Matthew 26:24
The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto
that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if
he had not been born.
a. NLT: For the Son of Man must
die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the
one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been
born!”
b. NIV: The Son of Man will go
just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of
Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”
c. YLT: the Son of Man doth indeed
go, as it hath been written concerning him, but wo to that man through whom the
Son of Man is delivered up! good it were for him if that man had not been
born.'
d. Amplified Bible Classic: The
Son of Man is going just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom
the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better (more profitable and
wholesome) for that man if he had never been born!
e. Worrell Translation: The Son of
Man, indeed goeth, as it is written of Him, but woe to that manby whom the Son
of Man is betrayed!It were good for him, if that man had never been born!
1. “The Son of man goeth as it is written of him…”
a. The [3303 * men] [Strong: a
primary particle; properly, indicative of affirmation or concession (in fact);
usually followed by a contrasted clause with 1161 (this one, the former,
etc.):--even, indeed, so, some, truly, verily. Often compounded with other
particles in an intensive or asseverative sense.
b. Son [5207 * huios] [Strong: apparently
a primary word; a "son" (sometimes of animals), used very widely of
immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship:--child, foal, son.]
c. of man [444 * anthropos]
[Strong: from 435 and ops (the countenance; from 3700); man-faced, i.e. a human
being:--certain, man.]
d. goeth [5217 * hupago] [Strong: from
5259 and 71; to lead (oneself) under, i.e. withdraw or retire (as if sinking
out of sight), literally or figuratively:--depart, get hence, go (a-)way.]
e. as [2531 * kathos] [Strong: from
2596 and 5613; just (or inasmuch) as, that:--according to, (according, even)
as, how, when.]
f. written [1125 * grapho]
[Strong: a primary verb; to "grave", especially to write;
figuratively, to describe:--describe, write(-ing, -ten).]
g. of [4012 * peri] [Strong: from
the base of 4008; properly, through (all over), i.e. around; figuratively with
respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time (with the
genitive case denoting the subject or occasion or superlative point; with the
accusative case the locality, circuit, matter, circumstance or general
period):--(there-)about, above, against, at, on behalf of, X and his company,
which concern, (as) concerning, for, X how it will go with, ((there-, where-))
of, on, over, pertaining (to), for sake, X (e-)state, (as) touching, (where-)by
(in), with. In comparative, it retains substantially the same meaning of
circuit (around), excess (beyond), or completeness (through).]
h. him [846 * autos] [Strong: from
the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling
wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative
1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other
persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same,
((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves),
there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this
(man), those, together, very, which.]
1). Though hundreds of passages
could be cited concerning prophecies of His birth, life, death, resurrection
and millennial reign; in the spirit of “The Son of man goeth as it is written
of him.” Jesus here is specifically referring to His betrayal. The following
are amazing in their accuracy.
a). Psalm 41:9 Yea, mine own
familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel
against me.
b). Zechariah 12:12, 13 And I said
unto them, If you think good, give me my hire; and if not, forbear. So they
weighed for my hire thirty pieces of silver.
12:13 And Jehovah said unto me,
Cast it unto the potter, the goodly price that I was prized at by them. And I
took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them unto the potter, in the house
of Jehovah.
2). The fulfillment of this prophecy
is found in Matthew.
a). Matthew 27:3-10 Then Judas,
which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself,
and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
27:4 Saying, I have sinned in that
I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou
to that.
27:5 And he cast down the pieces
of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
27:6 And the chief priests took
the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the
treasury, because it is the price of blood.
27:7 And they took counsel, and
bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.
27:8 Wherefore that field was
called, The field of blood, unto this day.
27:9 Then was fulfilled that which
was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of
silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel
did value;
27:10 And gave them for the
potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.
2. “…but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is
betrayed!”
a. but [1161 * de] [Strong: a
primary particle (adversative or continuative); but, and, etc.:--also, and,
but, moreover, now (often unexpressed in English).]
b. woe [3759 * ouai] [Strong: a
primary exclamation of grief; "woe":--alas, woe.]
c. unto that [1565 * ekeinos]
[Strong: from 1563; that one (or (neuter) thing); often intensified by the
article prefixed:--he, it, the other (same), selfsame, that (same, very), X
their, X them, they, this, those.]
d. man [444 * anthropos] [Strong:
from 435 and ops (the countenance; from 3700); man-faced, i.e. a human
being:--certain, man.]
e. by [1223 * dia] [Strong: a
primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through (in very wide
applications, local, causal, or occasional):--after, always, among, at, to
avoid, because of (that), briefly, by, for (cause) ... fore, from, in, by
occasion of, of, by reason of, for sake, that, thereby, therefore, X though,
through(-out), to, wherefore, with (-in). In composition it retains the same
general importance.]
f. whom [3739 * hos; including
feminine he; and neuter ho] [Strong: probably a primary word (or
perhaps a form of the article 3588); the relatively (sometimes demonstrative)
pronoun, who, which, what, that:--one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what,
which, who(-m, -se), etc.]
g. the Son [5207 * huios] [Strong:
apparently a primary word; a "son" (sometimes of animals), used very
widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship:--child, foal, son.]
h. of man [444 * anthropos]
[Strong: from 435 and ops (the countenance; from 3700); man-faced, i.e. a human
being:--certain, man.]
i. betrayed [3860 * paradidomi]
[Strong: from 3844 and 1325; to surrender, i.e yield up, intrust,
transmit:--betray, bring forth, cast, commit, deliver (up), give (over, up),
hazard, put in prison, recommend.]
3. “…it had been good for that man if he had not been born.”
a. it had been [2258 * en]
[Strong: imperfect of 1510; I (thou, etc.) was (wast or were):--+ agree, be, X
have (+ charge of), hold, use, was(-t), were.]
b. good [2570 * kalos] [Strong: of
uncertain affinity; properly, beautiful, but chiefly (figuratively) good
(literally or morally), i.e. valuable or virtuous (for appearance or use, and
thus distinguished from 18, which is properly intrinsic):--X better, fair,
good(-ly), honest, meet, well, worthy.]
c. for that [1565 * ekeinos]
[Strong: from 1563; that one (or (neuter) thing); often intensified by the article
prefixed:--he, it, the other (same), selfsame, that (same, very), X their, X
them, they, this, those.]
d. man [444 * anthropos] [Strong:
from 435 and ops (the countenance; from 3700); man-faced, i.e. a human
being:--certain, man.]
e. if he [846 * autos] [Strong:
from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a
baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the
comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun)
of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said,
(self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that,
their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they,
(these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]
f. had…been born [1080 * gennao]
[Strong: from a variation of 1085; to procreate (properly, of the father, but
by extension of the mother); figuratively, to regenerate:--bear, beget, be
born, bring forth, conceive, be delivered of, gender, make, spring.]
g. not [3756 * ou; also (before
a vowel) ouk; and (before an aspirate) ouch] [Strong: a primary word;
the absolute negative (compare 3361) adverb; no or not:--+ long, nay, neither,
never, no (X man), none, (can-)not, + nothing, + special, un(-worthy), when, +
without, + yet but.]
1). Adam Clarke: It had been good
for that man - Can this be said of any sinner, in the common sense in which it
is understood, if there be any redemption from hell's torments? If a sinner
should suffer millions of millions of years in them, and get out at last to the
enjoyment of heaven, then it was well for him that he had been born, for still
he has an eternity of blessedness before him. Can the doctrine of the
non-eternity of hell's torments stand in the presence of this saying? Or can
the doctrine of the annihilation of the wicked consist with this declaration?
It would have been well for that man if he had never been born! Then he must be
in some state of conscious existence, as non-existence is said to be better
than that state in which he is now found. It was common for the Jews to say of
any flagrant transgressor, It would have been better for him had he never been
born. See several examples in Schoettgen. See the case of Judas argued at the
end of Acts 1 (note).
2). John Gill: but woe unto that
man by whom the son of man is betrayed; for God's decrees concerning this
matter, and the predictions in the Bible founded on them, did not in the least
excuse, or extenuate the blackness of his crime; who did what he did, of his
own free will, and wicked heart, voluntarily, and to satisfy his own
lusts: it had been good for that man if he had not been born. This is a
Rabbinical phrase, frequently, used in one form or another; sometimes thus; as
it is said (f) of such that speak false and lying words, and regard not the
glory of their Creator, , it would have been better for them they had never
come into the world; and so of any other, notorious sinner, it is at other
times said (g), , or (h), , "it would have been better for him if he had
not been created"; signifying, that it is better to have no being at all,
than to be punished with everlasting destruction; and which was the dreadful
case of Judas, who fell by his transgression, and went to his own place.
(f) Zohar in Gen. fol. 41. 1. Vid. Misn. Chagiga, c. 2. sect. 1. T. Bab
Chagiga, fol. 16. 1.((g) Zohar in Gen. fol, 46. 4. & in Exod. fol. 1. 4.
& 36. 3. & 62. 3. & 66. 3. & 105. 4. & 106. 1.((h) T.
Hieros. Sabbat, fol. 3. 2. T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 17. 1. & Erubin, fol. 13.
2. Midrash Kobelet, fol. 79. 1.
3). Personally I feel that this horrible
warning could be applied to any individual who was born in this life but
rejected Christ and ended up in a devil’s hell.
4). Judas’s end was also prophecied,
not by name of course. In Matthew 27:5 it says that Judas hung himself, and in
Acts we see that the way that he hung himself, contributed to the naming of the
potters field that was purchased to bury the poor and strangers in.
a). Acts 1:18 Now this man
purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst
asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
1:19 And it was known unto all the
dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue,
Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.
(1) The potters field purchased bury
stragers in was called the field of blood because when Judas fell when he hit
the bottom all his insides came out, including all his blood.
5). Peter also cited two verses in
Psalms about Judas’s office of ministry that was lost to him and must be
replaced.
a). Acts 1:15-20 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst
of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred
and twenty,)
1:16 Men and brethren, this
scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of
David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.
1:17 For he was numbered with us,
and had obtained part of this ministry.
1:20 For it is written in the book
of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and
his bishoprick let another take.
b). Psalm 69:25 Let
their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents.
c). Psalm 109:8 Let
his days be few; and let another take his office.
