Matthew 26 61

Matthew 26:61 kjv

And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.

Matthew 26:61 nkjv

and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.' "

Matthew 26:61 niv

and declared, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.'?"

Matthew 26:61 esv

and said, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.'"

Matthew 26:61 nlt

who declared, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.'"

Matthew 26 verses

Matthew 26 61 Meaning

Matthew 26:61 records a false accusation made against Jesus during His trial before the Sanhedrin, stating that He claimed to be able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days. This distorted testimony served as a pretext for condemning Him, attempting to present Him as a threat to the Jewish religious system and potentially blasphemous for speaking against God's holy dwelling place. The actual statement by Jesus, as recorded in John's Gospel, referred to the temple of His body, a prophecy of His death and resurrection.

Matthew 26 61 Context

Matthew 26:61 is set within the intensely dramatic account of Jesus' trial before the Sanhedrin, the supreme Jewish judicial and ecclesiastical council. Following His arrest in Gethsemane, Jesus was brought directly to the high priest Caiaphas's court, where scribes and elders had already gathered (Mt 26:57). The atmosphere was one of hurried injustice, with the authorities desperate to find a charge worthy of death, yet struggling to find consistent or credible testimony. Matthew 26:59-60 explicitly states that many false witnesses came forward, but their testimonies did not agree. Verse 61 presents a particularly damning piece of false testimony that finally gained some traction, because it touched on a sensitive and highly revered aspect of Jewish life – the Temple. For many Jews, threatening or defaming the Temple of God was tantamount to blasphemy or sedition against their sacred traditions and potentially against God Himself, making it a charge that could incite strong popular and judicial condemnation. This accusation also provided a distorted echo of Jesus' own mysterious words.

Matthew 26 61 Word analysis

• and said (καὶ ἔφη, kai ephē): "Ephē" is an imperfect form of a common Greek verb for "to say" or "to declare." Here it indicates that this statement was presented as Jesus' direct speech, creating the impression of a quoted claim.
• “This man (Οὗτος, Houtos): The demonstrative pronoun "houtos" translates to "this one," "this man." Used here, especially in the context of a legal accusation, it carries a derogatory and dismissive tone, implying disdain and an attempt to belittle Jesus. It highlights the accusers' lack of respect and their intention to condemn.
• said, (ἔφη, ephē): Again, emphasizing the claim is directly attributed to Jesus.
• ‘I am able (Δύναμαι, Dynamai): This verb means "I am able," "I have power," "I am strong enough." It speaks to capability and potentiality. The accusation presents Jesus as asserting a supernatural, almost blasphemous, power over the Temple.
• to destroy (καταλῦσαι, katalysai): An aorist infinitive meaning "to demolish," "to pull down," "to destroy completely." While it literally applies to structures, it can also mean "to dissolve" or "to abrogate" (as in laws or customs). The accusers interpreted it as a literal threat to the physical Temple. In John 2:19, Jesus uses this very verb to refer to the destruction of His body. The charge plays on the Jewish people's deep reverence for the Temple and could be twisted to imply sedition or even rebellion against God's dwelling place.
• the temple (τὸν ναὸν, ton naon): This Greek term refers specifically to the naos, the sanctuary or holy house of the Temple, including the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place – the most sacred part where God's presence was believed to dwell. This is distinct from hieron, which refers to the entire temple complex with all its courtyards and buildings. Accusations against the naos were far more serious than general critique of the temple hieron. Its sacredness meant any perceived threat was considered an act against God himself.
• of God (τοῦ Θεοῦ, tou Theou): Explicitly identifying the Temple as belonging to God further elevates the perceived severity of the "threat." Destroying "God's temple" would be a profoundly blasphemous act for a Jew, touching the core of their religious identity and covenant with God.
• and to rebuild it (καὶ ἐν οἰκοδομῆσαι, kai oikodomēsai): "Oikodomēsai" means "to build," "to construct." The "it" (auta, referring back to naon) suggests a complete reconstruction. The idea that one could destroy the magnificent Temple and rebuild it implied incredible, even divine, power, or madness. For the Jewish leaders, no mere man could do this.
• in three days’ (ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις, en trisin hēmerais): This specific timeframe is crucial. It’s too short for a human project of this scale, thus highlighting the extraordinary nature of the claimed feat. For believers, it prophetically points to Jesus’ resurrection on the third day, transforming the "temple of His body." The precise timing creates a potent contrast between the accusers' misunderstanding and divine fulfillment.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God...’: This phrase is highly provocative. "This man" casts Jesus in a dismissive, potentially criminal light. "I am able to destroy" conveys a sense of dangerous power. "The temple of God" signifies the holiest physical structure, the center of Jewish worship and God's perceived dwelling place. To claim power to destroy it would be seen as hubris, rebellion, and a direct affront to God. This specific phrasing highlights the profound misinterpretation of Jesus' words as a literal threat to the Jerusalem Temple.
• ‘...and to rebuild it in three days.’”: This second part adds an element of perceived arrogance or even sorcery. The timescale of "three days" is impossibly short for a monumental building project like the Jerusalem Temple (which had been under construction for decades). This impossible claim, when understood literally, could paint Jesus as a delusional madman or a dangerous charlatan, or worse, someone invoking divine or demonic power in an illicit way. Biblically, the "three days" becomes a divine timestamp, signaling resurrection and new creation, a profound irony in the face of this false testimony.

Matthew 26 61 Bonus section

The specific choice of the word naos (sanctuary) by the accusers in Matthew 26:61, rather than hieron (the entire temple complex), is significant. Naos refers to the inner, holiest parts of the Temple, specifically the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. This precise detail highlights the gravity of the false testimony; it wasn't just a threat to the general temple grounds but to the very heart of God's presence, the sacred dwelling place. Such a claim, even falsely attributed, would inflame the passions of devout Jews, intensifying the sense of outrage and bolstering the argument for blasphemy. This particular nuance suggests the calculated malice of the accusers in choosing the most incendiary form of the charge.

Matthew 26 61 Commentary

The accusation in Matthew 26:61 serves as a pivotal point in Jesus' trial, crystallizing the efforts of the Sanhedrin to condemn Him. This specific charge, while literally false, cleverly manipulated a real statement Jesus had made much earlier in His ministry, as recorded in John 2:19: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." There, John explicitly clarifies that Jesus was speaking "about the temple of His body" (Jn 2:21). The Sanhedrin, either genuinely misunderstanding, willfully misinterpreting, or knowingly fabricating, took Jesus' metaphorical language concerning His death and resurrection and twisted it into a literal threat against the cherished physical Temple in Jerusalem.

The deep reverence for the Temple was fundamental to Jewish identity and religious life. It was considered the dwelling place of God's glory, the nexus between heaven and earth. Therefore, a statement perceived as threatening the Temple was not just an attack on a building, but an act of blasphemy or sedition against God and the very foundation of their faith and nation. This false testimony provided the legal grounds the Jewish leaders desperately sought, attempting to portray Jesus as a destructive figure who opposed divine institutions, paving the way for His condemnation. The ultimate irony is that Jesus indeed 'destroyed' (offered His body in death) and 'rebuilt' (resurrected in triumph) Himself in three days, thereby initiating a new spiritual "temple" composed of believers, a living dwelling for God's Spirit (1 Cor 3:16). His suffering and resurrection opened the true way into God's presence, fulfilling what the earthly temple merely prefigured. This trial exemplifies the spiritual blindness of those who focused on the temporal rather than the eternal truth.