Matthew 26:4

4 They were plotting to arrest Jesus by cunning tricks and to kill him.

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 "You know that the Passover is two days from now. And the Human One will be handed over to be crucified."

3 Then the chief priests and elders of the people gathered in the courtyard of Caiaphas the high priest.

4 They were plotting to arrest Jesus by cunning tricks and to kill him.

5 But they agreed that it shouldn't happen during the feast so there wouldn't be an uproar among the people.

6 When Jesus was at Bethany visiting the house of Simon, who had a skin disease,