock and the herd. According to this Notion, the meaning of those words, that they might eat the Passover, is, That they might proceed in their Paschal solemnity, keeping the Feast according to the Law. Be it as it will, these Hypocrites in it notoriously discovered their hypocrisie, scrupling what caused a legal uncleanness, and not at all scrupling either immediately before their eating the Passover, or presently after it, in their great Festival to defile themselves with the guilt of Innocent blood; nay, had Christ been such a malefactor as they pretended, yet the bringing him into judgment, their prosecuting, and accusing, and condemning him, and assisting in his Crucifying, were not works fit for the day before such a Solemnity, or the day after it, which was so great a Festival; but there is nothing more or[illegible: 1 letter]inary, than for persons over zealous as to Rituals, to be as remiss with reference to Moral duties.

Marginal references: Mat. 27.2.; Or, Pilates House.; Acts 10.28. and 11 3.