Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 27:37

37 And set up over his head, his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Mark, Ch. 15.24, 25. &c. saith, W[illegible: 1 letter]en they had Crucified him, they parted his Garments, casting Lots upon them, what every one should take, and it was the third hour, and they Crucified him: And the Superscription of his Accusation was written over, The King of the Iews. And with him they Crucified two Thieves, the one on his right Hand, and the other on his left. And the Scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbred with the Transgressors. Luke 23.33. saith, And when they came to a place called Calvary, there they Crucified him, and the Malefactors, one on the right Hand, and the other on the left. Then said Iesus, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they parted his Rayment, and cast Lots. Iohn telleth us some further Circumstances, Ioh. 19.18. Where they Crucified him, and two others with him, on either side one, and Iesus in the midst. And Pilate wrote a Title, and put it on the Cross, and the Writing was Iesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews: This Title then read many of the Jews, for the place where Iesus was Crucified was nigh to the City, and it was written in Hebrew and Greek, and Latine. Then said the Chief Priests of the Jews to Pilate, write not the King of the Jews. Pilate answered, what I have written, I have written. Then the Souldiers, when they had Crucified him, took his Garments, and made four parts, to every Souldier a part, and also his Coat, now the Coat was without Seame woven from the top to the bottom: They said therefore amongst themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast Lots for it, whose it shall be: That the Scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my Rayment amongst them, and for my Vesture did they cast Lots. These things the[illegible: 1 letter]efore the Souldiers did. And they Crucified him. That is, four Souldiers, as we learn from Iohn's narration of this matter of Fact; it seemeth this business was assigned to four more especially: This Crucifying was a bitter, & shameful kind of Death, not in use amongst the Jews, but among[illegible: 1 letter]t the Romans, the manner of it is not particularly known to us: But as it is described by Writers, a piece of Wood was erected, which was crossed with a Bar upon the top. The Body of the Person being fastned to the main piece of Wood, his Arms were extended, and nailed to the cross Bar, or piece of Timber, and his hands and Feet were nailed. Mark saith, It was about the third hour, which with us was about nine of the Clock: So hasty they were, in destroying this just Person, that betwixt Midnight and nine of the Clock in the Morning, they apprehended him, Tryed, and Condemned him in the Sanhedrim, or at least, in a Court of High Priests, and Elders, and then before Pilate the Roman Governour, and led him to be Crucified, and nailed him to his Cross. The Evangelists tell us, he was crucified in the middle, betwixt two Thieves (of whom we shall read more afterward) several Scriptures of the old Testament, were fulfilled in this Crucifixion of Christ. They pierced my Hands, and my Feet, Psal. 22.16. was fulfilled in his nailing to the Cross. In his being Crucified betwixt two Theeves, was fulfilled that Isaiah 53.12. He was numbered with the Transgressors. That of the Psalmist, Psal. 22.18. They parted my Garments amongst them, and upon my Vesture did they cast Lots, was fulfilled, in the Soldiers parting of our Saviour's Garments (as their Fee) but how could they part them, and yet not rend them? po[illegible: 1 letter]sibly they parted his other Garments, and only did cast Lots for his Coat, or upper Garment. Or, it may be they valued it, and agreed each Mans share, and then cast Lots for the whol[illegible: 1 letter]. I see no Ground for their Assertion, who say, that in such Cases they only stripped the Condemned Person of his upper Garment, Iohn's Relation seemeth to oppose it, he saith, And also his Coat. Matthew, Mark, and Iohn, all agree in the Inscription, which Pilate drew to be put upon his Cross, signifying the Crime for which he died, only Iohn puts in those words (of Nazareth.) Thus Christ died in the Attestation of his Kingly Office. This Inscription angred the Iews, they sollicit Pilate to alter it, and that it might be, Who said he was the King of the Jews. But Pilate refused, saying, What I have written, I have written. There was nothing more pleasing to Pilate, than this, (as he thought) to deride the Iews, as having such a despicable Person (as he judged him) their King: In the mean time the Counsels of God have their Effect; Christ in his Death, is declared to be the King of the Iews. Luke saith, that Christ said, F[illegible: 1 letter]ther forgive them, for they know not what they do. Whether these Words were spoken, when our Lord was first Nailed to the Cross, or afterward is not much Material. Luke relates them before the Soldiers▪ parting his Garments. Our Saviour by them declares himself a true Pastor, and Shepherd of Souls, teaching his Disciples no more, than he himself did Practice, Cahp 5.44. He had taught his Disciples to pray for them, who despitefully used▪ and Persecuted them. Himself here practiceth it: The Malice of Men ought not to quench in Christians, the Grace of God. Let us now consider the passage that happened, from the time he was nailed to the Cross, until the time of his Expiration, which was more than three entire hours.