Luke 23 10

Luke 23:10 kjv

And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.

Luke 23:10 nkjv

And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him.

Luke 23:10 niv

The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him.

Luke 23:10 esv

The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him.

Luke 23:10 nlt

Meanwhile, the leading priests and the teachers of religious law stood there shouting their accusations.

Luke 23 verses

Luke 23 10 Meaning

Luke 23:10 describes the intense and persistent opposition Jesus faced during His trial before Pontius Pilate. It highlights that the most prominent religious and legal authorities of the Jewish people, the chief priests and the scribes, were united in their resolute determination to press their charges against Him with unwavering force and vigor. This verse reveals their relentless hostility, aiming to ensure Jesus' condemnation despite Pilate's initial assessment of His innocence.

Luke 23 10 Context

Luke 23:10 occurs at a pivotal moment during Jesus' trial before Pilate. Prior to this, Jesus had been arrested, tried, and condemned for blasphemy by the Sanhedrin (Luke 22:66-71). However, since the Jewish authorities lacked the power to execute Him under Roman occupation, they brought Him to Pilate, presenting religious accusations as political crimes to gain Roman authorization for His death (Luke 23:1-2). They initially accused Him of "perverting our nation, and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King."

Pilate, after questioning Jesus, declared in Luke 23:4 that he "found no guilt in this man." This verdict, however, did not deter the chief priests and scribes. Instead, Luke 23:5 states, "But they were urgent, saying, 'He stirs up the people... from Galilee even to this place.'" This intensifying pressure sets the immediate scene for verse 10, demonstrating the relentless and increasing fervor of their accusations against Pilate's initial assessment of Jesus' innocence. Pilate's subsequent act of sending Jesus to Herod Antipas (Luke 23:6-7) is a direct consequence of their specific accusation about Jesus stirring up trouble from Galilee, showing the immediate impact of their "vehement" accusations.

Luke 23 10 Word analysis

• And (καί - kai): This conjunction serves as a strong connective, linking the prior events—Pilate's declaration of no guilt (v. 4) and the increasing insistence of the crowd (v. 5)—to the specific actions of the chief priests and scribes. It signifies a continuation and intensification of the opposition.
• the chief priests (οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς - hoi archiereis): This term refers to the leading religious officials within Judaism, primarily drawn from the Sadducees. They held significant power and authority, overseeing the Temple and religious rites. They perceived Jesus as a direct threat to their authority, influence, and the established religious order (John 11:47-48). Their opposition stemmed from fear of losing their position to Roman reprisal if Jesus, as a perceived Messiah-King, caused unrest.
• and the scribes (καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς - kai hoi grammateis): These were the learned interpreters and teachers of the Mosaic Law, often associated with the Pharisees. They were experts in Jewish scripture and tradition. Their alliance with the chief priests here demonstrates a broad, unified opposition from the established religious elite, irrespective of their theological differences, united against Jesus whom they saw as undermining their interpretations and teachings.
• stood (εἱστήκεισαν - heistēkeisan): This word is the imperfect indicative of the verb "histēmi," meaning "to stand." The posture indicates a firm, fixed, and resolute position. It suggests a determined stance, one that is not yielding or wavering. They stood confrontational, ready to make their case with conviction and to persist in their demands. It conveys their unyielding resolve in accusing Jesus.
• and vehemently (καὶ εὐτόνως - kai eutonōs): This adverb is derived from "eutonos," meaning "intense, strained, strong, with full force." It emphasizes the extreme vigor, passion, and forceful energy with which they accused Jesus. It was not a casual or moderate accusation, but one made with full determination, perhaps with shouting, emphatic gestures, and a relentless torrent of charges, signifying their deep-seated hostility and desperate desire for a conviction.
• accused Him (κατηγόρουν αὐτοῦ - katēgoroun autou): The verb "katēgoreō" means "to accuse, to bring a charge against someone." The imperfect tense here ("were accusing") is highly significant. It implies a continuous, repeated, or ongoing action. They were not just making a single charge, but persistently and successively bringing forth numerous denunciations against Jesus. This relentless verbal assault was designed to overwhelm Pilate and prevent him from releasing Jesus.

Words-group analysis

• "the chief priests and the scribes": This phrase represents the concentrated and formidable religious authority of Israel. Their unity in accusation against Jesus is particularly damning, as they, the guardians and interpreters of God's law, actively conspired to condemn the very Messiah sent by God. It highlights their spiritual blindness and their priority of institutional power over divine truth.
• "stood and vehemently accused Him": This complete phrase paints a vivid scene of aggressive, unyielding antagonism. Their "standing" underscores their resolve and fixed determination to see Jesus condemned, while "vehemently accused" conveys the intense malice, the energy, and the relentless stream of charges they hurled at Him. This was a psychological and political assault, aiming to overpower Pilate's initial finding of innocence through sheer, forceful persistence, contrasting sharply with Jesus' prophetic silence (Isa 53:7).

Luke 23 10 Bonus section

The specific charges alluded to in Luke 23:10, and stated in Luke 23:2, were politically tailored ("perverting the nation," "forbidding tribute to Caesar," "claiming to be a King"). The chief priests and scribes deliberately reframed their theological conviction of Jesus' blasphemy into a charge of sedition against Rome. This manipulation was strategic: under Roman occupation, Jewish courts could condemn but not execute; treason, however, was a capital offense that Pilate could act upon. Thus, their "vehement" accusations were not just a display of anger, but a calculated legal and political maneuver to compel the Roman governor's hand in executing Jesus. This shift from religious to political grounds for execution reveals the depths of their malice and cunning.

Luke 23 10 Commentary

Luke 23:10 encapsulates the culmination of the Jewish religious leadership's fervent opposition to Jesus. Undeterred by Pilate's initial declaration of innocence, the chief priests and scribes maintained their resolute posture and continued their relentless and forceful accusations. Their "vehement" charges highlight the depth of their hostility and their desperation to secure Jesus' conviction, rooted in their fear of losing authority and their fundamental rejection of His divine claims. This persistent verbal assault reveals a spiritual blindness that chose earthly power over divine truth, ironically accusing the sinless Lamb of God with intense sin. It serves as a stark illustration of human resistance to God's redemptive plan and foreshadows the complete human rejection Jesus faced before His crucifixion.