Footnotes

1. Matthew 27:32 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
2. Matthew 27:32 tn Or “conscripted”; or “pressed into service.”
3. Matthew 27:32 sn Jesus was beaten severely with a whip before this (the prelude to crucifixion, known to the Romans as verberatio, mentioned in Matt 27:26; Mark 15:15; John 19:1), so he would have been weak from trauma and loss of blood. Apparently he was unable to bear the cross himself, so Simon was conscripted to help (in all probability this was only the crossbeam, called in Latin the patibulum, since the upright beam usually remained in the ground at the place of execution). Cyrene was located in North Africa where Tripoli is today. Nothing more is known about this Simon. Mark 15:21 names him as father of two people apparently known to Mark’s audience.
4. Matthew 27:33 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
5. Matthew 27:33 tn This is an Aramaic name; see John 19:17.
6. Matthew 27:33 sn A place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”). This location is north and just outside of Jerusalem. The hill on which it is located protruded much like a skull, giving the place its name. The Latin word for the Greek term κρανίον (kranion) is calvaria, from which the English word “Calvary” is derived (cf. Luke 23:33 in the KJV).
7. Matthew 27:34 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
8. Matthew 27:34 sn It is difficult to say for certain who gave Jesus this drink of wine mixed with gall (e.g., the executioner, or perhaps women from Jerusalem). In any case, whoever gave it to him most likely did so in order to relieve his pain, but Jesus was unwilling to take it.
9. Matthew 27:35 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
10. Matthew 27:35 sn See the note on crucified in 20:19.
11. Matthew 27:35 tn Grk “by throwing the lot” (probably by using marked pebbles or broken pieces of pottery). A modern equivalent, “throwing dice,” was chosen here because of its association with gambling. According to L&N 6.219 a term for “dice” is particularly appropriate.sn An allusion to Ps 22:18.
12. Matthew 27:37 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
13. Matthew 27:37 sn Mention of the inscription is an important detail, because the inscription would normally give the reason for the execution. It shows that Jesus was executed for claiming to be a king. It was also probably written with irony from the executioners’ point of view.
14. Matthew 27:37 tn Grk “was written.”
15. Matthew 27:39 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
16. Matthew 27:40 sn There is rich irony in the statements of those who were passing by, “save yourself!” and “come down from the cross!” In summary, they wanted Jesus to come down from the cross and save his physical life, but it was indeed his staying on the cross and giving his physical life that led to the fact that they could experience a resurrection from death to life.
17. Matthew 27:40 tc ‡ Many significant witnesses (א* A D it sy^[s],p) read καί (kai, here with the force of “then”) before κατάβηθι (katabēthi, “come down”). The shorter reading may well be due to homoioarcton, but judging by the diverse external evidence (א² B L W Γ Δ Θ 0250 ƒ^1,13 33 565 579 700 1241 1424 M lat) it is equally possible that the shorter reading is the wording of the initial text (and is so considered for this translation). NA²⁸ puts the καί in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
18. Matthew 27:41 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
19. Matthew 27:41 tn Or “with the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
20. Matthew 27:41 tn Only “chief priests” is in the nominative case; this sentence structure attempts to capture this emphasis.
21. Matthew 27:41 tn Grk “Mocking him, the chief priests…said.”
22. Matthew 27:42 tn Here the aorist imperative καταβάτω (katabatō) has been translated as a conditional imperative. This fits the pattern of other conditional imperatives (imperative + καί + future indicative) outlined by ExSyn 489.
23. Matthew 27:43 sn An allusion to Ps 22:8.
24. Matthew 27:44 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
25. Matthew 27:44 sn Matthew’s wording suggests that both of the criminals spoke abusively to him. If so, one of them quickly changed his attitude toward Jesus (see Luke 23:40-43).