Mark 14 64

Mark 14:64 kjv

Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.

Mark 14:64 nkjv

You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?" And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.

Mark 14:64 niv

"You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?" They all condemned him as worthy of death.

Mark 14:64 esv

You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?" And they all condemned him as deserving death.

Mark 14:64 nlt

You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?" "Guilty!" they all cried. "He deserves to die!"

Mark 14 verses

Mark 14 64 Meaning

Mark 14:64 details the climactic moment of Jesus' trial before the Jewish high council, the Sanhedrin. Having just heard Jesus' direct affirmation of being the Messiah, the Son of God, and foretelling His coming as the Son of Man on the clouds, the high priest and the assembly concluded that Jesus had uttered ultimate blasphemy against God. In their judgment, this act warranted the highest penalty under Jewish law: death. Thus, with full consensus, they condemned Him, deeming Him deserving of execution.

Mark 14 64 Context

Mark 14:64 is the culmination of Jesus' Jewish trial, following His arrest in Gethsemane. After being led to the high priest Caiaphas, the Sanhedrin—the supreme judicial and ecclesiastical council of the Jews—convened illegally at night. Despite the desperate attempts by the high priest and other members to find consistent false testimony, none was sufficient to warrant a death sentence according to Jewish law. The high priest then put Jesus under oath, directly asking if He was "the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One." Jesus' profound "I am," coupled with the declaration that they would "see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven," instantly transformed their search for accusations into a definitive verdict of "blasphemy" in their eyes. This verse records their swift, unanimous, and decisive condemnation based on His own words.

Mark 14 64 Word analysis

• ἠκούσατε (ēkousate): "You have heard." This aorist verb emphasizes a completed action in the past with ongoing relevance. The high priest intends to establish the fact that they all witnessed Jesus' declaration. It serves to secure a unanimous judgment, suggesting the evidence is clear and universally understood by all present.
• τῆς βλασφημίας (tēs blasphēmias): "the blasphemy." Blasphemia in its core means slander or defamation. In a religious context, it specifically refers to irreverent speech against God or sacred things, ranging from reviling God's name to claiming divine prerogatives. Here, the definite article "the" indicates it's a specific, unmistakable act of blasphemy from their perspective—Jesus' explicit claim to be the divine Son and future judge, equating Himself with God, was considered the ultimate transgression of God's uniqueness (Deut 6:4).
• τί ὑμῖν φαίνεται; (ti hymin phainetai?): "What appears to you? / What do you think?" This is a direct appeal for a collective verdict, legally seeking the consensus of the council. It demonstrates the high priest's effort to validate his outrage and formalize the accusation. It is a rhetorical question that prompts the expected answer, ensuring everyone is complicit in the judgment.
• οἱ δὲ πάντες (hoi de pantes): "And all of them." The word pantes (all) stresses the unanimous decision of the Sanhedrin. This complete consensus adds immense weight to their condemnation, signifying a total rejection by Israel's religious leadership. It implies not just agreement but a collective surge of indignation and condemnation.
• κατέκριναν (katekrinan): "they condemned." This is from katakrinō, meaning to pass judgment against, sentence, or declare guilty. It is a legal term, denoting the official sentencing. The use of the aorist tense implies an immediate, definitive action, reflecting the speed and finality of their decision.
• αὐτὸν (auton): "him." A simple personal pronoun directly identifying Jesus as the subject of their condemnation. It leaves no ambiguity as to who is being judged.
• ἔνοχον εἶναι θανάτου (enochon einai thanatou): "deserving to be (of) death" or "guilty of death." Enochon (ἔνοχον) means guilty, liable to, or deserving of. This phrase is the technical legal pronouncement for a capital offense. It means that, by their interpretation of the law regarding blasphemy (Lev 24:16), Jesus was worthy of the death penalty. It is their official sentence, declaring Him subject to execution.

• "You have heard his blasphemy": This phrase by the high priest is a direct legal declaration and accusation. It assumes guilt, shifting from seeking testimony to pronouncing verdict, based on Jesus' own words. The "blasphemy" here is Jesus' identity claim in Mark 14:62, not necessarily an explicit cursing of God, but implicitly a claiming of divine prerogatives which the Jewish leadership considered a severe offense against God's unique identity and majesty.
• "What do you think?": This is a direct appeal to the council for a legal judgment. It's less about inquiry and more about seeking validation for an already decided conclusion by the high priest, framing their expected unanimous vote.
• "And they all condemned him": This emphasizes the collective agreement and judicial authority behind the verdict. "All" underscores the absolute rejection of Jesus by the religious establishment, indicating a complete consensus without dissent, reinforcing the high priest's judgment.
• "as deserving death": This is the legal sentence itself. Based on their interpretation of Jesus' claim as blasphemy, this was the appropriate penalty according to Old Testament law for a capital offense against God (Lev 24:16). This decision sets the stage for His eventual execution, albeit requiring Roman sanction since Jewish courts did not retain the authority to execute during this period.

Mark 14 64 Bonus section

• The charge of blasphemy that led to Jesus' condemnation was unique: not for cursing God's name (which was the strict definition in some rabbinic traditions, e.g., Sanhedrin 7:5), but for His self-claim of divine authority and Sonship. This stretching of the definition showed their determination to execute Him.
• This trial before the Sanhedrin was riddled with legal irregularities under Jewish law itself. These included conducting a capital case at night (capital cases were to be tried by day and completed by day), on the eve of a major feast, allowing the presiding judge (Caiaphas) to also act as an accuser, failing to provide an adequate defense, and having a predetermined outcome, as indicated by the rapid, unanimous verdict.
• The tearing of robes (mentioned in Mk 14:63, just before 14:64) was not merely an emotional outburst but a recognized legal gesture signaling utter shock and profound condemnation of perceived blasphemy, making the accusation formally recognized by the assembly. This symbolic act ritualistically sealed Jesus' fate as a blasphemer in their eyes.
• While the Sanhedrin condemned Jesus to death, they lacked the authority to carry out the execution under Roman rule (John 18:31). This forced them to hand Jesus over to Pontius Pilate, setting the stage for the Roman trial and crucifixion, aligning with Jesus' own prophecy that He would be delivered to the Gentiles (Mk 10:33).

Mark 14 64 Commentary

Mark 14:64 is the Sanhedrin's formal condemnation of Jesus. His powerful "I am" and the declaration of His return as the glorious Son of Man—allusions to divine presence (Exod 3:14), royal enthronement (Ps 110:1), and heavenly authority (Dan 7:13)—were perceived by the Jewish high court not as truths about the Messiah, but as sacrilegious self-exaltation. This verse shows their immediate and unanimous response, triggered by the high priest's calculated question. Their ripping of robes (Mk 14:63) was the theatrical and legalistic demonstration of horror and immediate conviction. The verdict, "deserving death," reveals their deep-seated rejection of Jesus' divine claims, which they saw as an ultimate affront to God's singularity. This decision sealed His fate from the perspective of Jewish law, initiating the process that would lead to His crucifixion, fulfilling prophetic scripture.Practical application:

• Sometimes, those in authority, due to misinterpretation or ingrained beliefs, may reject and condemn what is truly of God.
• The unanimous condemnation illustrates the spiritual blindness and hardened hearts of leaders who refused to acknowledge God's truth staring them in the face.