Mark 14:56

56 Many false witnesses spoke against him, but they contradicted each other.

Mark 14:56 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 14:56

For many bare false witness against him
The word "false", is not expressed in the Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions: which only signify, that they bore witness against him, accused him of, and laid many things to his charge:

but their witness agreed not together;
which showed it to be false, and so not to be admitted; for witnesses were to be as one in their testimony, or not to be received: the, rules concerning them with the Jews, are these F12;

``the tradition is, for ever let not their testimony be joined together, unless they both see, (dxak) , "as one": says R. Joshua ben Korcha, even one after another; and their testimony is not ratified in the council, until they both witness "as one".''

Though this is not much the sense of the passage here; it was not the falsehood of their testimony, which this council was unconcerned about, or the contradiction that was in it, which does not appear; but their testimonies were not, (isai) , "equal", or answerable to the wishes of the council; they were not sufficient to prove a capital crime upon him, in order to, put him to death, which was what they wanted: they only respected some light and trivial matters, and did not amount to a charge of blasphemy, or sedition.


FOOTNOTES:

F12 T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 30. 1. Maimon. Hilch. Eduth, c. 4. sect. 1.

Mark 14:56 In-Context

54 Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and went right into the high priest’s courtyard. There he sat with the guards, warming himself by the fire.
55 Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find evidence against Jesus, so they could put him to death. But they couldn’t find any.
56 Many false witnesses spoke against him, but they contradicted each other.
57 Finally, some men stood up and gave this false testimony:
58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this Temple made with human hands, and in three days I will build another, made without human hands.’”
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