The Meaning of Matthew 26:50 Explained

Matthew 26:50

KJV: And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.

YLT: and Jesus said to him, 'Comrade, for what art thou present?' Then having come near, they laid hands on Jesus, and took hold on him.

Darby: But Jesus said to him, My friend, for what purpose art thou come? Then coming up they laid hands upon Jesus and seized him.

ASV: And Jesus said unto him, Friend, do that for which thou art come. Then they came and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  Jesus  said  unto him,  Friend,  wherefore  art thou come?  Then  came they,  and laid  hands  on  Jesus,  and  took  him. 

What does Matthew 26:50 Mean?

Study Notes

Friend
Gr. "Hetaire," "comrade." Perhaps the most touching thing in the Bible. The Lord does not disown Judas.

Context Summary

Matthew 26:47-56 - Betrayed And Forsaken
We cannot fathom the secret thoughts of the traitor. Did he hope that his act would compel Christ to take the course of self-vindication, which His mighty acts appeared to make possible? It seems unthinkable that there was not some explanation other than mere greed! Yet, when we look into our own hearts, can we be altogether surprised? How often have we betrayed the Lord by our reticence, when we should have spoken; by the kiss of the lip, when we were selfishly exploiting our association with Him to our own advantage!
Our Lord did not die a martyr's death. The martyr is led to the scaffold or stake because he is overpowered by superior force. But our Lord knew that the invisible world was full of help if only He had expressed the slightest wish. Others die because they are born; He was born that He might die. "He laid down His life that He might take it again." He would not receive help from the Father, or the angels, or Peter's sword, but poured out His soul unto death, because of a love that was stronger than death. See 1 Peter 2:21, etc. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 26

1  Jesus foretells his own death
3  The rulers conspire against him
6  The woman anoints his feet
14  Judas bargains to betray him
17  Jesus eats the Passover;
26  institutes his holy supper;
30  foretells the desertion of his disciples, and Peter's denial;
36  prays in the garden;
47  and being betrayed by a kiss,
57  is carried to Caiaphas,
69  and denied by Peter

Greek Commentary for Matthew 26:50

Do that for which thou art come [επ ο παρει]
Moffatt and Goodspeed take it: “Do your errand.” There has been a deal of trouble over this phrase. Deissmann (Light from the Ancient East, pp. 125 to 131) has proven conclusively that it is a question, επ ο — eph' ho in late Greek having the interrogative sense of επι τι — epi ti (Robertson, Grammar, p. 725). The use of επ ο — eph' ho for “why here” occurs on a Syrian tablet of the first century a.d. 50 that it “was current coin in the language of the people” (Deissmann). Most of the early translations (Old Latin, Old Syriac) took it as a question. So the Vulgate has ad quid venisti. In this instance the Authorized Version is correct against the Revised. Jesus exposes the pretence of Judas and shows that he does not believe in his paraded affection (Bruce). [source]
Wherefore art thou come? [ἐφ ' o$ pa/rei)]
The interrogation of the A. V. is wrong. The expression is elliptical and condensed. Literally it is, that for which thou art here; and the mind is to supply do or be about. The Lord spurns the traitor's embrace, and says, in effect, “Enough of this hypocritical fawning. Do what you are here to do.” So Rev., Do that for which thou art come. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 26:50

John 7:30 They sought therefore [εζητουν ουν]
Imperfect active of ζητεω — zēteō inchoative or conative, they began to seek. Either makes sense. The subject is naturally some of the Jerusalemites (Westcott) rather than some of the leaders (Bernard). To take him First aorist active infinitive, Doric form from πιαζω — piazō from the usual πιεζω — piezō occasionally so in the papyri, but πιαζω — piazō always in N.T. except Luke 6:38. And Here = “but.” Laid his hand Second aorist active indicative of επιβαλλω — epiballō to cast upon. Old and common idiom for arresting one to make him a prisoner (Matthew 26:50). See repetition in John 7:44. His hour In John 13:1 we read that “the hour” had come, but that was “not yet” “John is at pains to point out at every point that the persecution and death of Jesus followed a predestined course” (Bernard), as in John 2:4; John 7:6, John 7:8; John 8:10; John 10:39; John 13:1, etc. Was not yet come Past perfect active of ερχομαι — erchomai as John looks back on the story. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 26:50 mean?

- And Jesus said to him Friend for what are you come Then having come to [him] they laid - hands on - Jesus and seized Him
δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ἑταῖρε ἐφ’ πάρει Τότε προσελθόντες ἐπέβαλον τὰς χεῖρας ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ ἐκράτησαν αὐτόν

  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰησοῦς  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
εἶπεν  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
αὐτῷ  to  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
Ἑταῖρε  Friend 
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Singular
Root: ἑταῖρος  
Sense: a comrade, mate, partner.
πάρει  are  you  come 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: πάρειμι  
Sense: to be by, be at hand, to have arrived, to be present.
προσελθόντες  having  come  to  [him] 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: προσέρχομαι  
Sense: to come to, approach.
ἐπέβαλον  they  laid 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἐπιβάλλω  
Sense: to cast upon, to lay upon.
τὰς  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
χεῖρας  hands 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: χείρ  
Sense: by the help or agency of any one, by means of any one.
τὸν  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰησοῦν  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
ἐκράτησαν  seized 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: κρατέω  
Sense: to have power, be powerful.