Matthew 26:47

Judas. The betrayer knew where to find Jesus (John 18:2). Arrangements had been made to take Him at “one of His resorts for meditation and prayer” (DA 716), and Gethsemane was a spot He had often visited for this purpose, sometimes passing the night here (see DA 685, 686). Judas’ task was to lead the rulers to Jesus when He was in the quiet and seclusion of such a place of retirement, and to identify Him for the captors (see Acts 1:16).

One of the twelve. This additional comment is doubtless added by way of making even more vivid the heinous nature of Judas’ act of betrayal (see on vs. 21, 23). It intensifies the horror of his treachery.

A great multitude. Among this motley crowd was the high priest himself, accompanied by various of the Jewish leaders (see DA 695, 696), certain of the Pharisees (John 18:3), the Temple police, who were Jews (John 18:12; cf. DA 696), and a detachment of Roman soldiers (see DA 694, 695). In addition, there was a mob of the common rabble, some of them ruffians no doubt, who had come along to witness the excitement (see DA 696).

Staves. Or, “clubs.”

From the chief priests. This action was carried out by the authority of the Sanhedrin, which was made up of the “chief priests and the scribes and the elders” (cf. Mark 14:43).

John (ch. 18:6) records the fact that as the leaders of the mob approached Jesus a supernatural power caused them to fall to the ground. The angel who had so recently sustained the Saviour as He fell to the ground in agony (Luke 22:43) interposed himself visibly between Christ and them (see DA 694). It would seem that the purpose of this manifestation of divine power and glory was to provide those who had come to arrest Jesus with evidence that the deed they were about to perform met with the disapprobation of Heaven. They were fighting against God. A second revelation of divine power was afforded the mob when Jesus healed Malchus’ severed ear (Luke 22:51; John 18:10).