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Pilate's Hand Washing and God's Justice in Scripture

Pontius Pilate's act of washing his hands before condemning Jesus to crucifixion, as recorded in Matthew 27:24, symbolizes an attempt to disclaim responsibility for the death of an innocent person [7]. This gesture, however, raises questions about human accountability and divine justice, particularly when viewed through the broader biblical understanding of God's righteous governance.

The practice of hand-washing as a symbol of innocence or purification has deep roots in Jewish tradition. For instance, the Law prescribed washings for various forms of cleansing, including before priests approached the altar (Exodus 30:17-21) and for purification from defilement [1]. The Psalmist alludes to this symbolic act, stating, "I will wash my hands in innocence; so I will go about Your altar, O Lord" (Psalm 26:6). Similarly, Psalm 18:24 (and 18:20 in the BBE) speaks of being rewarded "according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight" [4, 6]. The act signifies a declaration of being free from guilt or complicity [3]. In the context of Pilate, he publicly declared, "I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it" [7].

Despite Pilate's symbolic gesture, the New Testament narrative emphasizes the ultimate responsibility of those who condemned Jesus. The crowd's response, "His blood be on us, and on our children," further underscores this [7]. The Gospel of Peter, an apocryphal text, even contrasts Pilate's action with the Jewish leaders, stating, "But of the Jews none washed his hands, neither Herod nor any one of his judges. And when they had refused to wash them, Pilate rose up" [9, 10]. Augustine, in his Homilies on the Gospels, notes Matthew's account of Pilate washing his hands to declare himself innocent of Jesus' blood [8].

The concept of God's justice stands in contrast to Pilate's attempt to evade responsibility. God's justice is understood as a perfection of His nature, whereby He is infinitely righteous in Himself and in all His actions [2]. This justice is not an optional product of His will but an unchangeable principle of His very nature [2]. It encompasses both His legislative justice, requiring conformity to moral law, and His rectoral or distributive justice, dealing with creatures according to their accountability [2]. The Scriptures consistently present God as the ultimate judge who "rewards... according to righteousness" [4]. Revelation 19:2 affirms, "true and righteous are his judgments" [5].

The biblical narrative also highlights that human actions, even those intended to avoid responsibility, ultimately fall within God's sovereign plan. John Calvin, in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, argues that while human beings are guilty for their sinful acts, God holds the "helm" and makes all efforts, even those of Satan, contribute to the execution of His judgments [12]. He further explains that the same act can simultaneously betray human guilt and manifest God's righteousness, citing Augustine's observation that "in the one act which they did, the reasons for which they did it are different" [11]. Jesus himself tells Pilate, "You could have no power at all against me, except it were given you from above" (John 19:11), indicating that even Pilate's authority was divinely ordained [13].

Therefore, while Pilate's hand-washing was a public declaration of perceived innocence, it did not absolve him of moral culpability in the eyes of God's justice. The act served as a dramatic illustration of human attempts to escape accountability, yet it ultimately underscores the unwavering nature of divine justice, which holds all individuals responsible for their actions.

Sources

  1. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Ablution — Or washing, was practised, (1.) When a person was initiated into a higher state: e.g., when Aaron and his sons were set apart to the priest's office, they were washed with water previous to their investiture with the priestly robes (Lev. 8:6). (2.) Before the priests approached the altar of God, they were required, on pain of death, to wash their hands and their feet to cleanse them from the soil of common life (Ex. 30:17-21). To this practice the Psalmist alludes, Ps. 26:6. (3.) There were washings prescribed for the purpose of cleansing from positive def”
  2. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Justice of God — That perfection of his nature whereby he is infinitely righteous in himself and in all he does, the righteousness of the divine nature exercised in his moral government. At first God imposes righteous laws on his creatures and executes them righteously. Justice is not an optional product of his will, but an unchangeable principle of his very nature. His legislative justice is his requiring of his rational creatures conformity in all respects to the moral law. His rectoral or distributive justice is his dealing with his accountable creatures according”
  3. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Hand — Called by Galen "the instrument of instruments." It is the symbol of human action (Ps. 9:16; Job 9:30; Isa. 1:15; 1 Tim. 2:8). Washing the hands was a symbol of innocence (Ps. 26:6; 73:13; Matt. 27:24), also of sanctification (1 Cor. 6:11; Isa. 51:16; Ps. 24:3, 4). In Ps. 77:2 the correct rendering is, as in the Revised Version, "My hand was stretched out," etc., instead of, as in the Authorized Version, "My sore ran in the night," etc. The right hand denoted the south, and the left the north (Job 23:9; 1 Sam. 23:19). To give the right hand was a pledge of fid”
  4. Psalms “Therefore Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. -- Psalms 18:24”
  5. Revelation “for true and righteous are his judgments. For he has judged the great prostitute, who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality, and he has avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.” -- Revelation 19:2”
  6. Psalms “Psalms 18:20 (BBE) — The Lord gives me the reward of my righteousness, because my hands are clean before him.”
  7. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 9: Gospel of Peter, Diatessaron, Origen's Commentaries — MATTHEW XXVII.: 24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. 25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. [cf. v. 57.] 26. Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. 27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole ”
  8. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 6: Augustine — Homilies on the Gospels — CHAP. VIII.--OF THE ABSENCE OF ANY DISCREPANCIES IN THE ACCOUNTS WHICH THE EVANGELISTS GIVE OF WHAT TOOK PLACE IN PILATE'S PRESENCE. (part 3): evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him." Matthew has not recorded this passage; but he has introduced the statement, "When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made," and has also informed us how he washed his hands before the people with the view of declaring himself innocent of the blood of that just person (a circumstance not reported”
  9. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 9: Gospel of Peter, Diatessaron, Origen's Commentaries — THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PETER (part 1): 1 But of the Jews none washed his hands, neither Herod nor any one of his judges. And when they had refused to wash them, Pilate rose up. And then Herod the king commandeth that the Lord be taken,(1) saying to them, What things soever I commanded you to do unto him, do. 2 And there was standing there Joseph the friend of Pilate and of the Lord; and, knowing that they were about to crucify(2) him, he came to Pilate and asked the body of the Lord for burial. And Pilate sent to Herod and asked”
  10. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 9: Gospel of Peter, Diatessaron, Origen's Commentaries — LUKE XXIII. (part 1): [2 cf. Lk. xxiii. 7.] [3 cf. Lk. xxii. 66; Acts iv 27.] [cf. v. 50.] [4 cf. Lk. xxiii. 12.] 24 And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. 25 And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will. JOHN XIX. [1 cf. John passim.] [cf. v. 38.] [cf. xix. 31.] 16 Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. 11 PETER. 1 But of the Jews (1) none washed his hand”
  11. CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 34: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him, but who slew all these?” If I mistake not, I have already shown clearly how the same act at once betrays the guilt of man, and manifests the righteousness of God. Modest minds will always be satisfied with Augustine’s answer, “Since the Father delivered up the Son, Christ his own body, and Judas his Master, how in such a case is God just, and man guilty, but just because in the one act which they did, the reasons for which they did it are different?” ( August. Ep. 48, ad Vincenti”
  12. CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 34: madness by despair. The Sabeans cruelly and wickedly make a sudden incursion to rob another of his goods. Job acknowledges that he was deprived of all his property, and brought to poverty, because such was the pleasure of God. Therefore, whatever men or Satan himself devise, God holds the helm, and makes all their efforts contribute to the execution of his Judgments. God wills that the perfidious Ahab should be deceived; the devil offers his agency for that purpose, and is sent with a definite command to be a lying spirit in the mo”
  13. John (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on John 19:11: Jesus answered,.... With great intrepidity and courage, with freedom and boldness, as being not at all dismayed with his threatenings, or affected with his proud boasts, and in order to expose the vanity of them: thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: meaning, not from the Jewish sanhedrim, whose court of judicature was in the temple, which was higher than the other part of the city; nor from the Roman emperor, or senate of Rome, the higher powers; by whom Pilate was made governor of Judea, and a judge in all causes relati”
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