Matthew 27:12
in Matthew 27And when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He gave no answer.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
KJV
And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
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This verse in Matthew 27
Commentary
15 notes on this verseNeither then nor now did Jesus make any reply to their accusations, for the word of God was not sent to them, as it was formerly to the Prophets. Neither was Pilate worthy of an answer, as he had no fixed or abiding opinion of Christ, but veered about to contradictory suppositions. Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?
This site's exposition
the King of the Jews
on Matthew 27:11-14
Pilate asks whether Jesus is "the King of the Jews," the political charge that mattered to Rome, where blasphemy did not. Jesus answers, "You have said so," a Jewish idiom of qualified agreement. Then he gives "no answer, not even to a single charge, much to the governor’s amazement".
This site's exposition
He gave no answer
Albert Barnes names the charges from Luke 23:2: perverting the nation and forbidding tribute to Caesar. The accusers offered no proof, and He knew it. Matthew Henry adds that Christ, as Lord of His own life, knew His hour had come and entrusted Himself to the Father.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
(de Cons. Ev. iii. 8.) Luke explains what were the accusations alleged against Him, And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King. (Luke 23:2.) But it is of no consequence to the truth in what order they relate the history, or that one omits what another inserts.
To Pilate's question as to whether he was king of the Jews, he answered, "It is as you say." How different was the statement he had made to the priest! When the latter asked him whether he was the Christ, he said, "You have said it yourself." This answer is given to the priest as though pertaining to the past, for in many places the law had foretold the coming of the Christ.
They led Jesus to Pilate. And they handed him over to the Roman soldiers. Thus the things announced beforehand by the holy prophets were fulfilled to them. For it says, "Woe to the lawless man. Evil will be his lot according to his works." Just "as you have done, so shall it be done to you. Your retribution will be paid back upon your own head."
Seest thou what He is first asked? which thing most of all they were continually bringing forward in every way? For since they saw Pilate making no account of the matters of the law, they direct their accusation to the state charges. So likewise did they in the case of the apostles, ever bringing forward these things, and saying that they were going about proclaiming king one Jesus, speaking as of a mere man, and investing them with a suspicion of usurpation. Whence it is manifest, that both the rending the garment and the amazement were a pretense. But all things they got up, and plied, in order to bring Him to death. This at any rate Pilate then asked. What then said Christ? "Thou sayest." He confessed that He was a king, but a heavenly king, which elsewhere also He spake more clearly, replying to Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world;" that neither they nor this man should have an excuse for accusing Him of such things. And He gives a reason that cannot be gainsaid, saying, "If I were of this world, my servants would fight, that I should not be delivered." For this purpose I say, in order to refute this suspicion, He both paid tribute, and commanded others to pay it, and when they would make Him a king, He fled. Wherefore then did he not bring forward these things, it may be said, at that time, when accused of usurpation? Because having the proofs from His acts, of His power, His meekness, His gentleness, beyond number, they were willfully blind, and dealt unfairly, and the tribunal was corrupt. For these reasons then He replies to nothing, but holds His peace, yet answering briefly (so as not to get the reputation of arrogance from continual silence) when the high priest adjured Him, when the governor asked, but in reply to their accusations He no longer saith anything; for He was not now likely to persuade them. […]
The Medieval Church1 voice
Next the accusation is treated. And first, the accusation is set forth; secondly, the inducement to respond, at "Pilate said to him." He says therefore: "and when he was accused by the chief priests, he answered nothing." On what charges he was accused, Matthew passes …
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
He gave no other answer, however, for He knew that the tribunal was an unjust proceeding.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Not as I will, but as thou wilt. He knew what his Father's will was, and therefore silently committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. We must not thus by our silence throw away our lives, because we are not lords of our lives, as Christ was of his; nor can we know, as he did, when our hour is come.
And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders,....
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
When he was accused ... - To wit, of perverting the nation, and of forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, Luk 23:2, Luk 23:5. Probably this was done in a tumultuous manner and in every variety of form. He answered nothing - He was conscious of his innocence. He knew that they could not prove these charges. They offered no testimony to prove them, and, in conscious innocence, he was silent.
These verses describe our Lord’s appearance before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. That sight must have been wonderful to the angels of God. He who will one day judge the world allowed himself to be judged and condemned, though “he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth” ( Isaiah 53:9 ). He, from whose lips Pilate and Caiaphas will one day receive their eternal sentence suffered silently, an unjust sentence to be passed upon him.
These verses describe our Lord’s appearance before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. That sight must have been wonderful to the angels of God. He who will one day judge the world allowed himself to be judged and condemned, though “he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth” ( Isaiah 53:9 ). He, from whose lips Pilate and Caiaphas will one day receive their eternal sentence suffered silently, an unjust sentence to be passed upon him. Those silent sufferings fulfilled the words of Isaiah: “as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth” ( Isaiah 53:7 ). To those silent sufferings believers owe all their peace and hope. Through them they will have boldness in the day of judgment, who in themselves would have nothing to say. Let us learn from the conduct of Pilate how pitiful is the condition of an unprincipled great man. Pilate appears to have been inwardly satisfied that our Lord had done nothing worthy of death: we are told distinctly that “he knew that for envy they delivered him.” Left to the exercise of his own unbiased judgment, he would probably have dismissed the charges against our Lord, and let him go free. But Pilate was the governor of a jealous and turbulent people; his great desire was to procure favor with them and please them: he cared little how much he sinned against God and conscience so long as he had the praise of man. Though willing to save our Lord’s life, he was afraid to do it if it offended the Jews; and so, after a feeble attempt to divert the fury of the people from Jesus to Barabbas, and a fleeblier attempt to satisfy his own conscience by washing his hands publicly before the people, he at last condemned one whom he himself called a “just person.” He rejected the strange and mysterious warning which his wife sent to him after her dream: he stifled the remonstrances of his own conscience.
He answered nothing - An answer to such accusations was not necessary: they sufficiently confuted themselves.
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κατηγορεῖσθαι | kategoreisthai | accusing | G2723 → | |
| αὐτὸν | auton | of Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ὑπὸ | hupo | by | G5259 → | 219 times |
| τῶν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀρχιερέων | archiereon | chief priests | G749 → | 122 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| πρεσβυτέρων | presbuteron | elders | G4245 → | 65 times |
| οὐδὲν | ouden | no [thing] | G3762 → | 232 times |
| ἀπεκρίνατο.¶ | apekrinato | He answered. | G611 → | 231 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
κατηγορεῖσθαιaccusing
kategoreisthaiG2723 →
αὐτὸνof Him
autonG846 →5565 times
ὑπὸby
hupoG5259 →219 times
τῶνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἀρχιερέωνchief priests
archiereonG749 →122 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
πρεσβυτέρωνelders
presbuteronG4245 →65 times
οὐδὲνno [thing]
oudenG3762 →232 times
ἀπεκρίνατο.¶He answered.
apekrinatoG611 →231 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
Acts 8:32The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so He did not open His mouth.
it leads to
- Isaiah 53:7–8
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not…
- 1 Peter 2:21–24
For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps:
- Jeremiah 51:40
I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with male goats.
- Romans 8:36
As it is written: “For Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
- Jeremiah 11:19
For I was like a gentle lamb led to slaughter; I did not know that they had plotted against me: “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit; let us cut him off from…
- Isaiah 53:7–8
Through
Isaiah 53:7He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not…
it leads to
- Acts 8:32–33
The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so He did not open His mouth.
- Matthew 26:63
But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to Him, “I charge You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.”
- 1 Peter 2:23
When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.
- Acts 8:32–33
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies18
About Matthew
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Cyril of Alexandria, FRAGMENT 302; Hilary of Poitiers, Commentary on Matthew 32.7; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 86; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Matthew and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Matthew.