John 11:47-50

11:47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees ¹  called the council ²  together and said, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many miraculous signs. 11:48 If we allow him to go on in this way, ³  everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary ⁴  and our nation.”

11:49 Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said, ⁵  “You know nothing at all! 11:50 You do not realize ⁶  that it is more to your advantage to have one man ⁷  die for the people than for the whole nation to perish.” ⁸ 

Matthew 21:15

21:15 But when the chief priests and the experts in the law ⁹  saw the wonderful things he did and heard the children crying out in the temple courts, ¹⁰  “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant

Luke 19:47-48

19:47 Jesus ¹¹  was teaching daily in the temple courts. The chief priests and the experts in the law ¹²  and the prominent leaders among the people were seeking to assassinate ¹³  him, 19:48 but ¹⁴  they could not find a way to do it, ¹⁵  for all the people hung on his words. ¹⁶ 

Acts 4:16-17

4:16 saying, “What should we do with these men? For it is plain ¹⁷  to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable miraculous sign ¹⁸  has come about through them, ¹⁹  and we cannot deny it. 4:17 But to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more ²⁰  to anyone in this name.”

Acts 5:27-28

5:27 When they had brought them, they stood them before the council, ²¹  and the high priest questioned ²²  them, 5:28 saying, “We gave ²³  you strict orders ²⁴  not to teach in this name. ²⁵  Look, ²⁶  you have filled Jerusalem ²⁷  with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood ²⁸  on us!”

¹ tn The phrase “chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive name for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26.

² tn Or “Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews). The συνέδριον (sunedrion) which they gathered was probably an informal meeting rather than the official Sanhedrin. This is the only occurrence of the word συνέδριον in the Gospel of John, and the only anarthrous singular use in the NT. There are other plural anarthrous uses which have the general meaning “councils.” The fact that Caiaphas in 11:49 is referred to as “one of them” supports the unofficial nature of the meeting; in the official Sanhedrin he, being high priest that year, would have presided over the assembly. Thus it appears that an informal council was called to discuss what to do about Jesus and his activities.

³ tn Grk “If we let him do thus.”

⁴ tn Or “holy place”; Grk “our place” (a reference to the temple in Jerusalem).

⁵ tn Grk “said to them.” The indirect object αὐτοῖς (autois) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

⁶ tn Or “you are not considering.”

⁷ tn Although it is possible to argue that ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") should be translated “person” here since it is not necessarily masculinity that is in view in Caiaphas’ statement, “man” was retained in the translation because in 11:47 “this man” (οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος, outo" Jo anqrwpo") has as its referent a specific individual, Jesus, and it was felt this connection should be maintained.

⁸ sn In his own mind Caiaphas was no doubt giving voice to a common-sense statement of political expediency. Yet he was unconsciously echoing a saying of Jesus himself (cf. Mark 10:45). Caiaphas was right; the death of Jesus would save the nation from destruction. Yet Caiaphas could not suspect that Jesus would die, not in place of the political nation Israel, but on behalf of the true people of God; and he would save them, not from physical destruction, but from eternal destruction (cf. 3:16-17). The understanding of Caiaphas’ words in a sense that Caiaphas could not possibly have imagined at the time he uttered them serves as a clear example of the way in which the author understood that words and actions could be invested retrospectively with a meaning not consciously intended or understood by those present at the time.

⁹ tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

¹⁰ tn Grk “crying out in the temple [courts] and saying.” The participle λέγοντας (legontas) is somewhat redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.

¹¹ tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹² tn Grk “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 5:21.

¹³ tn Grk “to destroy.”

¹⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

¹⁵ tn Grk “they did not find the thing that they might do.”

¹⁶ sn All the people hung on his words is an idiom for intent, eager listening. Jesus’ popularity and support made it unwise for the leadership to seize him.

¹⁷ tn Or “evident.”

¹⁸ tn Here σημεῖον (shmeion) has been translated as “miraculous sign” rather than simply “sign” or “miracle” since both components appear to be present in the context. It is clear that the healing of the lame man was a miracle, but for the Sanhedrin it was the value of the miraculous healing as a sign that concerned them because it gave attestation to the message of Peter and John. The sign “speaks” as Peter claimed in 3:11-16.

¹⁹ tn Or “has been done by them.”

²⁰ tn Or “speak no longer.”

²¹ tn Or “the Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

²² tn Or “interrogated,” “asked.”

²³ tc ‡ The majority of mss, including a few important witnesses (א² D E [Ψ] 1739 Ï sy sa), have the negative particle οὐ (ou) here, effectively turning the high priest’s words into a question: “Did we not give you strict orders not to teach in this name?” But the earliest and most important mss, along with some others (Ì⁷⁴ א* A B 1175 lat bo), lack the particle, making this a strong statement rather than a question. Scribes may have been tempted to omit the particle to strengthen the contrast between official Judaism and the new faith, but the fact that v. 27 introduces the quotation with ἐπηρώτησεν (ephrwthsen, “he questioned”) may well have prompted scribes to add οὐ to convert the rebuke into a question. Further, that excellent witnesses affirm the shorter reading is sufficient ground for accepting it as most probably authentic. NA²⁷ includes the particle in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.

²⁴ tn Grk “We commanded you with a commandment” (a Semitic idiom that is emphatic).

²⁵ sn The name (i.e., person) of Jesus is the constant issue of debate.

²⁶ tn Grk “And behold.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

²⁷ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

²⁸ sn To bring this man’s blood on us is an idiom meaning “you intend to make us guilty of this man’s death.”