Matthew 26:62 kjv
And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
Matthew 26:62 nkjv
And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?"
Matthew 26:62 niv
Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?"
Matthew 26:62 esv
And the high priest stood up and said, "Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?"
Matthew 26:62 nlt
Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Well, aren't you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?"
Matthew 26 62 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mat 26:63 | But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, "I adjure..." | Jesus' continued silence |
| Mat 27:12-14 | When He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He gave no answer... | Jesus' silence before Pilate, further fulfilling prophecy |
| Mk 14:60-61 | And the high priest stood up... "Have you no answer to make?... But He remained silent..." | Mark's parallel account, same high priest question and Jesus' silence |
| Mk 15:3-5 | The chief priests accused Him of many things... but Jesus still answered nothing... | Mark's parallel account of silence before Pilate |
| Lk 23:9 | But He answered him nothing. | Luke's account of Jesus' silence before Herod |
| Jn 18:19-21 | The high priest then questioned Jesus about His disciples and His teaching. Jesus answered him... | Jesus spoke at an earlier, private questioning by Annas |
| Isa 53:7 | He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; like a lamb... | Prophecy of Messiah's silent suffering |
| Ps 38:13 | But I am like a deaf man, I do not hear; like a mute man... | Prophetic suffering of the righteous, remaining silent |
| Ps 39:9 | I was silent and did not open my mouth, for You brought it about. | Righteous response of silence in affliction, trust in God |
| Ps 27:12 | For false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence. | Prophetic type of false accusations against the righteous |
| Ps 35:11 | Malicious witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I do not know. | Prophetic experience of false testimony |
| Mat 26:59-60 | Now the chief priests... were seeking false testimony against Jesus... | Direct context of the verse: failed false witnesses |
| Isa 50:6 | I gave My back to those who strike Me, and My cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not My face... | Prophecy of suffering Servant not resisting abuse |
| 1 Pet 2:23 | When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten... | Peter's teaching on Jesus' example of patient suffering |
| Php 2:8 | He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death... | Jesus' ultimate obedience and submission to the Father's will |
| Jn 10:17-18 | No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority... | Jesus' sovereign control over His life and death |
| Lam 3:30 | Let him give his cheek to the smiter and be filled with insults. | An example of patient endurance in suffering, applicable to Jesus |
| Lk 22:66-71 | As soon as it was day, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered... | Luke's account of the official morning Sanhedrin trial |
| Jer 11:19 | But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter... and I did not know that they devised plans... | Prophecy reflecting the innocent victim led to sacrifice |
| Num 35:30 | A single witness shall not suffice to bring about the death of a person... | Principle in Mosaic Law regarding capital offenses and multiple witnesses |
Matthew 26 verses
Matthew 26 62 Meaning
Matthew 26:62 describes an pivotal moment in Jesus' trial before the Jewish Sanhedrin. The High Priest Caiaphas, frustrated by the lack of clear, consistent testimony from the false witnesses and by Jesus' unwavering silence, directly challenges Jesus. This question serves as an attempt by the High Priest to provoke a response from Jesus, to force Him to incriminate Himself, or at least to break His silence concerning the many accusations being leveled against Him. Jesus' silence up to this point highlights His control, His fulfillment of prophecy, and His knowing submission to the Father's plan for redemption.
Matthew 26 62 Context
Matthew 26:62 is set immediately after Jesus' arrest in Gethsemane and His being led to the house of Caiaphas, the High Priest, where the Sanhedrin (the supreme judicial council of the Jews) had convened for an unofficial, clandestine, night trial. The previous verses (Mat 26:59-60) reveal that chief priests and the whole council were desperately seeking false testimony to put Jesus to death, but even the false witnesses could not agree. This verse marks the moment the High Priest, frustrated by the unreliability of the false accusations and Jesus' serene silence, intervenes directly to question Him. The trial is illegal in several aspects, including its timing (night trial) and the pursuit of testimony against the accused rather than objective evidence. The High Priest's action reflects desperation to condemn Jesus at all costs.
Word Analysis
- And the high priest: (Gk. kai ho archiereus) Refers to Caiaphas, the chief religious authority appointed by the Roman prefect. His title signifies the highest priestly office, embodying the Jewish legal and religious system. His actions here, however, demonstrate a profound miscarriage of justice and abuse of spiritual authority for political ends.
- stood up: (Gk. anastas) This posture indicates a significant action, formality, or a heightened sense of authority and urgency, perhaps frustration on Caiaphas's part as the proceedings were not yielding the desired conviction through the false witnesses. It conveys a shift from observing to actively intervening in the trial.
- and said: (Gk. eipe) Caiaphas directly addresses Jesus, indicating the failure of the false witnesses to secure a consistent basis for condemnation. This personal confrontation is an attempt to get Jesus to condemn Himself, or at least break His composure.
- 'Have you no answer to make?': This rhetorical question expresses exasperation and challenge. It highlights Jesus' previous silence (cf. Mat 26:63). The High Priest seeks to compel a self-incriminating response, indicating the court's failure to establish a legitimate case against Him through external testimony.
- 'What is it that these men testify against you?': This phrase brings the core issue of the trial back to the surface. It underscores the multiplicity of accusations, though these were unproven and often contradictory (Mat 26:60-61). The High Priest's query serves as a judicial interrogation, attempting to frame the numerous, inconsistent accusations into a direct question that demands a denial or confession from Jesus. It also subtly suggests the weight of these accusations, implying they must be answered.
- "High priest stood up and said": This sequence of actions emphasizes Caiaphas's dominant role in this judicial sham. His rising symbolizes the authoritative weight of the court attempting to crush the silent Jesus. It also shows a breakdown in formal judicial process, as the judge becomes an active interrogator rather than a neutral arbiter of evidence.
- "Have you no answer... What is it that these men testify against you?": This dual question is a strong interrogative technique. It first pressures Jesus to speak and then immediately presents the collective (albeit false) testimony against Him, creating a legal and psychological trap. Caiaphas likely hoped to elicit a confession or a defense that could be twisted into blasphemy, as no formal legal ground for execution had yet been found despite the hired witnesses. This method bypassed proper judicial protocol, turning an accusation session into a coercive interrogation of the defendant.
Matthew 26 62 Bonus section
The legal implications of this scene are significant. Jewish law mandated fairness, the consistency of witnesses, and generally prohibited night trials, especially for capital offenses. The High Priest's direct questioning of the accused, when witnesses had failed to provide credible testimony, can be seen as a desperate and unlawful attempt to bypass due process and force a self-incrimination. Such a practice was contrary to the spirit of justice taught in the Mosaic Law. This scene sets the stage for the climactic accusation of blasphemy, which Caiaphas elicits from Jesus in the very next verse (Mat 26:63-64) when Jesus finally speaks to acknowledge His divine identity, which then gives the High Priest his desired grounds for condemnation.
Matthew 26 62 Commentary
Matthew 26:62 depicts the high point of tension in Jesus' initial trial before the Jewish authorities. Caiaphas's outburst, demanding an answer from Jesus, underscores the desperate and illegal nature of the proceedings. The High Priest's frustration arose from the fact that despite hiring many false witnesses, they could not establish a coherent case against Jesus, let alone one that merited the death penalty according to Mosaic Law (which required two or three consistent witnesses for a capital crime, cf. Deut 17:6). Jesus' profound silence in the face of these grave, yet fabricated, accusations was a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy concerning the suffering Messiah (e.g., Isa 53:7). His silence was not born of weakness or guilt, but of divine sovereignty and purpose. It was a demonstration of His humility, His submission to the Father's will, and His refusal to engage with a corrupted legal system that had already predetermined His condemnation. This moment serves to highlight the vast difference between earthly power structures driven by fear and pride, and the quiet, humble authority of the Son of God. His silence challenged their authority and exposed the baselessness of their accusations far more effectively than any verbal defense could have. It was a silence filled with divine meaning, bearing witness to His identity as the Christ.