Matthew 26:59

Matthew 26:59 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;
• New International Version (NIV)The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death,

Context of Matthew 26:59

57Then those men who had taken hold of Jesus took him to Caiaphas's house. Caiaphas was the most important priest. The teachers of God's Law and the important Jews were meeting there together with Caiaphas. 58Peter followed Jesus into the yard of Caiaphas' house. But he did not go near Jesus. He sat down in the yard with the police who worked in the temple. He wanted to see what would happen. The leaders of the priests and all the Jewish leaders wanted to punish Jesus with death. So they tried to find some people who would say things against Jesus that were not true. 60Many people did come. And they said things against Jesus that were not true. But still the Jewish leaders could not find a reason to kill Jesus. Then two men stood up and they said, 61‘We heard this man say, “I can destroy the temple and in three days I can build it again.” ’

Matthew 26:59 word by word

Οἱ δὲ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ τὸ συνέδριον ὅλον ἐζήτουν ψευδομαρτυρίαν κατὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ὅπως αὐτὸν θανατώσωσιν,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Nowδέde · thenG1161
• the chief priestsἀρχιερεύςarchiereus · high-priestG749
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• eldersπρεσβύτεροςpresbuteros · elder (leader)G4245
• allὅλοςholos · allG3650
• the councilσυνέδριονsunedrion · councilG4892
• soughtζητέωzēteō · to seekG2212
• false witnessψευδομαρτυρίαpseudomarturia · false testimonyG5577
• againstκατάkata · according toG2596
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• toὅπωςhopōs · thatG3704
• putθανατόωthanatoō · to killG2289
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846

Cross-references for Matthew 26:59

• Deuteronomy 19:16Somebody may accuse another person because he wants to hurt him. He tells lies against him.
• 1 Kings 21:8Jezebel wrote some letters as if King Ahab had written them. She used his special seal as a mark on them. Then she sent them to the older leaders and important men who lived in Jezreel with Naboth.
• Psalms 27:12Do not give me to my enemies. They say false things against me, so that they can destroy me.
• Psalms 35:11Cruel people tell lies against me in court. I do not even know what they are talking about.
• Psalms 94:20You will not become a friend of cruel rulers. They make laws that only hurt people.
• Proverbs 25:18Some people may tell lies about their neighbour in court. Those people are like dangerous weapons, like sharp swords or arrows.
• Mark 14:55The leaders of the priests and all the Jewish leaders wanted to punish Jesus with death. So they tried to find some people who would say things against Jesus. But they did not find anyone who could help them.
• Acts 6:11Then those men secretly gave money to some bad men. They told them to say to the Jewish leaders, ‘We heard this man, Stephen, say bad things against Moses and against God.’
• Acts 24:1Five days after that, Ananias, the leader of the priests, went to Caesarea. Some important Jews went with him. A man called Tertullus also went with them. He was a lawyer. All these people went to meet with Felix, the ruler. They told Felix what Paul had done. Felix would judge who was right.

Commentaries on Matthew 26:59

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 59All 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 59False 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…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 57-68Verses 57-68 Jesus was hurried into Jerusalem. It looks ill, and bodes worse, when those who are willing to be Christ's disciples, are not willing to be known to be so. Here began Peter's denying him: for to follow Christ afar off, is to begin to go back from him. It is more our concern to prepare for the end, whatever it may be, than curiously to ask what the end will be. The event is God's, but the duty is ours. Now the Scriptures were fulfilled, which…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 59were seeking false testimony: The verb tense suggests a long and possibly desperate attempt to find any testimony to support a formal accusation (see Mark 14:55–56).Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 26:59

• Accusation, False
• Church
• Court
• False Teachers
• Government
• Jesus, the Christ
• Judge
• Perjury
• Persecution
• Prayer
• Priest
• Prisoners
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Jesus
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• Adjure
• Annas
• Blood
• Covenant
• Cup
• Curse
• Elder
• Friend

Commentaries on Matthew 26

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings