Matthew 27:43

his looks like a mere echo of Psalms 22:9 (not a literal quotation from the Sept [153], however, rather recalling Isaiah 36:5) rather than a word likely to be spoken by the Sanhedrists. What did they know about the personal piety of Jesus? Probably they were aware that He used to call God “Father,” and that may be the basis of the statement, along with the confession of Sonship before the Sanhedrim: θεοῦ εἰμι υἱός. νῦν, now is the time for testing the value of His trust; a plausible wicked sneer. εἰ θέλει αὐτόν, if He love Him, an emphatic if, the love disproved by the fact. θέλει is used in the sense of love in the Sept [154] (Psalms 18:20; Psalms 41:12). Palairet gives examples of a similar use in Greek authors.

[153] Septuagint.

[154] Septuagint.