The Paschal Supper and the prediction of the betrayal

St Matthew Chapter XXVI : Verses 20-25

Contents

• Matt. xxvi. 20-25.  Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text.
• Additional Notes: Harmonized account of the betrayal.

Matt. xxvi. 20-25

He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, he shall betray me. 
J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

20 But when it was evening, he sat down with his twelve disciples.

Vespere autem facto, discumbebat cum duodecim discipulis suis.

21 And whilst they were eating, he said: Amen I say to you, that one of you is about to betray me.

Et edentibus illis, dixit : Amen dico vobis, quia unus vestrum me traditurus est.

22 And they being very much troubled, began every one to say: Is it I, Lord?

Et contristati valde, coeperunt singuli dicere : Numquid ego sum Domine?

23 But he answering, said: He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, he shall betray me.

At ipse respondens, ait : Qui intingit mecum manum in paropside, hic me tradet.

24 The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man shall be betrayed: it were better for him, if that man had not been born.

Filius quidem hominis vadit, sicut scriptum est de illo : væ autem homini illi, per quem Filius hominis tradetur! bonum erat ei, si natus non fuisset homo ille.

25 And Judas that betrayed him, answering, said: Is it I, Rabbi? He saith to him: Thou hast said it.

Respondens autem Judas, qui tradidit eum, dixit : Numquid ego sum Rabbi? Ait illi : Tu dixisti.

Notes

    20. But when it was evening., — i.e. after sunset on the 14th of Nisan. Jesus came from Bethania. This was His last journey to Jerusalem. He went to the house where St Peter and St John had prepared the Paschal Supper.

    he sat down. Lit. “He reclined” (ἀνέκειτο), according to the Jewish custom.

    with his twelve disciples. No other disciples were present.

    21. one of you is about to betray me. Jesus had previously told His disciples, the son of man shall be betrayed to the chief priests, but He had not yet said that the traitor was one of the Twelve. Jesus would still conceal the fault of Judas, and bring him to repentance if possible.

    22. they being very much troubled. (λυπούμενοι σφόδρα.) St Mark reads, they began to be sorrowful. Judas alone was conscience-stricken ; he was not sorrowful in the sense of repentant. The others sorrowed lest, through human frailty, they should betray their Lord.

    Is it I ? The force of the original Greek is rather negative, Surely it is not I ? (Μήτι ἐγώ εἰμι)

    23. He that dippeth his hand., etc. The parallel passage reads, one of you that eateth with me (St Mark). There is a reference here to the prophecy contained in Ps. xl. 10, For even the man of my peace, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, hath greatly supplanted me.

    These words confirm the previous statement, one of you shall betray me. Our Lord here refers to the ceremony of dipping the bitter herbs and the unleavened bread in the charoseth, when one dish of this sauce served for all at table. Possibly the apostles remembered the words of Jesus, Have I not chosen you twelve, and one of you hath a devil? (St John vi. 71).

    his hand. The Orientals do not use knives and forks. They eat out of a common dish and break up their bread to serve as a spoon. Hence the importance attached by the Jews to washing the hands before and after meals. Notice that the president of the Paschal feast washed his hands during the supper, after he had handled various things on the table.

    24. the son of man indeed goeth. Christ went to death of His own free will.

    wo to that man, etc.

    This solemn “ wo” pronounced by Jesus against the traitor in his hearing must have resounded in the soul of Judas like a death-knell. This predicted “wo” was quickly fulfilled, for that very night Satan entered into Judas, and a few hours later, his soul filled with remorse, having cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed and went and hanged himself with a halter. St Luke mentions the final “ wo,” Judas went to his own place. In his own place he will be for all eternity. The son of perdition could have no place in heaven, since, though he confessed his crime publicly and restored the reward of his treachery, there was no absolution for his remorse, because there was no repentance in his soul. Judas the traitor is the only one whom we know for certain to be in hell. All others we must leave to the mercy of God. It is not our place to judge our neighbours. We know, however, that all who die in mortal sin are lost eternally.

    It were better for him, etc. These words express the sentiments of a lost soul, who would prefer annihilation to the pains of the damned. The lost souls contribute to the praise of God, in spite of themselves, since they glorify His justice. All men throughout eternity will glorify God willingly if they stand among the redeemed ; unwillingly if, by their folly, they lose their immortal souls.

    Note. — We must insert here the incident which St John alone relates : Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore beckoned, to him, and said to him: Who is it of whom he speaketh? He therefore leaning on the breast of Jesus saith to him: Lord who is it? Jesus answered: He it is, to whom I shall reach bread dipped. And when he had dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And after the morsel, Satan entered into him. And Jesus said to him : That which thou dost, do quickly. Now no man at the table knew to what purpose he said this unto him. For some thought, because Judas had the purse, that Jesus had said to him; Buy those things which we have need of for the festival day, or that he should give something to the poor. He therefore having received the morsel went out immediately, and it was night (xiii. 23-30).

    25. Judas .... answering said, Is it I, Rabbi ? Judas perhaps asked the question in order to ascertain if Jesus knew him to be the traitor. He no longer addressed Christ as “ Master,” but employed the more formal title “ Rabbi,” both on this occasion and in the Garden of Gethsemani (see verse 49).

    Thou hast said. This is a Hebrew idiom, equivalent to an affirmation. These words were apparently said in a low tone, so that the other disciples did not hear the answer.

    Had they heard Christ’s reply to Judas they would not have begun to enquire among themselves which of them it was that should do this thing (St Luke). St John gives the closing details of this incident (see xiii. 27-32), which also prove that the disciples did not know the name of the traitor.

Additional Notes

    Harmonized account of the betrayal.

    Holy Thursday, 33 A.D. When Jesus had said these things, and when they were at table and eating, He was troubled in spirit : and He testified and said : Amen, amen, I say to . you ; that one of you who eateth with Me, will betray Me. The disciples, being very much troubled, looked one upon another, doubting of whom He spoke : and they began to inquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing. And they began every one to say : Is it I, Lord ? But He answering, said to them : One of the twelve, who dipped his hand in the dish with Me, the same shall betray Me. The Son of man goeth, as it is written of Him : But wo to that man by whom the Son of man shall be betrayed. It were better for that man, if he had not been born. Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom, one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, and said to him : Who is it, of whom He speaketh ? He therefore leaning on the breast of Jesus saith to Him ; Lord, who is it? Jesus answered: He it is, to whom I shall reach bread dipped. And when He had dipped the bread He gave to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, that betrayed Him. And Judas answering said: Is it I, Rabbi ? He saith to Him : Thou hast said it.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.