Mark 14:63 kjv
Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses?
Mark 14:63 nkjv
Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "What further need do we have of witnesses?
Mark 14:63 niv
The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked.
Mark 14:63 esv
And the high priest tore his garments and said, "What further witnesses do we need?
Mark 14:63 nlt
Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, "Why do we need other witnesses?
Mark 14 63 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mk 14:62 | And Jesus said, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man..." | Jesus's direct claim of divine identity. |
| Mt 26:64 | Jesus said to him, "You have said so. But I tell you..." | Parallel account of Jesus's claim. |
| Lk 22:69 | But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God. | Parallel account, highlighting divine power. |
| Ps 110:1 | The Lord says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool." | Prophecy of Messiah at God's right hand. |
| Dan 7:13-14 | I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a Son of Man... | Source for "Son of Man" and clouds of heaven. |
| Ex 3:14 | God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." | Jesus's "I AM" echoes Yahweh's divine name. |
| Jn 5:18 | ...because he not only broke the Sabbath but also called God his own Father, making himself equal with God. | Jesus accused of making Himself equal with God. |
| Jn 10:33 | The Jews answered him, "It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God." | Direct accusation of blasphemy for divine claims. |
| Lev 24:16 | Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death... | Law on capital punishment for blasphemy. |
| 1 Kgs 21:10 | And set two worthless men before him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, 'You have cursed God and the king,' and then take him out and stone him to death." | Example of false charge of blasphemy. |
| Acts 6:11-14 | Then they secretly instigated men who said, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." | Stephen accused of blasphemy. |
| Mk 14:56-59 | For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. | Failure of false witnesses preceding Caiaphas's act. |
| Deut 19:15 | "A single witness shall not suffice to convict a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed... | Law requiring multiple witnesses for conviction. |
| Lev 10:6 | And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons, "Do not let the hair of your heads hang loose, and do not tear your garments, lest you die and wrath come upon all the congregation..." | Prohibition for priests tearing clothes in certain contexts. |
| Lev 21:10 | "The priest who is chief among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose or tear his garments..." | Specific prohibition for High Priest from tearing clothes. |
| 2 Kgs 18:37 | Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh. | Tearing clothes as a sign of distress/indignation. |
| Acts 14:14 | But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out... | Tearing clothes in horror at perceived blasphemy (idolatry). |
| Jn 19:7 | The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God." | Jesus condemned for claiming Son of God. |
| Isa 53:3 | He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. | Jesus rejected and condemned. |
| Lk 22:70-71 | So they all said, "Are you then the Son of God?" And he said to them, "You say that I am." Then they said, "What further need do we have of testimony? For we ourselves have heard it from his own lips." | Parallel account echoing Caiaphas's verdict. |
Mark 14 verses
Mark 14 63 Meaning
Mark 14:63 describes the dramatic reaction of the high priest Caiaphas to Jesus's declaration of being the Messiah, the Son of God, who would be seen "sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven." Caiaphas immediately tears his garments, an ancient sign of horror or outrage, loudly proclaiming that Jesus's own words constitute explicit blasphemy, thus eliminating any need for further witnesses or evidence to condemn Him. This act publicly declared Jesus's perceived guilt in the eyes of the Jewish council.
Mark 14 63 Context
Mark 14:63 is set during the pivotal nocturnal trial of Jesus before the Jewish Sanhedrin, led by the High Priest Caiaphas. This scene follows Jesus's betrayal by Judas, His arrest, and His being led to the high priest's residence. Prior to verse 63, the Sanhedrin had attempted to secure reliable witnesses against Jesus but failed, as their testimonies were inconsistent (Mk 14:56-59). Seeing this judicial deadlock, the high priest directly interrogates Jesus about His identity, asking, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" (Mk 14:61). Jesus's direct and authoritative affirmation ("I am, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven" – Mk 14:62) directly precipitates Caiaphas's extreme reaction. This immediate condemnation leads directly to Jesus being found guilty and suffering abuse from the council (Mk 14:64-65). Historically, the Sanhedrin possessed religious and civil authority, but their power to enact capital punishment was typically limited under Roman rule, meaning their conviction would need to be ratified by the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate.
Mark 14 63 Word analysis
- Then (καὶ, kai): This conjunction signifies a direct, immediate consequence, indicating the rapid unfolding of events in response to Jesus's crucial statement in the preceding verse. It highlights the instantaneous nature of Caiaphas's reaction.
- the high priest (ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς, ho archiereus): Refers specifically to Caiaphas, the supreme religious authority and head of the Sanhedrin at the time. His title underscored his position as the leader of the Jewish nation, making his pronouncements weighty and seemingly definitive for the court.
- tore (διέῤῥηξεν, dierrēxen): From diarrēgnumi (to tear or rend violently). This describes the act of tearing one's outer garments, specifically in response to strong emotion, in this context, profound horror and indignation.
- his clothes (τοὺς χιτῶνας, tous chitōnas): Refers to his outer garments or tunic. For the high priest, this act carried particular significance as it was generally forbidden for a high priest to tear his clothes, especially during his service, as it would desecrate his office (Lev 10:6; 21:10). His tearing of garments here signifies the extreme gravity of the perceived blasphemy in his view, transcending even the priestly custom, or possibly performing a public, ritualistic declaration for the entire assembly to condemn Jesus. It served as a visible sign to move the entire council.
- and said (λέγει, legei): Denotes a direct, declarative statement, amplifying the impact of his gesture. It’s a formal pronouncement, not a casual remark.
- What (Τί, Ti): An interrogative pronoun, initiating a rhetorical question.
- further (ἔτι, eti): Implies 'still' or 'any more.' Caiaphas believes the required evidence has been abundantly met.
- need (χρείαν, chreian): Requirement, necessity. Caiaphas sees no necessity for additional testimony.
- do we have (ἔχομεν, echomen): The plural "we" emphasizes that this is a collective judgment and that the high priest speaks on behalf of the entire court.
- of witnesses (μαρτύρων, martyrōn): Evidence or testimony, particularly human testimony in a legal setting. This refers to the prior attempts by false witnesses (Mk 14:56-59) which had failed to provide a cohesive or convincing case. Caiaphas is effectively saying that Jesus's own confession serves as the definitive witness.
Words-group Analysis
- "Then the high priest tore his clothes": This phrase encapsulates a deliberate, public, and highly symbolic act by the most prominent judicial figure. His ripping of garments serves as a visual and dramatic signal to the other members of the Sanhedrin that an act of extreme offense (in his view, blasphemy) has occurred. For the High Priest, an action typically forbidden by Levitical law (Lev 21:10), it underscores the profound horror he claims to feel at Jesus's self-identification and its perceived affront to God. This public display effectively primes the council for condemnation.
- "and said, 'What further need do we have of witnesses?'": This rhetorical question is a judicial pronouncement, indicating a complete dismissal of the need for further legal proceedings or evidence. Caiaphas declares that Jesus's own words ("I am, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven") constitute self-incrimination, immediately concluding His guilt on the charge of blasphemy, thereby circumventing any defense or cross-examination. It turns a formal inquiry into a predetermined conviction.
Mark 14 63 Bonus section
The tearing of the high priest's clothes in Mark 14:63 carries a profound irony. While Caiaphas rents his garments in what he believes is righteous indignation against "blasphemy," the action itself subtly foreshadows the rending of the temple veil at Jesus's death (Mk 15:38). Just as Caiaphas rips his physical clothing, symbolizing his utter rejection of the Messiah and thus implicitly the old covenant, the physical temple veil is torn, symbolizing the opening of direct access to God and the superseding of the old sacrificial system by Christ's finished work. The act of the high priest, supposedly upholding the Law, thus unknowingly marks a turning point in God's redemptive history. His performance transforms what should have been a legitimate legal proceeding into a summary execution based on religious prejudice and a corrupted judicial process.
Mark 14 63 Commentary
Mark 14:63 captures the dramatic turning point in Jesus's trial before the Sanhedrin. Caiaphas's act of tearing his garments was not merely a spontaneous outburst but a calculated, ritualistic demonstration intended to shock and sway the other members of the council. By tearing his garments, an action often used to signal utter horror in the face of blasphemy, he implicitly declares Jesus's statement in Mk 14:62 to be an open and shut case of sacrilege deserving death. His rhetorical question, "What further need do we have of witnesses?", is the logical consequence of this gesture; it asserts that Jesus has unequivocally condemned Himself by claiming divine authority and messianic glory, rendering any previous conflicting testimony (Mk 14:56-59) irrelevant. This moment exposes the religious establishment's ultimate rejection of Jesus's identity, choosing to interpret His divine claims as capital blasphemy rather than acknowledging Him as the Christ. The high priest, who should have judged impartially, became the chief accuser and orchestrator of condemnation.