Matthew 26:61
in Matthew 26and declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and said, This man said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.
KJV
And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.
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This verse in Matthew 26
Commentary
10 notes on this verse(Verse 61.) But finally came two false witnesses, and said: He said: I can destroy the temple of God, and after three days rebuild it. How are they false witnesses if they say the things that we read the Lord said? But a false witness is one who does not understand the words in the same sense in which they are spoken. For the Lord had spoken about the temple of his body. But even in the words themselves, they slander, and by adding or changing a few things, they make it seem like a just accusation.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
At last came two false witnesses. How are they false witnesses, when they repeat only what we read that the Lord spoke? A false witness is one who takes what is said in a different sense from that in which it was said. Now this the Lord had spoken of the temple of His Body, and they cavil at His expressions, and by a slight change and addition produce a plausible charge. The Lord's words were, Destroy this temple; (John 2:19.) this they make into, I can destroy the Temple of God. He said, Destroy, not 'I will destroy,' because it is unlawful to lay hands on ourselves. Also they phrased it, And build it again, making it apply to the temple of the Jews; but the Lord had said, And I will raise it up again, thus clearly pointing out a living and breathing temple. For to build again, and to raise again, are two different things.
A commentator
John ChrysostomHomily on the Gospel of Matthew 84 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
"But false witnesses came, and said, This fellow said, I will destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it." And indeed He had said, "In three days," but He said not, "I will destroy," but, "Destroy," and not about that temple but about His own body.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Then follows the false testimony: and last of all there came two false witnesses, and they said. But here there is a question: why they are called false witnesses, because it is evident that Christ said this, John 2:19. According to Jerome, not only is …
Truly these were false witnesses. For Christ had not said, "I am able to destroy," but "You shall destroy." And He had not said, "the temple of God," but "this temple," that is, "My Body." And again, He had not said, "I shall build," but …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And said, this fellow said,....
4 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And said, This fellow said ... - Mark has recorded this testimony differently. According to him, they said, “We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another. made without hands.” Probably both forms of giving in the testimony were used on the trial, and Matthew has recorded it as it was given at one time and Mark at another, so that there is no contradiction.
We read, in these verses, how our Lord Jesus Christ was brought before Caiaphas, the high priest, and solemnly pronounced guilty. It was fitting that it should be so. The great day of atonement was come: the wondrous type of the scapegoat was about to be completely fulfilled. It was only suitable that the Jewish high priest should do his part, and declare sin to be upon the head of the victim, before he was led forth to be crucified ( Leviticus 16:21 ). May we ponder these things and understand them.
We read, in these verses, how our Lord Jesus Christ was brought before Caiaphas, the high priest, and solemnly pronounced guilty. It was fitting that it should be so. The great day of atonement was come: the wondrous type of the scapegoat was about to be completely fulfilled. It was only suitable that the Jewish high priest should do his part, and declare sin to be upon the head of the victim, before he was led forth to be crucified ( Leviticus 16:21 ). May we ponder these things and understand them. There was a deep meaning in every step of our Lord’s passion. Let us observe in these verses that the chief priests were the principal agents in bringing about our Lord’s death. It was not so much the Jewish people, we must remember, who pushed forward this wicked deed, as Caiaphas and his companions, the chief priests. This is an instructive fact, and deserves notice. It is a clear proof that high ecclesiastical office exempts no man from gross errors in doctrine, and tremendous sins in practice. The Jewish priests could trace up their pedigree to Aaron, and were his lineal successors; their office was one of peculiar sanctity, and entailed peculiar responsibilities. A nd yet these very men were the murderers of Christ. Let us beware of regarding any minister of religion as infallible: his orders however regularly conferred are no guarantee that he may not lead us astray, and even ruin our souls. The teaching and conduct of all ministers must be tried by the Word of God: they are to be followed so long as they follow the Bible, but no longer. The maxim laid down in Isaiah must be our guide: “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” ( Isaiah 8:20 ). Let us observe in the second place how fully our Lord declared to the Jewish council his own Messiahship and his future coming in glory.
I am able to destroy the temple of God - 1st. These words were not fairly quoted. Jesus had said, Joh 2:19, Destroy this temple, and I will build it again in three days. 2dly. The inuendo which they produce, applying these words to a pretended design to destroy the temple at Jerusalem, was utterly unfair; for these words he spoke of the temple of his body. It is very easy, by means of a few small alterations, to render the most holy things and innocent persons odious to the world, and even to take away the life of the innocent.
The words behind it
14 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| εἶπαν· | eipan | they said; | G2036 → | 925 times |
| οὗτος | houtos | This [man] | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| ἔφη· | ephe | was saying: | G5346 → | 66 times |
| δύναμαι | dunamai | I am able | G1410 → | 207 times |
| καταλῦσαι | katalusai | to destroy | G2647 → | 17 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ναὸν | naon | temple | G3485 → | 45 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεοῦ | theou | of God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| διὰ | dia | in | G1223 → | 664 times |
| τριῶν | trion | three | G5140 → | 69 times |
| ἡμερῶν | hemeron | days | G2250 → | 389 times |
| οἰκοδομῆσαι | oikodomesai | to rebuild it | G3618 → | 40 times |
εἶπαν·they said;
eipanG2036 →925 times
οὗτοςThis [man]
houtosG3778 →1381 times
ἔφη·was saying:
epheG5346 →66 times
δύναμαιI am able
dunamaiG1410 →207 times
καταλῦσαιto destroy
katalusaiG2647 →17 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
ναὸνtemple
naonG3485 →45 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
θεοῦof God
theouG2316 →1312 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
διὰin
diaG1223 →664 times
τριῶνthree
trionG5140 →69 times
ἡμερῶνdays
hemeronG2250 →389 times
οἰκοδομῆσαιto rebuild it
oikodomesaiG3618 →40 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 53:3He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
it leads to
- John 1:10–11
He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.
- Matthew 26:67
Then they spit in His face and struck Him. Others slapped Him
- Isaiah 53:10
Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and to cause Him to suffer; and when His soul is made a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days,…
- Hebrews 12:2–3
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand…
- Isaiah 49:7
Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, to Him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the Servant of rulers: “Kings will see You and rise, and princes…
- John 1:10–11
Through
Matthew 27:40and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”
it leads to
- Matthew 4:3
The tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
- Matthew 4:6
“If You are the Son of God,” he said, “throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command His angels concerning You, and they will lift You up in their hands, so that…
- John 2:19–22
Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”
- Matthew 4:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies15
On this verse
About Matthew
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jerome, Commentary on Matthew; Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 84; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Matthew and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Matthew.