Matthew 27:25
Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
Original Language Analysis
καὶ
Then
G2532
καὶ
Then
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
1 of 16
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
ἀποκριθεὶς
answered
G611
ἀποκριθεὶς
answered
Strong's:
G611
Word #:
2 of 16
to conclude for oneself, i.e., (by implication) to respond; by hebraism (compare h6030) to begin to speak (where an address is expected)
ὁ
G3588
ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
4 of 16
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
λαὸς
the people
G2992
λαὸς
the people
Strong's:
G2992
Word #:
5 of 16
a people (in general; thus differing from g1218, which denotes one's own populace)
Τὸ
G3588
Τὸ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
7 of 16
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
αἷμα
His blood
G129
αἷμα
His blood
Strong's:
G129
Word #:
8 of 16
blood, literally (of men or animals), figuratively (the juice of grapes) or specially (the atoning blood of christ); by implication, bloodshed, also k
αὐτοῦ
G846
αὐτοῦ
Strong's:
G846
Word #:
9 of 16
the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
ἐπὶ
be on
G1909
ἐπὶ
be on
Strong's:
G1909
Word #:
10 of 16
properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e., over, upon, etc.; of re
καὶ
Then
G2532
καὶ
Then
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
12 of 16
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
ἐπὶ
be on
G1909
ἐπὶ
be on
Strong's:
G1909
Word #:
13 of 16
properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e., over, upon, etc.; of re
Cross References
Acts 5:28Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.Joshua 2:19And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.Acts 7:52Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:Deuteronomy 19:10That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.Numbers 35:33So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.1 Kings 2:32And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.
Historical Context
This was a juridical formula accepting legal responsibility. In AD 70, Roman armies under Titus destroyed Jerusalem, killed hundreds of thousands, and ended temple sacrifice. While not divine punishment on all Jews, it fulfilled Jesus's prophecies (Matthew 24) about that generation's judgment.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the irony of Christ's blood being 'on us' for cleansing rather than condemnation demonstrate God's redemptive purposes?
- How should Christians understand this verse in light of ongoing Jewish-Christian relations and the danger of anti-Semitism?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children (Τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ ἐφ' ἡμᾶς καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ τέκνα ἡμῶν)—This self-imprecation invoked covenant curse language (Deuteronomy 27-28). They accepted full responsibility for Christ's death, unknowingly pronouncing judgment on themselves. Jerusalem's destruction (AD 70) came forty years later.
Yet this statement has profound gospel irony: Christ's blood IS upon us—not for condemnation but for cleansing (Hebrews 9:14). The same blood cried for in judgment became the blood that speaks 'better things than that of Abel' (Hebrews 12:24). What they meant for curse, God meant for salvation.