Matthew 26:3
in Matthew 26At that time the chief priests and elders of the people assembled in the courtyard of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then were gathered together the chief priests, and the elders of the people, unto the court of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas;
KJV
Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,
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This verse in Matthew 26
Commentary
15 notes on this verseThen assembled together the chief priests - That is, during the two days that preceded the passover. The high priest, who was called Caiaphas - Caiaphas succeeded Simon, son of Camith, about a.d. 16, or, as Calmet thinks, 25. He married the daughter of Annas, who was joined with him in the priesthood. About two years after our Lord’s crucifixion, Caiaphas and Pilate were both deposed by Vitellius, then governor of Syria, and afterwards emperor. Caiaphas, unable to bear this disgrace, and the stings of his conscience for the murder of Christ, killed himself about a.d. 35. See Joseph.
This site's exposition
courtyard of the high priest
on Matthew 26:3-5
The chief priests and elders gather in the courtyard of Caiaphas the high priest. They "conspired to arrest Jesus covertly and kill Him," so the killing is settled and only the method is open. They say "not during the feast," yet Jesus had named the Passover in verse 2.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
Not true Priests and elders, but Priests and elders of what seemed the people of God, but was indeed the people of Gomorrah; these, not knowing God's High Priest, laid a plot against Him, not recognising the firstborn of the whole creation, (Col. 1:15.) yea, even against Him that was elder than them all, did they take counsel.
The words of the prophet, "And the rulers took counsel together against the Lord and his anointed," were fulfilled when "the chief priests and elders of the people gathered in the court of the high priest" and took counsel together "against the Lord and his anointed." They were not true priests but "of the people" and "elders." They only seemed to be the people of God but were after all the people of Gomorrah. It was they who would say, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" and "Away from the earth with such a one!" Furthermore, what Isaiah said, "Hear the word of the Lord, O leaders of Sodom; pay heed to God's law, O people of Gomorrah," applies to the Jewish leaders who lived at the time of Christ. And what Ezekiel said to Jerusalem, "It will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you," can be said more rightly of Jeru-salem, over which the Lord wept, than of the time of the prophet. The chief priests sinned more greatly than Sodom. They did not recognize God's high priest but plotted against him. The elders of the people, not knowing the "firstborn of every creature" and the one who is older than all creatures, took counsel against him. Jerusalem was forsaken at that so-called court where "they took counsel together how they might seize Jesus by stealth." Unfortunately this was the city that first killed the prophets and then the Lord of the prophets. That city took action against the founder of the whole world.
This, then, is to be referred to the preceding words, and means before the Feast of the Passover. They are condemned both because they were gathered together, and because they were the Chief Priests; for the more the numbers, and the higher the rank and station of those who band together for any villany, the greater the enormity of what they do, and the heavier the punishment stored up for them. To show the Lord's innocence and openness, the Evangelist adds, that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him.
(Serm. 58, 1.) We recognise here a providential arrangement whereby the chief men of the Jews, who had often sought occasion of effecting their cruel purposes against Christ, could never yet succeed till the days of the paschal celebration. For it behoved that the things which had long been promised in symbol and mystery should be accomplished in manifest reality, that the typical lamb should be displaced by the true, and one sacrifice embrace the whole catalogue of the varied victims. That shadows should give way to substance, and copies to the presence of the original; victim is commuted for victim, blood is abolished by blood, and the festival of the Law is at once fulfilled and changed.
"Then were assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and consulted that they might take Jesus by subtlety, and kill Him. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people." Seest thou the unspeakable corruption of the Jewish state? Attempting unlawful acts, they come to the high priest, desiring to obtain their authority from that quarter, whence they ought to have found hindrance. And how many high priests were there? For the law wills there should be one, but then there were many. Whence it is manifest, that the Jewish constitution had begun to dissolve. For Moses, as I said, commanded there should be one, and that when he was dead there should be another, and by the life of this person He measured the banishment of them that had involuntarily committed manslaughter. How then were there at that time many high priests? They were afterwards made for a year. And this the evangelist declared, when he was speaking of Zacharias, saying, that he was of the course of Abia. Those therefore doth he here call high priests, who had been high priests.
8 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Ver. 3 and following) Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the courtyard of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and they plotted to arrest Jesus by trickery and kill him. But they said, 'Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.'
The Medieval Church3 voices
The law commanded that there be one high priest for life, but they, contrary to the law, had then the practice of making a new high priest each year, so that there were many. So they approached the high priest of that year to deliberate …
Then were gathered together the chief priests etc. In this part is set forth the perverse counsel of the Pharisees. And first is set forth the counsel concerning Christ's passion; second, concerning the delay, at but they said: not on the festival day. Concerning the …
(non occ.) Then the Evangelist lays before us the hidden springs and machinery by which the Lord's Passion was brought to pass.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Then assembled together the chief priests,.... About the same time, two days before the passover, that Jesus said these things to his disciples, as is plain from Mar 14:
Observe (1.) The place where they met; in the palace of the high priest, who was the centre of their unity in this wicked project. (2.) The plot itself; to take Jesus by subtlety, and kill him; nothing less than his blood, his life-blood, would serve their turn. So cruel and bloody have been the designs of Christ's and his church's enemies.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
We now approach the closing scene of our Lord Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry. Hitherto we have read of his sayings and doings: we are now about to read of his sufferings and death. Hitherto we have seen him as the Great Prophet; we are now about to see him as the great High Priest. It is a portion of Scripture which ought to be read with peculiar reverence and attention. The place we on we stand is holy ground.
We now approach the closing scene of our Lord Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry. Hitherto we have read of his sayings and doings: we are now about to read of his sufferings and death. Hitherto we have seen him as the Great Prophet; we are now about to see him as the great High Priest. It is a portion of Scripture which ought to be read with peculiar reverence and attention. The place we on we stand is holy ground. Here we see how the seed of the woman bruised the serpent’s head; here we see the great sacrifice to which all the sacrifices of the Old Testament had long pointed; here we see how the blood was shed which “cleanseth from all sin” ( 1 John 1:8 ), and the Lamb slain who “taketh away the sin of the world” ( John 1:29 ). We see in the death of Christ the great mystery revealed, how God can be just, and yet justify the ungodly. No wonder that all the four Gospels contain a full account of this wonderful event: on other points in our Lord’s history, we often find that when one evangelist speaks the other three are silent; but when we come to the crucifixion, we find it minutely described by all four. In the verses we have now read let us first observe how careful our Lord is to call the attention of his disciples to his own death. He said to them, “Ye know, that after two days is the feast of the passover—and the Son of Man is betrayed to be crucified.” The connection of these words with the preceding chapter is exceedingly striking. Our Lord had just been dwelling on his own second coming in power and glory at the end of the world; he had been describing the last judgment and all its awful accompaniments; he had been speaking of himself as the judge before whose throne all nations would be gathered. Then at once, without pause or interval, he goes on to speak of his crucifixion.
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Τότε | tote | Then | G5119 → | 160 times |
| συνήχθησαν | sunechthesan | were gathered together | G4863 → | 59 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀρχιερεῖς | archiereis | chief priests | G749 → | 122 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πρεσβύτεροι | presbuteroi | elders | G4245 → | 65 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λαοῦ | laou | people | G2992 → | 141 times |
| εἰς | eis | in | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| αὐλὴν | aulen | courtyard | G833 → | 12 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀρχιερέως | archiereos | high priest | G749 → | 122 times |
| τοῦ | tou | who | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λεγομένου | legomenou | is being named | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| Καϊάφα | kaiapha | Caiaphas | G2533 → |
ΤότεThen
toteG5119 →160 times
συνήχθησανwere gathered together
sunechthesanG4863 →59 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
ἀρχιερεῖςchief priests
archiereisG749 →122 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
πρεσβύτεροιelders
presbuteroiG4245 →65 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
λαοῦpeople
laouG2992 →141 times
εἰςin
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
αὐλὴνcourtyard
aulenG833 →12 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
ἀρχιερέωςhigh priest
archiereosG749 →122 times
τοῦwho
touG3588 →19766 times
λεγομένουis being named
legomenouG3004 →1325 times
ΚαϊάφαCaiaphas
kaiaphaG2533 →
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
John 18:24Then Annas sent Him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.
it leads to
- John 18:13
They brought Him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year.
- Matthew 26:57
Those who had arrested Jesus led Him away to the house of Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and elders had gathered.
- John 18:13
Through
Mark 14:54Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the officers and warmed himself by the fire.
it leads to
- John 18:18
Because it was cold, the servants and officers were standing around a charcoal fire they had made to keep warm. And Peter was also standing with them, warming himself.
- John 18:15–16
Now Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he also went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest.
- John 18:25
Simon Peter was still standing and warming himself. So they asked him, “Aren’t you also one of His disciples?” He denied it and said, “I am not.”
- John 18:18
Through
John 11:57But the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where He was must report it, so that they could arrest Him.
it leads to
- Psalms 109:4
In return for my love they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.
- John 5:16–18
Now because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews began to persecute Him.
- John 9:22
His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews. For the Jews had already determined that anyone who confessed Jesus as the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.
- Psalms 109:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies31
On this verse
On this chapter
- Angelology
- Forgiveness
- The Words Nasa, Salach and Aphiemi
- Gethsemane (The Garden Called the Oil Press)
- The Words Todah, Yadah and Eucharisteo
- Hell and the Final State of the Lost
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About Matthew
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Glossa Ordinaria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Matthew; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 79; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Leo the Great, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 76; Remigius of Rheims, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Matthew and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Matthew.