Psalms 2:2-4

2:2 The kings of the earth ¹  form a united front; ² 

the rulers collaborate ³ 

against the Lord and his anointed king. ⁴ 

2:3 They say, ⁵  “Let’s tear off the shackles they’ve put on us! ⁶ 

Let’s free ourselves from ⁷  their ropes!”

2:4 The one enthroned ⁸  in heaven laughs in disgust; ⁹ 

the Lord taunts ¹⁰  them.

Matthew 26:3

26:3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people met together in the palace of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas.

Matthew 27:1-2

Jesus Brought Before Pilate

27:1 When ¹¹  it was early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to execute him. 27:2 They ¹²  tied him up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate ¹³  the governor. ¹⁴ 

Mark 14:1

The Plot Against Jesus

14:1 Two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the chief priests and the experts in the law ¹⁵  were trying to find a way ¹⁶  to arrest Jesus ¹⁷  by stealth and kill him.

Luke 22:2

22:2 The ¹⁸  chief priests and the experts in the law ¹⁹  were trying to find some way ²⁰  to execute ²¹  Jesus, ²²  for they were afraid of the people. ²³ 

Acts 4:5-6

4:5 On the next day, ²⁴  their rulers, elders, and experts in the law ²⁵  came together ²⁶  in Jerusalem. ²⁷  4:6 Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and others who were members of the high priest’s family. ²⁸ 

Acts 4:27-28

4:27 “For indeed both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together in this city against ²⁹  your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, ³⁰  4:28 to do as much as your power ³¹  and your plan ³²  had decided beforehand ³³  would happen.

Acts 5:21

5:21 When they heard this, they entered the temple courts ³⁴  at daybreak and began teaching. ³⁵ 

Now when the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they summoned the Sanhedrin ³⁶  – that is, the whole high council ³⁷  of the Israelites ³⁸  – and sent to the jail to have the apostles ³⁹  brought before them. ⁴⁰ 

[2:2]  ¹ sn The expression kings of the earth refers somewhat hyperbolically to the kings who had been conquered by and were subject to the Davidic king.

[2:2]  ² tn Or “take their stand.” The Hebrew imperfect verbal form describes their action as underway.

[2:2]  ³ tn Or “conspire together.” The verbal form is a Niphal from יָסַד (yasad). BDB 413-14 s.v. יָסַד defines the verb as “establish, found,” but HALOT 417 s.v. II יסד proposes a homonym meaning “get together, conspire” (an alternate form of סוּד, sud).

[2:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “and against his anointed one.” The Davidic king is the referent (see vv. 6-7).

[2:3]  ⁵ tn The words “they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The quotation represents the words of the rebellious kings.

[2:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “their (i.e., the Lord’s and the king’s) shackles.” The kings compare the rule of the Lord and his vice-regent to being imprisoned.

[2:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “throw off from us.”

[2:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “sitting.” The Hebrew verb יָשַׁב (yashav) is here used metonymically of “sitting enthroned” (see Pss 9:7; 29:10; 55:19; 102:12; 123:1).

[2:4]  ¹⁰ tn As the next line indicates, this refers to derisive laughter. The Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in vv. 4-5 describe the action from the perspective of an eyewitness who is watching the divine response as it unfolds before his eyes.

[2:4]  ¹¹ tn Or “scoffs at”; “derides”; “mocks.”

[27:1]  ¹³ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[27:2]  ¹⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[27:2]  ¹⁸ tc Most mss (A C W Θ 0250 Ë^1,13 Ï latt) have Ποντίῳ (Pontiw, “Pontius”) before Πιλάτῳ (Pilatw, “Pilate”), but there seems to be no reason for omitting the tribal name, either intentionally or unintentionally. Adding “Pontius,” however, is a natural expansion on the text, and is in keeping with several other NT and patristic references to the Roman governor (cf. Luke 3:1; Acts 4:27; 1 Tim 6:13; Ign. Magn. 11.1; Ign. Trall. 9.1; Ign. Smyrn. 1.2; Justin Martyr, passim). The shorter reading, supported by א B L 0281 33 pc co, is thus strongly preferred.

[27:2]  ¹⁹ sn The Jews most assuredly wanted to put Jesus to death, but they lacked the authority to do so. For this reason they handed him over to Pilate in hopes of securing a death sentence. The Romans kept close control of the death penalty in conquered territories to prevent it from being used to execute Roman sympathizers.

[14:1]  ²¹ tn Or “the chief priests and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.

[14:1]  ²² tn Grk “were seeking how.”

[14:1]  ²³ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:2]  ²⁵ tn Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[22:2]  ²⁶ tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 5:21.

[22:2]  ²⁷ tn Grk “were seeking how.”

[22:2]  ²⁸ tn The Greek verb here means “to get rid of by execution” (BDAG 64 s.v. ἀναιρέω 2; cf. also L&N 20.71, which states, “to get rid of someone by execution, often with legal or quasi-legal procedures”).

[22:2]  ²⁹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:2]  ³⁰ sn The suggestion here is that Jesus was too popular to openly arrest him. The verb were trying is imperfect. It suggests, in this context, that they were always considering the opportunities.

[4:5]  ²⁹ tn Grk “It happened that on the next day.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[4:5]  ³⁰ tn Or “and scribes.” The traditional rendering of γραμματεύς (grammateu") as “scribe” does not communicate much to the modern English reader, for whom the term might mean “professional copyist,” if it means anything at all. The people referred to here were recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations. Thus “expert in the law” comes closer to the meaning for the modern reader.

[4:5]  ³¹ tn Or “law assembled,” “law met together.”

[4:5]  ³² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[4:6]  ³³ sn The high priest’s family. This family controlled the high priesthood as far back as a.d. 6. Annas, Caiaphas, and Alexander were all high priests at one time (though Alexander held that office after this event).

[4:27]  ³⁷ sn The application of Ps 2:1-2 is that Jews and Gentiles are opposing Jesus. The surprise of the application is that Jews are now found among the enemies of God’s plan.

[4:27]  ³⁸ sn A wordplay on “Christ,” v. 26, which means “one who has been anointed.”

[4:28]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “hand,” here a metaphor for God’s strength or power or authority.

[4:28]  ⁴² tn Or “purpose,” “will.”

[4:28]  ⁴³ tn Or “had predestined.” Since the term “predestine” is something of a technical theological term, not in wide usage in contemporary English, the translation “decide beforehand” was used instead (see L&N 30.84). God’s direction remains as the major theme.

[5:21]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “the temple.” See the note on the same phrase in the preceding verse.

[5:21]  ⁴⁶ tn The imperfect verb ἐδίδασκον (edidaskon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[5:21]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “the council” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

[5:21]  ⁴⁸ tn A hendiadys (two different terms referring to a single thing) is likely here (a reference to a single legislative body rather than two separate ones) because the term γερουσίαν (gerousian) is used in both 1 Macc 12:6 and Josephus, Ant. 13.5.8 (13.166) to refer to the Sanhedrin.

[5:21]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “sons of Israel.”

[5:21]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “have them”; the referent (the apostles) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:21]  ⁵¹ tn The words “before them” are not in the Greek text but are implied.