Matthew 26:59-68
Context26:59 The 1 chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were trying to find false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death. 26:60 But they did not find anything, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally 2 two came forward 26:61 and declared, “This man 3 said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’” 26:62 So 4 the high priest stood up and said to him, “Have you no answer? What is this that they are testifying against you?” 26:63 But Jesus was silent. The 5 high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, 6 the Son of God.” 26:64 Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand 7 of the Power 8 and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 9 26:65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and declared, 10 “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? Now 11 you have heard the blasphemy! 26:66 What is your verdict?” 12 They 13 answered, “He is guilty and deserves 14 death.” 26:67 Then they spat in his face and struck him with their fists. And some slapped him, 26:68 saying, “Prophesy for us, you Christ! 15 Who hit you?” 16
[26:59] 1 tn Grk “Now the.” Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[26:60] 2 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[26:62] 4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the false testimony.
[26:63] 5 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[26:63] 6 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[26:64] 7 sn An allusion to Ps 110:1. This is a claim that Jesus shares authority with God in heaven. Those present may have thought they were his judges, but, in fact, the reverse was true.
[26:64] 8 sn The expression the right hand of the Power is a circumlocution for referring to God. Such indirect references to God were common in 1st century Judaism out of reverence for the divine name.
[26:64] 9 sn An allusion to Dan 7:13 (see also Matt 24:30).
[26:65] 10 tn Grk “the high priest tore his clothes, saying.”
[26:65] 11 tn Grk “Behold now.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
[26:66] 12 tn Grk “What do you think?”
[26:66] 13 tn Grk “answering, they said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[26:66] 14 tn Grk “he is guilty of death.” L&N 88.313 states, “pertaining to being guilty and thus deserving some particular penalty – ‘guilty and deserving, guilty and punishable by.’ οἱ δὲ ἀποκριθέντες εἶπαν, ᾿Ενοχος θανάτου ἐστίν ‘they answered, He is guilty and deserves death’ Mt 26:66.”
[26:68] 15 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”