Matthew 26:66 kjv
What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.
Matthew 26:66 nkjv
What do you think?" They answered and said, "He is deserving of death."
Matthew 26:66 niv
What do you think?" "He is worthy of death," they answered.
Matthew 26:66 esv
What is your judgment?" They answered, "He deserves death."
Matthew 26:66 nlt
What is your verdict?" "Guilty!" they shouted. "He deserves to die!"
Matthew 26 66 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mt 26:63-65 | But Jesus remained silent... "Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God." Jesus said to him... Then the high priest tore his robes, saying, "He has uttered blasphemy!" | Immediate context of the High Priest's accusation based on Jesus' claim. |
| Mk 14:62-64 | "I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." ... "You have heard the blasphemy... they all condemned Him to be deserving of death." | Parallel account of Jesus' affirmation and the verdict in Mark's Gospel. |
| Lk 22:67-71 | "Are You the Son of God then?" And He said to them, "You rightly say that I am." And they said, "What further need do we have of testimony?" | Parallel account focusing on the 'Son of God' aspect leading to their decision. |
| Lev 24:16 | And the one who blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. | Old Testament law prescribing death for blasphemy. |
| Num 15:30 | But the person who acts defiantly, whether native or foreigner, reviles the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from among his people. | Principle of severe punishment for defiant sin against God. |
| Jn 10:33 | The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God." | Earlier accusation of blasphemy against Jesus for making Himself God. |
| 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." | The Jewish leadership's charge to Pilate, reiterating their rationale for Jesus' death sentence. |
| Isa 53:7 | He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter... | Prophetic fulfillment of Jesus' silence before His accusers until asked a direct question. |
| Ps 22:6 | But I am a worm and not a man, a reproach of men and despised by the people. | Prophetic anticipation of the contempt Jesus faced. |
| Dan 7:13-14 | I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven one like a Son of Man was coming... and to Him was given dominion... | Prophetic basis for Jesus' "Son of Man" declaration, which fueled the blasphemy charge. |
| Ps 110:1 | The Lord says to my Lord: "Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet." | Prophetic basis for Jesus' statement about sitting at the "right hand of Power." |
| Mt 27:1 | Now when morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put Him to death. | The Sanhedrin's formal decision and intention to execute Jesus. |
| Acts 2:23 | This Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. | God's sovereign plan underlying the human judgment against Jesus. |
| Acts 3:13-15 | The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob... glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and disowned... while Pilate had decided to release Him. But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One... and put to death the Author of life. | Peter's accusation to the Jews, highlighting their rejection and killing of Christ. |
| 1 Cor 2:8 | ...which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. | The spiritual blindness of those who condemned Christ. |
| Heb 1:3 | And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power... | Reinforcement of Jesus' divine identity, which they considered blasphemous. |
| Php 2:6 | Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped... | The divine nature of Jesus, which He declared, leading to the charge of blasphemy. |
| Isa 53:3 | He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised... | Jesus' suffering, including the rejection by religious authorities. |
| Mt 15:1-9 | Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus... "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?"... "You invalidate the word of God for the sake of your tradition." | Shows the Sanhedrin's prior legalism and valuing tradition over truth. |
| Jer 26:15 | But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city... | Jeremiah's unjust condemnation foreshadowing Jesus'. |
Matthew 26 verses
Matthew 26 66 Meaning
Matthew 26:66 records the Sanhedrin's unanimous verdict against Jesus following His declaration of divine sonship and messianic identity. After Jesus affirms His identity as the Christ and Son of God, the High Priest tears his clothes, accusing Him of blasphemy. The assembly, the supreme religious court, then collectively declares Him "worthy of death," affirming the charge of a capital offense under Jewish law for what they perceived as a challenge to God's uniqueness and honor. This verdict marks the definitive religious condemnation of Jesus by the Jewish leadership, paving the way for His referral to the Roman authorities for execution.
Matthew 26 66 Context
Matthew 26:66 is part of the climactic section of Matthew's Gospel, detailing Jesus' final hours leading to His crucifixion. Immediately prior to this verse, Jesus has been brought before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish supreme court, presided over by High Priest Caiaphas. False witnesses failed to provide a consistent testimony against Him. It is only when the High Priest directly interrogates Jesus about His messianic identity ("Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God") that Jesus responds with an affirmation: "You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." This declaration, drawing upon Messianic and divine imagery from Daniel 7 and Psalm 110, is precisely what the High Priest uses to charge Jesus with blasphemy. The verdict of "worthy of death" is then rendered, solidifying their religious condemnation based on Jesus' claim of divine status and authority. This segment occurs after the Last Supper and the agony in Gethsemane, and precedes Jesus' delivery to Pontius Pilate, as the Sanhedrin lacked the authority under Roman occupation to carry out capital punishment.
Matthew 26 66 Word analysis
- What then do you think? (Τί ὑμῖν δοκεῖ;) This is the High Priest's direct legal question, demanding a verdict from the Sanhedrin members. It solicits their collective judgment after hearing Jesus' statement and Caiaphas's accusation of blasphemy.
- They answered and said, (οἱ δὲ ἀποκριθέντες εἶπαν,) Signifies a collective and unified response from the assembly of the Sanhedrin. It highlights their agreement on the judgment, acting as one body. The term 'answered' implies a formal response to the High Priest's query.
- He is worthy of death. (Ἔνοχος θανάτου ἐστίν.) He is worthy (ἔνοχος - enochos): This Greek term denotes "liable," "guilty," "subject to punishment," or "deserving of." It signifies a legal verdict that a person has incurred the penalty for a specific crime. Here, it is the judgment of legal culpability. of death (θανάτου - thanatou): This is the genitive case of θάνατος (thanatos), meaning "death." When combined with enochos, it signifies being "guilty unto death" or "liable to the penalty of death." This refers to capital punishment, the highest penalty under the Law. The crime for which they deemed Him worthy of death was blasphemy (Lev 24:16). Their verdict directly implies that Jesus had broken God's law regarding the honor due to His name and identity, making Him eligible for execution. This phrase is the direct and conclusive sentence pronounced by the Sanhedrin, sealing Jesus' fate from their perspective.
Words-group analysis
- "What then do you think? They answered and said, He is worthy of death." This sequence clearly outlines the judicial process of the Sanhedrin: inquiry by the High Priest, unanimous consultation among the members, and then the final collective pronouncement of guilt demanding capital punishment. This swift and unified verdict underscores the Sanhedrin's conviction regarding Jesus' blasphemy and their firm intention to have Him executed.
Matthew 26 66 Bonus section
The speed and unanimity of the verdict ("They answered and said") reveal the Sanhedrin's decisive and uncompromising rejection of Jesus' claims. While Jewish law required at least two consistent witnesses for a capital offense and a night for reflection before judgment, these elements appear to be violated or rushed during Jesus' trial. Their conviction that Jesus had committed blasphemy stemmed from their misinterpretation of Messianic prophecy, their blindness to Jesus' true identity, and perhaps a fear of Jesus' growing influence (Jn 11:47-48). The theological weight of "worthy of death" emphasizes that, for them, Jesus' claim was not merely heresy, but an ultimate affront to the Name of God Himself. Although they declared Him "worthy of death," they could not carry out the execution under Roman rule, thus delivering Jesus to Pilate and paradoxically bringing about the crucifixion that fulfilled Old Testament prophecies.
Matthew 26 66 Commentary
Matthew 26:66 encapsulates the climactic judicial condemnation of Jesus by the highest Jewish religious authority. After Jesus' unequivocal affirmation of His divine and messianic identity, Caiaphas, fueled by indignation or calculated political and religious opposition, accused Him of blasphemy. The High Priest tore his garments, a customary dramatic gesture to signify horror at what he declared an egregious sin against God. The immediate, unanimous declaration from the assembled Sanhedrin members—"He is worthy of death"—reflects their absolute conviction that Jesus' claim constituted capital blasphemy according to Mosaic Law. Their verdict was not merely a statement of belief but a formal legal pronouncement that Jesus deserved execution. This verdict, rooted in their interpretation of His claims versus their understanding of God's uniqueness and Messianic expectations, ironically served God's greater redemptive plan, setting in motion the final steps towards the cross, demonstrating divine sovereignty even through human injustice.