Mark 14:56

56 Many people came and told false things about him, but all said different things -- none of them agreed.

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 Peter followed far behind and entered the courtyard of the high priest's house. There he sat with the guards, warming himself by the fire.
55 The leading priests and the whole Jewish council tried to find something that Jesus had done wrong so they could kill him. But the council could find no proof of anything.
56 Many people came and told false things about him, but all said different things -- none of them agreed.
57 Then some people stood up and lied about Jesus, saying,
58 "We heard this man say, 'I will destroy this Temple that people made. And three days later, I will build another Temple not made by people.'"
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.