Matthew 12:14-15

12:14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, as to how they could assassinate him.

God’s Special Servant

12:15 Now when Jesus learned of this, he went away from there. Great crowds followed him, and he healed them all.

Matthew 21:45

21:45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them.

John 7:1

The Feast of Tabernacles

7:1 After this Jesus traveled throughout Galilee. He stayed out of Judea because the Jewish leaders 10  wanted 11  to kill him.

John 11:47

11:47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees 12  called the council 13  together and said, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many miraculous signs.

Acts 4:15

4:15 But when they had ordered them to go outside the council, 14  they began to confer with one another,

Acts 4:19

4:19 But Peter and John replied, 15  “Whether it is right before God to obey 16  you rather than God, you decide,

Acts 5:33

5:33 Now when they heard this, they became furious 17  and wanted to execute them. 18 


tn Grk “destroy.”

tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

tc א B pc lat read only πολλοί (polloi, “many”) here, the first hand of N reads ὄχλοι (ocloi, “crowds”), while virtually all the rest of the witnesses have ὄχλοι πολλοί (ocloi polloi, “great crowds”). In spite of the good quality of both א and B (especially in combination), and the testimony of the Latin witnesses, the longer reading is most likely correct; the shorter readings were probably due to homoioteleuton.

tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

sn Again, the transition is indicated by the imprecise temporal indicator After this. Clearly, though, the author has left out much of the events of Jesus’ ministry, because chap. 6 took place near the Passover (6:4). This would have been the Passover between winter/spring of a.d. 32, just one year before Jesus’ crucifixion (assuming a date of a.d. 33 for the crucifixion), or the Passover of winter/spring a.d. 29, assuming a date of a.d. 30 for the crucifixion.

tn Grk “Jesus was traveling around in Galilee.”

tn Grk “For he.” Here γάρ (gar, “for”) has not been translated.

tn Grk “he did not want to travel around in Judea.”

10 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase should be restricted to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents.

11 tn Grk “were seeking.”

12 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.

13 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.

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

15 tn Grk “answered and said to them.”

16 tn Grk “hear,” but the idea of “hear and obey” or simply “obey” is frequently contained in the Greek verb ἀκούω (akouw; see L&N 36.14).

17 sn The only other use of this verb for anger (furious) is Acts 7:54 after Stephen’s speech.

18 sn Wanted to execute them. The charge would surely be capital insubordination (Exod 22:28).