Mark 14 61

Mark 14:61 kjv

But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?

Mark 14:61 nkjv

But He kept silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"

Mark 14:61 niv

But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?"

Mark 14:61 esv

But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"

Mark 14:61 nlt

But Jesus was silent and made no reply. Then the high priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?"

Mark 14 verses

Mark 14 61 Meaning

Mark 14:61 records a pivotal moment in Jesus's trial before the Sanhedrin, where He maintains a deliberate silence in response to earlier accusations, but is then directly questioned by the High Priest about His true identity: whether He is the promised Messiah ("the Christ") and the divine "Son of the Blessed," a clear circumlocution for God. This verse sets the stage for Jesus's definitive affirmation of His identity in the subsequent verse, confirming His messianic and divine Sonship to the very council seeking to condemn Him. His initial silence, followed by this specific direct question, highlights the shift in the High Priest's strategy from relying on false witnesses to extracting a confession directly related to Jesus's claims and nature, which would constitute blasphemy under Jewish law if untrue.

Mark 14 61 Context

Mark chapter 14 describes the final hours of Jesus's earthly life before His crucifixion, specifically focusing on His arrest and trial. Leading up to verse 61, Jesus has been betrayed by Judas (Mk 14:43-46), arrested by a mob (Mk 14:47-49), abandoned by His disciples (Mk 14:50-52), and brought before the High Priest, Caiaphas, and the entire Sanhedrin (Mk 14:53). The trial begins with attempts to find false witness against Jesus, but their testimonies contradict each other and fail to provide sufficient grounds for condemnation (Mk 14:55-59). Verse 60 shows the High Priest growing impatient with the lack of progress and the conflicting testimonies, leading him to directly confront Jesus. Historically, the Sanhedrin, composed of priests, elders, and scribes, held religious authority under Roman rule but required Roman approval for capital punishment. The High Priest's direct question is a legal maneuver to extract a self-incriminating statement that would allow them to accuse Him of blasphemy, a religious crime punishable by death. Culturally, "The Blessed" (Eulogetos) was a common circumlocution for God, avoiding direct pronunciation of the sacred divine name, YHWH. The polemic here is against any notion that Jesus's identity could be ambiguous or merely human; the High Priest presses for a confession that places Jesus directly within the realm of the divine or falsely claiming divine authority, a direct challenge to the exclusive worship of the one God.

Mark 14 61 Word analysis

• But He remained silent (ὁ δὲ ἐσιώπα, ho de esiōpa): "But" (δέ, de) marks a contrast with the preceding commotion and the flurry of false accusations. "Remained silent" is from the Greek verb σιωπάω (siōpaō), imperfect tense, indicating a sustained or continuous silence. This silence is profound, deliberate, and prophetic (cf. Isa 53:7). It suggests Jesus's calm and composed demeanor amidst chaos, and His refusal to dignify false accusations by responding to them.

• and answered nothing (καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπεκρίνατο, kai ouden apekrīnato): "Answered" is from ἀποκρίνομαι (apokrinomai), an aorist middle verb, highlighting a definitive action. The word "nothing" (οὐδέν, ouden) reinforces the complete lack of a response. This phrase emphasizes that His silence was not accidental but an active choice not to engage with the unreliable testimonies.

• Again (πάλιν, palin): Indicates a repetition or resumption. It implies that the High Priest had already spoken or questioned, perhaps indirectly or regarding the earlier false testimonies, but received no answer, hence "again" he confronts Jesus directly.

• the high priest questioned Him (ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς ἐπηρώτα αὐτὸν, ho archiereus epērōta auton): "High Priest" (ἀρχιερεύς, archiereus) refers to Caiaphas, the highest religious authority. "Questioned" is ἐπερωτάω (eperōtaō), imperfect tense, suggesting he kept on asking, persistently. This reveals his mounting frustration with the lack of convicting evidence from witnesses and his direct shift to a decisive, accusatory interrogation.

• and said to Him (καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ, kai legei autō): A straightforward reporting verb, but in the present tense (legei), adding a sense of immediacy and dramatic emphasis to the direct confrontation.

• “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” (Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Εὐλογητοῦ;, Sy ei ho Christos ho huios tou Eulogētou?): This is a direct, penetrating question, aiming to extract a confession that could be deemed blasphemous.

  • "Are You": Places the burden squarely on Jesus for a self-declaration. The Greek pronoun "Σύ" (Sy), meaning "You," is emphatic.
  • "the Christ" (ὁ Χριστὸς, ho Christos): This is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew "Messiah" (מָשִׁיחַ, mashiaḥ), meaning "Anointed One." It refers to the long-awaited King, Prophet, and Priest of Israel, destined to deliver God's people and establish His kingdom (cf. Isa 61:1). For Jewish leaders, acknowledging this claim was momentous.
  • "the Son of the Blessed" (ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Εὐλογητοῦ, ho huios tou Eulogētou): This phrase takes the question beyond a mere human kingship to divine sonship. "Blessed" (Εὐλογητός, Eulogētos) is a reverential, common circumlocution for God, particularly in Judaism to avoid pronouncing the sacred divine name YHWH. The high priest is essentially asking, "Are you the Anointed One, who is also the Son of God?" This probes the full extent of Jesus's identity, including His unique divine relationship and authority (cf. Psa 2:7; 2 Sam 7:14), which if a human claimed, would be considered ultimate blasphemy (Lev 24:16). This direct query about both Messiahship and divine Sonship signifies the culmination of their efforts to condemn Jesus on religious grounds.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "But He remained silent and answered nothing": This deliberate double affirmation of Jesus's silence (both continuous and definitive) showcases His composure, sovereignty, and perhaps His unwillingness to participate in a trial designed to find fault rather than truth. It is also an act of fulfilling prophecy concerning the suffering servant (Isa 53:7).
  • "Again the high priest questioned Him and said to Him": This repetition and directness highlight the desperation and authoritative posture of the high priest. Having failed with false witnesses, he shifts to a direct confrontation to force Jesus's hand and illicit a confession, which he can then use to charge Him.
  • "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?": This two-part question is critical. It merges the Jewish messianic expectation with the concept of divine sonship. The high priest is not merely asking if Jesus is a human messianic king, but if He claims a unique, potentially divine relationship with God, thus pushing towards a blasphemy charge. The juxtaposition of "Christ" and "Son of the Blessed" is a full frontal assault on Jesus's ultimate identity, designed to trap Him.

Mark 14 61 Bonus section

The High Priest's formulation, "Son of the Blessed," serves as a stark contrast to Jesus's preferred title, "Son of Man," which, while hinting at divinity from Daniel 7, maintained a sense of mystery. By directly asking about "Son of the Blessed," the High Priest pushes Jesus into using divine terminology, making a charge of blasphemy clearer for the court. This also underscores a key polemic of the trial: the clash between human religious authority seeking to condemn through legalistic interpretation, and divine truth revealed through self-testimony. The Jewish leaders' disbelief in Jesus as "the Christ" stemmed not from a rejection of the concept of the Messiah, but from their inability to reconcile the person of Jesus, His teachings, and His humble presentation with their predetermined notions of a political, conquering Messiah. Furthermore, the high priest’s choice to use "Son of the Blessed" rather than simply "Son of God" reflects the solemnity and perceived reverence required when referring to the Almighty, while simultaneously building a more concrete charge for blasphemy within their legal framework if Jesus affirmed such a divine relationship as a mere man. This deliberate choice of phrasing ensures the question directly relates to Jesus's perceived claims of deity, rather than merely messianic lineage.

Mark 14 61 Commentary

Mark 14:61 marks a turning point in Jesus's trial. Until this point, Jesus had been silent in the face of many conflicting and false testimonies, a silence that baffled His accusers but fulfilled the prophetic picture of the suffering servant (Isa 53:7). However, the High Priest, seeing his scheme for manufactured evidence failing, strategically shifts to a direct theological question that strikes at the heart of Jesus's claims. By asking "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" Caiaphas directly challenged Jesus's most profound identity. The question was a carefully crafted trap; if Jesus denied being the Messiah or the Son of God, His ministry and claims would be invalidated. If He affirmed it, particularly "Son of the Blessed," it could be construed as blasphemy under their interpretation of Jewish law, as they did not accept His divine Sonship in the sense He truly possessed it. Jesus's eventual answer (in Mk 14:62), a clear and powerful affirmation, provides the grounds for their condemnation. This verse, therefore, captures the High Priest's desperate legal strategy and Jesus's poised readiness to confess His true divine identity even unto death, demonstrating His willingness to endure suffering for the sake of truth and His ultimate redemptive mission.