*And it was morning* (πρωΐ). Just as a condemnation to death at night was technically illegal according to Jewish law, so a Roman court could not be held till after sunrise. It is likely that the sun was not long risen on this morning till the Jews in their eagerness appeared with their prisoner at the residence of Pilate. The term πρωΐ is, in fact, used in St. Mark xiii. 35, for the fourth watch of the night. *That they might not be defiled, but that they might eat the pasch.* In our note on xiii. 1 we held that the Jews, as well as our Lord, sacrificed the Paschal lamb on Thursday evening, and eat it that night; and hence we hold that “the Pasch” here referred to, which on this Friday morning was still to be eaten, was not the Paschal lamb. Had there been question of the Paschal Supper proper, then such a defilement as that contracted by entering the house of a Gentile would not have prevented the Jews from partaking of the supper; for it would appear from Lev. xv. 5, where there is question of a defilement apparently as serious as that which would be contracted from entering the house of a Gentile, that such defilement continued only “until the evening,” and, therefore, could not be a hindrance to participation in the Paschal Supper, which was eaten _after_ the evening, and when the next Jewish day had begun.(116) There is question, then, of some of the other Paschal sacrifices which were partaken of during the seven days of the Paschal feast (Deut. xvi. 2, 3; 2 Paral. xxx. 22), perhaps of the special sacrifice known as the Chagigah (חגיגה).(117) From such a sacrifice, eaten, as we learn from the Mishna in the note below, not only at night, but also _during the day_, a defilement contracted in the morning would exclude. In view of the anxiety of the Jews to avoid the legal defilement incurred by entering a house from which all leaven had not been removed, one cannot help wondering, with St. Augustine, at their blind hypocrisy: “O impia et stulta caecitas: habitaculo videlicet contaminarentur alieno, et non contaminarentur scelere proprio!” 29. Exivit ergo Pilatus ad eos 29. Pilate therefore went out foras, et dixit: Quam to them, and said: What accusationem affertis adversus accusation bring you against hominem hunc? this man? 30. Responderunt, et dixerunt 30. They answered and said to ei: Si non esset hic him: If he were not a malefactor, non tibi malefactor, we would not have tradidissemus eum. delivered him up to thee. 31. Dixit ergo eis Pilatus: 31. Pilate therefore said to Accipite eum vos, et secundum them: Take him you, and judge legem vestram iudicate eum. him according to your law. The Dixerunt ergo ei Iudaei: Nobis Jews therefore said to him: It non licet interficere is not lawful for us to put quemquam. any man to death.