Matthew 26:59 · King James Version

Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;
Matthew 26:59 in the King James Version reads: “Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;”. Read it in the full context of Matthew 26, or compare how other translations render it below.

Matthew 26:59 in Other Translations

KJV Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;
WEB Now the chief priests, the elders, and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus, that they might put him to death;
ASV Now the chief priests and the whole council sought false witness against Jesus, that they might put him to death;
YLT And the chief priests, and the elders, and all the council, were seeking false witness against Jesus, that they might put him to death,
WBT Now the chief priests and elders, and all the council, sought false testimony against Jesus, to put him to death;
DBY And the chief priests and the elders and the whole sanhedrim sought false witness against Jesus, so that they might put him to death.

Commentary on Matthew 26:59

Expositions from classic Bible commentators.

John Gill · Matthew 26:59

But found none,.... That were fit for their purpose,

yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none; whose testimonies were sufficient to put him to death, which was what they were resolved upon, or whose witness were not alike and agreed; for according to their law, a man must not die by the mouth of one witness only, but by the mouth of two or three witnesses agreed in a point; and though they might be willing enough to dispense with the law in this case, yet might have some regard to their own character and reputation; and especially as they meant to deliver him to the Roman governor, in order to be condemned by him; they knew they must have a charge, and this supported with a proper evidence, or they could not hope to succeed; for which reason, they could not put up, as they otherwise willingly would, with any sort of witnesses:

at the last came two false witnesses; who were agreed in a point, and whose testimonies were alike; at least, had a greater appearance of truth and agreement than the rest; though Mark says, "neither so did their witnesses agree together", Mar 14:59, as to prove the point, for which it was given.

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Cross References for Matthew 26:59

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Questions about Matthew 26:59

What does Matthew 26:59 say?

Matthew 26:59 in the King James Version reads: “Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;” Read it in the full context of Matthew 26, alongside the classic commentary on this page.

Where is Matthew 26:59 found in the Bible?

Matthew 26:59 is in the book of Matthew, chapter 26, verse 59, in the New Testament.

What Bible translation is Matthew 26:59 shown in?

This is the King James Version (KJV), a public-domain translation. You can compare how other translations render Matthew 26:59 in the table on this page.

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