Matthew 26:59

THE MESSAGE

The high priests, conspiring with the Jewish Council, tried to cook up charges against Jesus in order to sentence him to death. But even though many stepped up, making up one false accusation after another, nothing was believable. Finally two men came forward with this: "He said, ‘I can tear down this Temple of God and after three days rebuild it.'" The Chief Priest stood up and said, "What do you have to say to the accusation?" Jesus kept silent. Then the Chief Priest said, "I command you by the authority of the living God to say if you are the Messiah, the Son of God." Jesus was curt: "You yourself said it. And that's not all. Soon you'll see it for yourself: The Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Mighty One, Arriving on the clouds of heaven." At that, the Chief Priest lost his temper, ripping his robes, yelling, "He blasphemed! Why do we need witnesses to accuse him? You all heard him blaspheme! Are you going to stand for such blasphemy?" They all said, "Death! That seals his death sentence." Then they were spitting in his face and banging him around. They jeered as they slapped him: "Prophesy, Messiah: Who hit you that time?" All this time, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard. One servant girl came up to him and said, "You were with Jesus the Galilean." In front of everybody there, he denied it. "I don't know what you're talking about." As he moved over toward the gate, someone else said to the people there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazarene." Again he denied it, salting his denial with an oath: "I swear, I never laid eyes on the man." Shortly after that, some bystanders approached Peter. "You've got to be one of them. Your accent gives you away." Then he got really nervous and swore. "I don't know the man!" Just then a rooster crowed. Peter remembered what Jesus had said: "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." He went out and cried and cried and cried.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death,

King James Version (1611)
Now the chiefe Priests and Elders, and all the councell, sought false witnesse against Iesus to put him to death,

King James Version
Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;

English Standard Version
Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death,

New American Standard Bible
Now the chief priests and the entire Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death.

New Century Version
The leading priests and the whole Jewish council tried to find something false against Jesus so they could kill him.

Amplified Bible
Now the chief priests and the whole Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) tried to get false witnesses to testify against Jesus, so that they might [have a reason to] put Him to death.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death.

Berean Standard Bible
Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking false testimony against Jesus in order to put Him to death.

Contemporary English Version
The chief priests and the whole council wanted to put Jesus to death. So they tried to find some people who would tell lies about him in court.

Complete Jewish Bible
The head cohanim and the whole Sanhedrin looked for some false evidence against Yeshua, so that they might put him to death.

Darby Translation
And the chief priests and the elders and the whole sanhedrim sought false witness against Jesus, so that they might put him to death.

Easy-to-Read Version
The leading priests and the high council tried to find something against Jesus so that they could kill him. They tried to find people to lie and say that Jesus had done wrong.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Nowe the chiefe Priestes and the Elders, and all the whole councill sought false witnesse against Iesus, to put him to death.

George Lamsa Translation
Now the high priests and the elders and the whole council were seeking witnesses against Jesus, so that they might put him to death.

Good News Translation
The chief priests and the whole Council tried to find some false evidence against Jesus to put him to death;

Lexham English Bible
Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus in order that they could put him to death.

Literal Translation
And the chief priests and the elders and the whole sanhedrin looked for false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death,

American Standard Version
Now the chief priests and the whole council sought false witness against Jesus, that they might put him to death;

Bible in Basic English
Now the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin were looking for false witness against Jesus, so that they might put him to death;

Hebrew Names Version
Now the chief Kohanim, the Zakenim, and the whole council sought false testimony against Yeshua, that they might put him to death;

International Standard Version
Meanwhile, the high priests and the whole CouncilSanhedrin">[fn] were looking for false testimony against Jesus in order to have him put to death.

Etheridge Translation
But the chief priests, and the elders, and the whole assembly, sought against Jeshu witnesses, that they might put him to death;

Murdock Translation
And the chief priests and the Elders and the whole assembly sought for witnesses against Jesus, that they might put him to death;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
The chiefe priestes, and elders, and all the councell, sought false witnesse agaynst Iesus, for to put hym to death,

English Revised Version
Now the chief priests and the whole council sought false witness against Jesus, that they might put him to death;

World English Bible
Now the chief priests, the elders, and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus, that they might put him to death;

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council sought false witness against Jesus,

Weymouth's New Testament
Meanwhile the High Priests and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking false testimony against Jesus in order to put Him to death;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the prince of prestis, and al the counsel souyten fals witnessing ayens Jhesu, that thei schulden take hym to deeth;

Update Bible Version
Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin sought false witness against Jesus, that they might put him to death;

Webster's Bible Translation
Now the chief priests and elders, and all the council, sought false testimony against Jesus, to put him to death;

New English Translation
The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were trying to find false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death.

New King James Version
Now the chief priests, the elders, [fn] and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death,

New Living Translation
Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death.

New Life Bible
The religious leaders and the other leaders and all the court were looking for false things to say against Jesus. They wanted some reason to kill Him.

New Revised Standard
Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now, the High-priests and all the High-council, were seeking false-witness against Jesus, that they might, put him to death;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the chief priests and the whole council sought false witness against Jesus, that they might put him to death.

Revised Standard Version
Now the chief priests and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
The chefe prestes and the elders and all the counsell sought false witnes agenste Iesus for to put him to deeth

Young's Literal Translation
And the chief priests, and the elders, and all the council, were seeking false witness against Jesus, that they might put him to death,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But the hye prestes and the elders, and the whole councell sought false wytnesse ageynst Iesus, that they might put him to death,

Mace New Testament (1729)
Now the chief priests, the senators and the whole council, endeavour'd to get false evidence against Jesus, that he might be condemn'd to die.

Simplified Cowboy Version
This whole church institution was just lookin' for a way to lie about Jesus so they could sentence him to death.

Contextual Overview

⁵⁷The gang that had seized Jesus led him before Caiaphas the Chief Priest, where the religion scholars and leaders had assembled. Peter followed at a safe distance until they got to the Chief Priest's courtyard. Then he slipped in and mingled with the servants, watching to see how things would turn out. ⁵⁹The high priests, conspiring with the Jewish Council, tried to cook up charges against Jesus in order to sentence him to death. But even though many stepped up, making up one false accusation after another, nothing was believable. Finally two men came forward with this: "He said, ‘I can tear down this Temple of God and after three days rebuild it.'" The Chief Priest stood up and said, "What do you have to say to the accusation?" Jesus kept silent. Then the Chief Priest said, "I command you by the authority of the living God to say if you are the Messiah, the Son of God." Jesus was curt: "You yourself said it. And that's not all. Soon you'll see it for yourself: The Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Mighty One, Arriving on the clouds of heaven." At that, the Chief Priest lost his temper, ripping his robes, yelling, "He blasphemed! Why do we need witnesses to accuse him? You all heard him blaspheme! Are you going to stand for such blasphemy?" They all said, "Death! That seals his death sentence." Then they were spitting in his face and banging him around. They jeered as they slapped him: "Prophesy, Messiah: Who hit you that time?" All this time, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard. One servant girl came up to him and said, "You were with Jesus the Galilean." In front of everybody there, he denied it. "I don't know what you're talking about." As he moved over toward the gate, someone else said to the people there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazarene." Again he denied it, salting his denial with an oath: "I swear, I never laid eyes on the man." Shortly after that, some bystanders approached Peter. "You've got to be one of them. Your accent gives you away." Then he got really nervous and swore. "I don't know the man!" Just then a rooster crowed. Peter remembered what Jesus had said: "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." He went out and cried and cried and cried. ⁶¹Anointed for Burial When Jesus finished saying these things, he told his disciples, "You know that Passover comes in two days. That's when the Son of Man will be betrayed and handed over for crucifixion." At that very moment, the party of high priests and religious leaders was meeting in the chambers of the Chief Priest named Caiaphas, conspiring to seize Jesus by stealth and kill him. They agreed that it should not be done during Passover Week. "We don't want a riot on our hands," they said. When Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper, a woman came up to him as he was eating dinner and anointed him with a bottle of very expensive perfume. When the disciples saw what was happening, they were furious. "That's criminal! This could have been sold for a lot and the money handed out to the poor." When Jesus realized what was going on, he intervened. "Why are you giving this woman a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me. You will have the poor with you every day for the rest of your lives, but not me. When she poured this perfume on my body, what she really did was anoint me for burial. You can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she has just done is going to be remembered and admired." That is when one of the Twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the cabal of high priests and said, "What will you give me if I hand him over to you?" They settled on thirty silver pieces. He began looking for just the right moment to hand him over. On the first of the Days of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Where do you want us to prepare your Passover meal?" He said, "Enter the city. Go up to a certain man and say, ‘The Teacher says, My time is near. I and my disciples plan to celebrate the Passover meal at your house.'" The disciples followed Jesus' instructions to the letter, and prepared the Passover meal. After sunset, he and the Twelve were sitting around the table. During the meal, he said, "I have something hard but important to say to you: One of you is going to hand me over to the conspirators." They were stunned, and then began to ask, one after another, "It isn't me, is it, Master?" Jesus answered, "The one who hands me over is someone I eat with daily, one who passes me food at the table. In one sense the Son of Man is entering into a way of treachery well-marked by the Scriptures—no surprises here. In another sense that man who turns him in, turns traitor to the Son of Man—better never to have been born than do this!" Then Judas, already turned traitor, said, "It isn't me, is it, Rabbi?" Jesus said, "Don't play games with me, Judas." During the meal, Jesus took and blessed the bread, broke it, and gave it to his disciples: Take, eat. This is my body. Taking the cup and thanking God, he gave it to them: Drink this, all of you. This is my blood, God's new covenant poured out for many people for the forgiveness of sins. "I'll not be drinking wine from this cup again until that new day when I'll drink with you in the kingdom of my Father." They sang a hymn and went directly to Mount Olives. Then Jesus told them, "Before the night's over, you're going to fall to pieces because of what happens to me. There is a Scripture that says, I'll strike the shepherd; helter-skelter the sheep will be scattered. But after I am raised up, I, your Shepherd, will go ahead of you, leading the way to Galilee." Peter broke in, "Even if everyone else falls to pieces on account of you, I won't." "Don't be so sure," Jesus said. "This very night, before the rooster crows up the dawn, you will deny me three times." Peter protested, "Even if I had to die with you, I would never deny you." All the others said the same thing. Then Jesus went with them to a garden called Gethsemane and told his disciples, "Stay here while I go over there and pray." Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he plunged into an agonizing sorrow. Then he said, "This sorrow is crushing my life out. Stay here and keep vigil with me." Going a little ahead, he fell on his face, praying, "My Father, if there is any way, get me out of this. But please, not what I want. You, what do you want?" When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, "Can't you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert; be in prayer so you don't wander into temptation without even knowing you're in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there's another part that's as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire." He then left them a second time. Again he prayed, "My Father, if there is no other way than this, drinking this cup to the dregs, I'm ready. Do it your way." When he came back, he again found them sound asleep. They simply couldn't keep their eyes open. This time he let them sleep on, and went back a third time to pray, going over the same ground one last time. When he came back the next time, he said, "Are you going to sleep on and make a night of it? My time is up, the Son of Man is about to be handed over to the hands of sinners. Get up! Let's get going! My betrayer is here." The words were barely out of his mouth when Judas (the one from the Twelve) showed up, and with him a gang from the high priests and religious leaders brandishing swords and clubs. The betrayer had worked out a sign with them: "The one I kiss, that's the one—seize him." He went straight to Jesus, greeted him, "How are you, Rabbi?" and kissed him. Jesus said, "Friend, why this charade?" Then they came on him—grabbed him and roughed him up. One of those with Jesus pulled his sword and, taking a swing at the Chief Priest's servant, cut off his ear. Jesus said, "Put your sword back where it belongs. All who use swords are destroyed by swords. Don't you realize that I am able right now to call to my Father, and twelve companies—more, if I want them—of fighting angels would be here, battle-ready? But if I did that, how would the Scriptures come true that say this is the way it has to be?" Then Jesus addressed the mob: "What is this—coming out after me with swords and clubs as if I were a dangerous criminal? Day after day I have been sitting in the Temple teaching, and you never so much as lifted a hand against me. You've done it this way to confirm and fulfill the prophetic writings." Then all the disciples cut and ran. The gang that had seized Jesus led him before Caiaphas the Chief Priest, where the religion scholars and leaders had assembled. Peter followed at a safe distance until they got to the Chief Priest's courtyard. Then he slipped in and mingled with the servants, watching to see how things would turn out. The high priests, conspiring with the Jewish Council, tried to cook up charges against Jesus in order to sentence him to death. But even though many stepped up, making up one false accusation after another, nothing was believable. Finally two men came forward with this: "He said, ‘I can tear down this Temple of God and after three days rebuild it.'" ⁶² The Chief Priest stood up and said, "What do you have to say to the accusation?" ⁶³ Jesus kept silent. Then the Chief Priest said, "I command you by the authority of the living God to say if you are the Messiah, the Son of God." ⁶⁴ Jesus was curt: "You yourself said it. And that's not all. Soon you'll see it for yourself: The Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Mighty One, Arriving on the clouds of heaven." ⁶⁵At that, the Chief Priest lost his temper, ripping his robes, yelling, "He blasphemed! Why do we need witnesses to accuse him? You all heard him blaspheme! Are you going to stand for such blasphemy?" They all said, "Death! That seals his death sentence." ⁶⁷Then they were spitting in his face and banging him around. They jeered as they slapped him: "Prophesy, Messiah: Who hit you that time?"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

sought: Deuteronomy 19:16-21, 1 Kings 21:8-13, Psalms 27:12, Psalms 35:11, Psalms 35:12, Psalms 94:20, Psalms 94:21, Proverbs 25:18, Mark 14:55, Mark 14:56, Acts 6:11-13, Acts 24:1-13

Reciprocal: Genesis 39:14 - he came Exodus 20:16 - General Exodus 23:1 - an unrighteous witness 1 Samuel 22:9 - Doeg 1 Kings 21:10 - two men Nehemiah 6:13 - that Psalms 2:2 - rulers Psalms 22:13 - gaped Psalms 31:13 - while Psalms 52:2 - Thy Psalms 55:3 - for they Psalms 64:6 - search Psalms 109:2 - the mouth Psalms 119:69 - proud Psalms 120:2 - from lying lips Proverbs 6:19 - A false Proverbs 12:17 - but Proverbs 24:28 - not Ecclesiastes 3:16 - General Isaiah 32:7 - instruments Jeremiah 20:10 - I heard Jeremiah 26:8 - the priests Ezekiel 22:9 - men that carry tales Habakkuk 1:4 - for Matthew 5:22 - the council Matthew 10:17 - councils Matthew 21:15 - when Luke 6:7 - that Luke 22:63 - the men Luke 23:2 - forbidding John 11:53 - put John 18:21 - ask Acts 4:27 - the people Acts 24:9 - General

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Now the chief priests and elders, and all the counsel,.... Or sanhedrim, which consisted, as the Jewish writers say u, of priests, Levites, and Israelites, of both ecclesiastics and laics; the ecclesiastics were the priests and Levites, and the laics the Israelites, or elders of the people; for if priests and Levites could not be found, a sanhedrim might consist of those only; and so those words in Deuteronomy 21:2, "thy elders", are thus interpreted w,

זה בית דין הגדול, this is the great sanhedrim; and though a king of Israel might not sit in the sanhedrim, yet an high priest might, if he was a man of wisdom x, and it seems as if Caiaphas was now at the head of this council, by its being assembled at his palace; which though it was not the usual place where they met, yet might be chose at this time for greater secrecy. Now these thus assembled together,

sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; they first take him up, and then seek out for witnesses against him; being determined, right or wrong, to put him to death, if possible; and false witnesses too, even those whose business it was, to examine and detect false witnesses, and to inflict the same punishment upon them, which they by their false testimony intended to have brought on another, Deuteronomy 19:18. And besides, it was in the night, when it was forbid by their canons to begin the trial of capital causes, or to receive and admit of witnesses y. Indeed the Syriac and Persic versions read, only witnesses, or witness, and leave out the word "false"; perhaps imagining, that men could never be so wicked, to seek out for false witnesses: but this need not be wondered at, when these men were bent upon the death of Christ at any rate; and were aware that nothing true could be objected to him, that would legally take away his life; and besides, their manner of procedure in judgment against a false prophet, a deceiver, and one that enticed to idolatry, and such an one they would have Jesus to be, was quite different from what they took with other persons: their canon runs thus z:

"the judgment of a deceiver, is not as the rest of capital judgments; his witnesses are hid; and he has no need, or ought not to have any premonition, or warning, as the rest of those that are put to death; and if he goes out of the sanhedrim acquitted, and one says I can prove the charge against him, they turn him back; but if he goes out condemned, and one says I can prove him innocent the do not return him.''

So in the Misna a it is said,

"of all that are condemned to death in the law, none have their witnesses hidden but this (the deceiver, or one that entices to idolatry)--and they hide his witnesses behind a wall, or hedge; and he (whom he endeavoured to seduce) says to him, say what thou hast said to me privately; and if he repeats it to him, he must say, how shall we leave our God that is in heaven, and go and serve stocks and stones! if he repents, it is well; but if he should say, so we are bound to do, and so it becomes us, they that stand behind the wall, or hedge, shall carry him to the sanhedrim and stone him.''

In the Gemara it is thus expressed b,

"they light up a lamp in the innermost house, and set the witnesses in the outermost house, so that they can see him and hear his voice, and he cannot see them.''

And then follows what is said before, to which is added, "so they did to Ben Stada"; by whom they mean Jesus of Nazareth. Moreover, this need not seem strange, that they took such a course with Christ, when in the case of Stephen, they suborned and set up false witnesses against him. The sanhedrim cannot be thought to do this in person, but they sent out their officers to seek for such men, as could or would produce anything against him, and no doubt promised them an handsome reward.

u Maimon. Hilch. Sanhedrin, c. 2. sect. 1, 2. Abarbinel in Tora, fol. 366. 2. w T. Hieros. Sota, fol. 23. 3. x Maimon. ib. sect. 4. y Maimon. ib. c. 3. sect. 3, 4. z lb. c. 11. sect. 5. a Sanhedrin, c. 7. sect. 10. b T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 67. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

False witness - That is, they sought for witnesses who would accuse him of crime of violation of the laws of the land or of God. We are not to suppose that “they wished” them to be “false” witnesses. They were indifferent, probably, whether they were true or false, if they could succeed in condemning him. “The evangelist” calls it false testimony. Before these witnesses were sought, we learn from John John 18:19-23 that the high priest asked Jesus of his disciples and his doctrine. Jesus replied that he had taught openly in the temple, and in secret had said nothing; that is, he had no “secret doctrines” which he had not been willing openly to teach, and he referred the high priest to those who had heard him. In a firm, dignified manner he put himself on trial, and insisted on his rights. “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?” John 18:23. This conversation took place, probably, before the council was assembled, and during this time the denials by Peter occurred. Luke informs us Luke 22:66 that the council came together as soon as it was day; that is, probably, near the morning, or not far from the break of day - after Peter had denied him and gone out.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 59. All the council sought false witness — What a prostitution of justice! - they first resolve to ruin him, and then seek the proper means of effecting it: they declare him criminal, and after that do all they can to fix some crime upon him, that they may appear to have some shadow of justice on their side when they put him to death. It seems to have been a common custom of this vile court to employ false witness, on any occasion, to answer their own ends. See this exemplified in the case of Stephen, Acts 6:11-13.