Marco 14:56

56 Perciocchè molti dicevano falsa testimonianza contro a lui; ma le loro testimonianze non eran conformi.

Marco 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

Marco 14:56 In-Context

54 E Pietro lo seguitava da lungi, fin dentro alla corte del sommo sacerdote; ove si pose a sedere co’ sergenti, e si scaldava al fuoco.

55 Or i principali sacerdoti, e tutto il concistoro, cercavan testimonianza contro a Gesù, per farlo morire; e non ne trovavano alcuna.

56 Perciocchè molti dicevano falsa testimonianza contro a lui; ma le loro testimonianze non eran conformi.

57 Allora alcuni, levatisi, disser falsa testimonianza contro a lui, dicendo:

58 Noi l’abbiamo udito che diceva: Io disfarò questo tempio, fatto d’opera di mano, e in tre giorni ne riedificherò un altro, che non sarà fatto d’opera di mano.