Luke 23:12

12 And Pilate and Herod became friends with one another the same day, for they had been at enmity before between themselves.

Luke 23:12 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 23:12

And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends
together
For it pleased Herod, that Pilate should show such a regard to his authority and power, as to send one that belonged to his jurisdiction to take cognizance of his case; and especially as it was a person that was much talked of, and he had long wanted to see; and Pilate, on the other hand, was pleased with Herod, that though he was one that was under his jurisdiction, and so had a right of trying the cause, and either absolve or condemn, yet chose not to use this his power, but referred the case to the Roman governor: for before they were at enmity between themselves;
it may be on account of the Galilaeans, the subjects of Herod, whom Pilate had slain, whilst they were sacrificing at Jerusalem, ( Luke 13:1 ) , which Herod might resent, as an infringement upon his authority and power; for had they been ever so deserving of punishment, it ought to have been left to him, to have inflicted it, and not the governor of Judea, who had nothing to do with them: but now matters were made up by this step of Pilate's, in sending Christ to him, supposed to be a Galilean, and so of Herod's jurisdiction; which was tacitly acknowledging his former conduct to be wrong, and showed a regard to Herod's authority: and thus they were reconciled together, and agreed in their contemptuous usage, and ill-treatment of Christ, and so fulfilled ( Psalms 2:1 Psalms 2:2 ) .

Luke 23:12 In-Context

10 And the chief priests and the scribes stood and accused him violently.
11 And Herod with his troops having set him at nought and mocked him, having put a splendid robe upon him, sent him back to Pilate.
12 And Pilate and Herod became friends with one another the same day, for they had been at enmity before between themselves.
13 And Pilate, having called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
14 said to them, Ye have brought to me this man as turning away the people [to rebellion], and behold, I, having examined him before you, have found nothing criminal in this man as to the things of which ye accuse him
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.