Matthew 26:4

4 And they made designs together to take Jesus by some trick, and put him to death.

Matthew 26:4 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 26:4

And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtlety
The Jews had often attempted his life, but he escaped out of their hands; they had sent officers to apprehend him, but to no purpose; they therefore meet and consult together, to form some scheme, and make use of some stratagem, that they might lay hold on him, and keep him; they were for doing this in the most private manner they could:

and kill him;
not with their own hands, nor privately; but their scheme was to apprehend him privately, by some secret artifice, and then deliver him to the Roman governor; to put him to death according to law, publicly, for crimes they had to charge him with; hereby ( Psalms 2:2 ) , had its accomplishment, at least in part.

Matthew 26:4 In-Context

2 After two days is the Passover, and the Son of man will be given up to the death of the cross.

3 Then the chief priests and the rulers of the people came together in the house of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas.

4 And they made designs together to take Jesus by some trick, and put him to death.

5 But they said, Not while the feast is going on, for fear of trouble among the people.

6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,