Matthew 26 5

Matthew 26:5 kjv

But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.

Matthew 26:5 nkjv

But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people."

Matthew 26:5 niv

"But not during the festival," they said, "or there may be a riot among the people."

Matthew 26:5 esv

But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people."

Matthew 26:5 nlt

"But not during the Passover celebration," they agreed, "or the people may riot."

Matthew 26 verses

Matthew 26 5 Meaning

Matthew 26:5 reveals the immediate concern of the chief priests and elders regarding their plot to seize and kill Jesus. Despite their agreement to proceed with the arrest, they collectively decided against doing so "during the festival." Their primary fear was that arresting Jesus publicly during the bustling Passover and Unleavened Bread celebrations would provoke a major public disturbance or riot among the vast crowds, many of whom esteemed Jesus. This highlights their pragmatic caution, prioritizing the avoidance of social unrest and potential Roman intervention over immediate action, showcasing their worldly wisdom over divine understanding.

Matthew 26 5 Context

Matthew 26:5 immediately follows the crucial meeting of the Jewish high council, convened at the palace of the High Priest Caiaphas. This council, comprising the chief priests and elders of the people, had explicitly decided to seize Jesus by stealth and put Him to death (Mt 26:3-4). Verse 5 presents their initial strategic consideration concerning the timing of the arrest. The historical context is the final week of Jesus' life, specifically during the days leading up to Passover, a pilgrimage festival that brought hundreds of thousands of Jews to Jerusalem. This immense influx of people made the city a tinderbox for political and religious fervor. The Jewish leaders, constantly wary of Roman scrutiny and potential interventions, were therefore extremely cautious about any public action that might incite an uprising. They feared that arresting Jesus, who had gained significant popularity and was widely seen as a prophet, might provoke His followers and the general populace into an uncontrollable "riot," thereby jeopardizing their own power and provoking the Roman authorities to crack down on Jewish self-governance. This verse highlights their practical cunning and worldly anxieties, operating independently of divine timing.

Matthew 26 5 Word analysis

• But (Δέ - De): A strong conjunction indicating a contrast or a transition. It sets a qualification or exception to the preceding decision. While they had resolved to kill Him, there was a condition to how and when.
• they said (Εἶπον - Eipon): Aorist active indicative, referring collectively to the chief priests, scribes, and elders gathered at Caiaphas's palace (Mt 26:3). This implies a unified agreement or consensus among the conspirators.
• Not (Μή - Me): A prohibitive particle, conveying a strong negative instruction or an avoidance of something. It signifies their active intention to prevent an arrest at a specific time.
• during the festival (Ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ - En tē heortē):
  • Ἐν (En): A preposition meaning "in" or "during."
  • τῇ ἑορτῇ (tē heortē): Refers to the "feast" or "festival," specifically the combined Passover and Unleavened Bread celebration. This was the most significant annual pilgrimage feast, drawing huge crowds to Jerusalem (estimates range from hundreds of thousands to over a million). It was a time of heightened nationalistic sentiment and potential unrest against Roman occupation.
• lest (Μήποτε - Mēpote): A negative particle indicating fear or apprehension, meaning "lest perhaps," "for fear that," "so that...not." It underscores the underlying motivation for their caution.
• a riot (Θόρυβος - Thorubos): A noun meaning "a tumult," "commotion," "disturbance," "uproar," or even a "noisy assembly" that could escalate into violence. This term speaks to their deep-seated fear of social disorder and its consequences, particularly concerning Roman intervention. Their fear was political stability rather than divine judgment.
• occur among the people (Γένηται ἐν τῷ λαῷ - Genētai en tō laō):
  • Γένηται (Genētai): Aorist middle subjunctive, meaning "it might come to pass" or "it might arise." It expresses a potential, undesirable outcome they wish to avoid.
  • ἐν τῷ λαῷ (en tō laō): Refers to "among the people" or "within the populace." `Laos` (`λαός`) generally denotes the Jewish people, indicating their concern about how the general populace, many of whom regarded Jesus positively, would react. They feared Jesus' popularity.

• "Not during the festival, lest a riot occur": This phrase reveals the leaders' strategic short-sightedness and human planning contrasted with divine timing. While they planned for their convenience, God's plan ensured Jesus' crucifixion during the festival, marking Him as the ultimate Passover Lamb (1 Cor 5:7), fulfilling the prophetic shadow of the feast. Their fear of a minor political uprising ironically served to fulfill the ultimate spiritual revolution.
• "a riot occur among the people": This group of words emphasizes the Jewish leaders' immediate and worldly concern for public order and maintaining their authority. Their motivation was rooted in fear of popular backlash and Roman reprisal, rather than a genuine seeking of justice or divine will. This showcases their cunning but ultimately limited human wisdom against the backdrop of God's overarching plan.

Matthew 26 5 Bonus section

• The high priest and elders' fear of a "riot" (Mt 26:5) also connects to the responsibility given to them by the Roman authorities for maintaining order, particularly during pilgrim festivals. Any significant unrest could have led to a loss of their privileges or direct Roman governance, which they vehemently wished to avoid. This underscores their self-preservation motives.
• The contrast between the leaders' intent to avoid public confrontation and the actual method of Jesus' arrest—betrayal by Judas Iscariot in a quiet, secluded garden—highlights God's sovereign working through human evil. Their fear-driven planning to avoid an uprising only meant that a different path for arrest, foreseen by God, would be utilized.
• The irony in their decision is profound: they wanted to prevent a "riot" yet delivered Jesus to Pilate, whose decision to crucify Jesus eventually did lead to public uproar and clamoring, as recorded later (Mt 27:24, "Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning"). The very thing they tried to prevent, in a different form, still occurred in God's providence.

Matthew 26 5 Commentary

Matthew 26:5 succinctly captures the Jewish leadership's calculated pragmatism in their plot to eliminate Jesus. Despite their unanimous decision for His death, they were acutely aware of the sociopolitical volatility of Jerusalem during the Passover festival. Their primary concern was not about divine timing or moral implications, but strictly about managing public order to avoid a "riot" (thorubos). This fear stemmed from Jesus' widespread popularity, particularly among pilgrims, which they perceived as a significant threat to their authority and peace with the Roman occupiers. Arresting Jesus publicly could easily ignite a widespread uprising, potentially inviting harsh Roman suppression, which they wanted to avoid at all costs. Ironically, while they meticulously planned to circumvent a public outcry "during the festival," God's sovereign plan orchestrated events so that Jesus, the true Passover Lamb, was sacrificed precisely during that momentous occasion, fulfilling prophecy and His ultimate redemptive mission, entirely bypassing the limitations of human conspiracy. Their worldly caution thus inadvertently contributed to the divine agenda.