thinking that by putting Jesus to death they would extinguish his teaching and stop those who believe. They, therefore, bound the one who says to those in bonds, "Come forth," and to those fettered, "Be loosed," fulfilling the prophecy which says, "Let us bind the just one, for he is useless to us" (Jes. 3,10). But he, having said, "Let us break their bonds asunder," also says the things that follow in the psalm. 244 But still the remnant of Christ's words in him conquered his love of money. Therefore, not as if compelled after his resurrection, but before the condemnation by Pilate, he shows his repentance. Perhaps also, seeing Jesus handed over to Pilate, he was reminded that Jesus had said this too, and that he would rise again. 245 He hanged himself, even if repenting ardently, "but not according to knowledge" ... perhaps he thought, having anticipated that Jesus would die, that by meeting him he might entreat him with a naked soul, confessing his own condemnation, so that his confession might be accepted. ... not remembering after how many trials Job says, "For if only I might do away with myself, or having beseeched another, he might do this for me," which things do away with taking oneself out of life in any way whatsoever. Therefore, not as if compelled after his resurrection, but before the condemnation by Pilate, he shows his repentance. 246 Since Jesus had not yet been condemned by Pilate, Judas, "the one who handed him over," not thinking the chief priests would bring a sentence of death against him, and having foreknown this had happened in council, in effect saw Jesus completely condemned. Or the "he was condemned" refers to Judas, who perceived what an evil thing it was, having been condemned by God, or "Satan, who after the morsel entered into him," being present with him until Jesus was handed over to Pilate, "departed from him for a time," so as to make room for repentance ... 247 But he says, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood," thinking to accomplish something. Therefore, having heard, "What is that to us? You see to it," he throws down the silver and hangs himself, not bearing "the excessive sorrow." 248 ... and he became strangled and unclean, the blood having remained in the flesh. And perhaps, being swallowed up by a second evil, "by excessive sorrow," he does this, not having sought "a place of repentance" correctly ... But see if, thinking something greater about the savior, he threw the silver pieces there. 250 ... But Jesus, gently hinting at "yes," as king of all men, said, "You say so." As he had been handed over on a public charge, Pilate asks him, saying, "Are you the king of the Jews?" You will inquire whether he asks thus, mocking or doubting. 251 ... since the high priest asked doubtfully, saying, "Tell us if you are the Christ," but Pilate declaratively. But see if the "You have said so," said to the high priest, does not secretly rebuke his doubt, while the "You say so" to Pilate confirms his declaration ... 252 Because of their inflexibility he answers them nothing, and rightly he did not answer Pilate either, because he doubts whether he ought to defend himself against the unjust accusations and because he is of two minds about him. 253 For it was clear that if he had defended himself and shown himself guilty of no crime, the judge would have released him, having found a way to declare good things about him; whence also the governor "marveled" at him, how, being able to offer many defenses, he was silent ... And he does not simply marvel, but even "greatly"; perhaps because of his steadfastness and calm in the face of death and the serenity of his face in these circumstances, and perhaps he also marveled at his superhuman long-suffering. It is likely that since the Jews had recently become subject to the Ro 254 mans, the (l. το`̣ Kl) one granted as a favor to them at the feast was pardoned. And Saul, by pardoning Jonathan for the people, shows that such a thing was their ancestral custom. 255 Having come across some very old copies, I found that Barabbas himself was also called Jesus. Thus, at any rate, Pilate's question was there: "Which of the two do you want me to release to you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?" 257 For that he was handed over out of envy was clear even to Pilate. And otherwise the dream was a work of providence, not saying, to be sure, what it was, but showing that it was not so that Jesus might not suffer

οἰόμενοι θανα τώσαντες τὸν Ἰησοῦν σβέσαι αὐτοῦ τὴν διδασκαλίαν καὶ παύσειν τοὺς πιστεύοντας. αὐτοὶ μὲν οὖν ἔδησαν τὸν «λέγοντα τοῖς ἐν δεσμοῖς ἐξέλθετε» καὶ τοῖς πεπεδημένοις «λύεσθε», πληροῦντες τὴν λέγουσαν προφητείαν «δήσωμεν τὸν δίκαιον ὅτι δύσχρηστος ἡμῖν ἐστιν» (Jes. 3,10). αὐτὸς δὲ εἰπὼν «διαρρήξωμεν τοὺς δεσμοὺς αὐτῶν» λέγει καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἐν τῷ ψαλμῷ. 244 ἀλλ' οὖν τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ λεῖμμα τῶν Χριστοῦ λόγων ἐνίκησε τὴν φιλαργυρίαν. διὸ οὐ μετὰ τὴν ἀνά στασιν αὐτοῦ οἷον ἐκβιαζόμενος, πρὸ δὲ τῆς ὑπὸ Πιλάτου κατακρίσεως τὴν μετάνοιαν δείκνυσιν. τάχα δὲ καὶ ἰδὼν τὸν Ἰησοῦν παραδοθέντα Πιλάτῳ ὑπε μνήσθη ὅτι καὶ τοῦτο εἰρήκει ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ ὅτι ἀναστήσεται. 245 ἀπήγξατο μὲν εἰ καὶ διαπύρως μετανοῶν, «ἀλλ' οὐ κατ' ἐπίγνωσιν» ... ἴσως δὲ ᾠήθη προλαβὼν τὸν Ἰησοῦν τεθνηξόμενον καὶ ὑπαντήσας αὐτῷ ἱκετεύειν γυμνῇ τῇ ψυχῇ ὁμο λογῶν τὴν καθ' ἑαυτοῦ κρίσιν, ὡς δεχθῆναι αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐξομολόγησιν. ... οὐδὲ μνησθεὶς μεθ' ὅσας περιστάσεις Ἰὼβ λέγει «εἰ γὰρ ὄφελον ἐμαυτὸν χειρώσα σθαι ἢ δεηθείς γε ἑτέρου καὶ ποιήσει μοι τοῦτο», ἅτινα τὸ ὁπωσοῦν ἐξάγειν ἑαυτὸν τοῦ βίου ἀναιρεῖ. διὸ οὐ μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν αὐτοῦ οἷον ἐκβιαζόμενος, πρὸ δὲ τῆς ὑπὸ Πιλάτου κατακρίσεως τὴν μετάνοιαν δείκνυσιν. 246 ἐπειδὴ μήπω κατα κέκριτο ὑπὸ Πιλάτου ὁ Ἰησοῦς, «ὁ παραδιδοὺς αὐτὸν» Ἰούδας οὐ νο μίζων θανάτου ψῆφον ἐξοίσειν κατ' αὐτοῦ τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ προγνοὺς τοῦτο γεγονὸς ἐν συμβουλίῳ δυνάμει εἶδεν τὸν Ἰησοῦν δι' ὅλου κατα κριθέντα. ἤτοι ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰούδαν ἀναφέρεται τὸ «κατεκρίθη» αἰσθόμενον οἷον κακὸν ἦν ὑπὸ θεοῦ καταδικασθείς ἢ ὁ «μετὰ τὸ ψωμίον εἰσελθὼν εἰς αὐτὸν σατανᾶς», παρὼν αὐτῷ, ἕως Ἰησοῦς παρεδόθη Πιλάτῳ, «ἀπέστη ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἕως καιροῦ», ὡς χωρῆσαι τὴν μεταμέλειαν ... 247 φησὶ δὲ «ἥμαρτον παραδοὺς αἷμα ἀθῷον» οἰόμενός τι ἀνύσειν. διὸ ἀκούσας ὅτι «τί πρὸς ἡμᾶς; σὺ ὄψει» ῥίπτει τὸ ἀργύριον καὶ ἀπάγχεται μὴ φέρων «τὴν περισσοτέραν λύπην». 248 ... καὶ γέγονε πνικτι κὸς καὶ ἀκάθαρτος ἀπομείναντος τῇ σαρκὶ τοῦ αἵματος. καὶ τάχα δευτέρῳ κακῷ «τῇ περισσοτέρᾳ λύπῃ» κατα ποθεὶς τοῦτο ποιεῖ, οὐ ζητήσας ὀρθῶς «τόπον μετανοίας» ... ὅρα δὲ εἰ μεῖζόν τι περὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἐννοῶν ἐκεῖ ἔρριψε τὰ ἀργύρια. 250 ... ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἠρέμα ὑπαι νιττόμενος τὸ ναὶ ὡς πάντων ἀνθρώ πων βασιλεὺς ἔφη τὸ «σὺ λέγεις». ὡς ἐπὶ δημοσίῳ ἐγκλήματι παραδοθέντα αὐτὸν ἐρωτᾷ ὁ Πιλᾶτος λέγων «σὺ εἶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων;» ζητή σεις εἰ μυκτηρίζων ἢ ἀμφιβάλλων οὕτως ἐρωτᾷ. 251 ... ἐπεὶ ὁ μὲν ἀρχιερεὺς διστα <κ>τικῶς ἠρώτησε λέγων· «εἰπὲ ἡμῖν, εἰ σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστός», Πιλᾶτος δὲ ἀποφαντικῶς. ὅρα δὲ εἰ μὴ τὸ μὲν «σὺ εἶπας» τῷ ἀρχιερεῖ λεγόμενον τὸν δισταγμὸν αὐτοῦ λεληθότως ἐλέγχει, τὸ δὲ «σὺ λέγεις» τῷ Πιλάτῳ τὴν ἀπό φασιν αὐτοῦ κυροῖ ... 252 διὰ τὸ ἀμετάτρεπτον αὐτῶν οὐδὲν αὐτοῖς ἀντιφθέγγεται, καλῶς δὲ οὐδὲ τῷ Πιλάτῳ ἀπεκρίθη, ὅτι ἀμφιβάλλει εἰ χρὴ αὐτὸν πρὸς τὰς ἀδίκους κατηγορίας ἀπολογεῖ σθαι καὶ ὅτι διχογνώμων ἐστὶ περὶ αὐτόν. 253 δῆλον γὰρ ἦν ὅτι, εἰ ἀπελογήσατο καὶ παρέστησεν ἑαυτὸν οὐδενὶ ἔνοχον ἐγκλήματι, ἀπέλυσεν ἂν ὁ δικαστὴς αὐτὸν λαβὼν ὁδὸν τοῦ χρηστὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ ἀποφήνασθαι· ὅθεν καὶ ὁ ἡγεμὼν «ἐθαύμαζεν» αὐτόν, πῶς δυ νάμενος εἰπεῖν πολλὰς ἀπολογίας ἐσιώπα ... οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ θαυμάζει, ἀλλὰ καὶ «λίαν»· τάχα μὲν διὰ τὸ ἄτρεπτον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀτάραχον πρὸς θάνατον καὶ τὸ ἐν τούτοις γαληνὸν τοῦ προσώπου, τάχα δὲ ἐθαύμαζε καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον μακροθυμίαν. εἰκὸς ἄρτι ὑποσπόνδων γενομένων Ῥω 254 μαίοις Ἰουδαίων τὸν (l. το`̣ Kl) κεχαρισμένον αὐτοῖς ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ συγχωρεῖσθαι. καὶ Σαοὺλ δὲ συγχωρήσας τῷ λαῷ τὸν Ἰωνάθαν δηλοῖ πά τριον αὐτοῖς τὸ τοιοῦτο. 255 παλαιοῖς δὲ πάνυ ἀντιγράφοις ἐντυ χὼν εὗρον καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν Βαραββᾶν Ἰησοῦν λεγόμενον. οὕτως γοῦν εἶχεν ἡ τοῦ Πιλάτου πεῦσις ἐκεῖ· «τίνα θέλετε τῶν δύο ἀπολύσω ὑμῖν, Ἰησοῦν τὸν Βαραββᾶν ἢ Ἰησοῦν τὸν λεγόμενον Χριστόν;» 257 ὅτι γὰρ φθόνῳ παρεδόθη, καὶ Πιλάτῳ δῆλον ἦν. ἄλλως τε δὲ προνοίας ἔργον τὸ ὄναρ, οὐ λεγόμενον μὲν τί ἦν, δεικνύον δὲ ὅτι οὐχ ἵνα μὴ πάθῃ ὁ Ἰησοῦς