Matthew 26:67-68
Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The text here details not one, but multiple kinds of physical abuse: spitting as the ultimate humiliation, striking with a closed fist (buffeting), and striking with an open hand. This deliberate enumeration emphasizes the sheer, relentless degradation Jesus endured, moving beyond a simple description of violence to portray a calculated campaign of public shame and brutalization.
After Jesus' condemnation by the Jewish council, He was handed over to the guards. This text describes the brutal physical abuse and extreme humiliation He endured in the moments between His trial and His presentation to the Roman authorities. These acts of spitting, punching, and slapping were not random but deliberate expressions of contempt, fulfilling ancient prophecies about the suffering Servant.
Imagine the sheer brutality of being spat upon and beaten. This wasn't just physical pain; it was an intentional assault on dignity.
The verse describes multiple forms of humiliation inflicted upon Jesus: spitting in His face, buffeting (striking with a clenched fist), and slapping with an open palm. These actions were understood in Jewish culture and the surrounding world as profound expressions of contempt and disgrace.
This intense suffering was not accidental; it was part of God's plan for Jesus to experience the lowest depths of human degradation.
It's one thing to suffer, but another to suffer precisely as foretold. Jesus' humiliation was a divine appointment.
The commentators rightly point out that these brutal acts were not random acts of cruelty but a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. The prophet Isaiah, in particular, described the suffering servant in terms that eerily match Jesus' experience here.
Understand the original words
Christos · Greek Noun
The Anointed One of God, the promised Messiah who fulfills the Old Testament office of Prophet, Priest, and King.
prophēteuō · Greek Verb
To speak under divine inspiration, revealing God's will, future events, or hidden knowledge. In this context, the taunt challenges Jesus to use His divine power to identify His attacker.
The physical abuse described in this verse is part of the brutal mistreatment Jesus endured after his condemnation, highlighting the profound contempt shown to him by those who mocked his claims and identity.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Jesus' Trial and Condemnation
Following his arrest, Jesus undergoes a series of trials before Jewish and Roman authorities, culminating in his condemnation.
c. 30 AD
Mockery by Guards
After the Sanhedrin trial and condemnation, Jesus is handed over to the Roman guards and temple officials, who subject him to brutal mockery and physical abuse.
c. 30 AD
Jesus' Crucifixion
Jesus is scourged and led to Golgotha, where he is crucified between two criminals. He endures intense suffering before dying.
This passage directly prophesies the suffering of the Servant of the Lord, including the humiliation of giving his back to be beaten and his cheeks to be plucked, and not hiding from shame and spitting, which Jesus endured.
Numbers 12:14The act of spitting in someone's face was a sign of extreme disgrace and exclusion from community, as seen when Miriam was shut out of the camp for her actions against Moses.
Job 30:10Job laments that even his 'own children' have spit in his face, highlighting the deep dishonor and contempt associated with such an act, which Jesus was subjected to.
Luke 22:63This parallel account describes the same mocking and striking of Jesus by his captors, emphasizing the intentional cruelty and blindness of those who inflicted the suffering.
Philippians 2:7Jesus 'emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men' and humbled himself further by enduring such shameful treatment, demonstrating the depth of His obedience.
bensonMatthew 26:67: "Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,"
Matthew 26:67-68 . Then did they spit in his face, &c. — Spitting in the face was the greatest contempt and disgrace which could possibly be shown. See Numbers 12:14 . Buffeting, or striking a person with the fist on the temples, was esteemed one of the most disgraceful punishments by the Greeks, from whom the Romans might have adopted it. Smiting with the open palm of their ha…
henryMatthew 26:57-68: "And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled."
26:57-68 Jesus was hurried into Jerusalem. It looks ill, and bodes worse, when those who are willing to be Christ's disciples, are not willing to be known to be so. Here began Peter's denying him: for to follow Christ afar off, is to begin to go back from him. It is more our concern to prepare for the end, whatever it may be, than curiously to ask w…
The text here details not one, but multiple kinds of physical abuse: spitting as the ultimate humiliation, striking with a closed fist (buffeting), and striking with an open hand. This deliberate enumeration emphasizes the sheer, relentless degradation Jesus endured, moving beyond a simple description of violence to portray a calculated campaign of public shame and brutalization.
After Jesus' condemnation by the Jewish council, He was handed over to the guards. This text describes the brutal physical abuse and extreme humiliation He endured in the moments between His trial and His presentation to the Roman authorities. These acts of spitting, punching, and slapping were not random but deliberate expressions of contempt, fulfilling ancient prophecies about the suffering Servant.
After Jesus' condemnation by the Jewish council, He was handed over to the guards. This text describes the brutal physical abuse and extreme humiliation He endured in the moments between His trial and His presentation to the Roman authorities. These acts of spitting, punching, and slapping were not random but deliberate expressions of contempt, fulfilling ancient prophecies about the suffering Servant.
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This highlights a core theme: God's sovereignty is at work even in the most horrific human actions, turning them towards His ultimate purposes.
Imagine having the power to instantly destroy your tormentors, yet choosing silence and acceptance. This is the heart of Christ's response.
Despite the horrific physical and emotional abuse, Jesus responds with remarkable meekness. He is the 'Judge of the world' placed at the bar of His own creatures, yet He does not retaliate.
"Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?”" — The text here details not one, but multiple kinds of physical abuse: spitting as the ultimate humiliation, striking with a closed fist (buffeting), and striking with an open hand. This deliberate enu…
