Mark 14:60

And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Benson Commentary

Mark 14:60-62. The high-priest stood up in the midst, &c. — See notes on Matthew 26:62-64, where this paragraph is largely explained. Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed — Here one of the peculiar attributes of the Deity is used to express the divine nature. Supreme happiness is properly considered as belonging to God: and as all comfort flows from him, suitable ascriptions of praise and glory are his due. But this form of speech was conformable to the ancient custom of the Jews, who, when the priest in the sanctuary rehearsed the name of God, used to answer, Blessed be his name for ever. The title of the Blessed One, signified as much as the Holy One; and both, or either of them, the God of Israel. Hence such expressions are frequent in the rabbis. See also Romans 1:25; 2 Corinthians 11:31. “This is a very sublime and emphatical method of expressing the happiness of God. It conveys such an idea of the divine blessedness, that, comparatively speaking, there is none happy but he.” — Macknight.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

14:53-65 We have here Christ's condemnation before the great council of the Jews. Peter followed; but the high priest's fire-side was no proper place, nor his servants proper company, for Peter: it was an entrance into temptation. Great diligence was used to procure false witnesses against Jesus, yet their testimony was not equal to the charge of a capital crime, by the utmost stretch of their law. He was asked, Art thou the Son of the Blessed? that is, the Son of God. For the proof of his being the Son of God, he refers to his second coming. In these outrages we have proofs of man's enmity to God, and of God's free and unspeakable love to man.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See this fully explained in the notes at Matthew 26:57-75.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

60. Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?—Clearly, they felt that their case had failed, and by this artful question the high priest hoped to get from His own mouth what they had in vain tried to obtain from their false and contradictory witnesses. But in this, too, they failed.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Mark 14:53"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the high priest stood up in the midst,.... Of the sanhedrim, of which he was now president: he sat at the head of them, and Ab Beth Din, or the father of the council, at his right hand; and the rest of the council sat before him, in a semicircular form, as the half of a round corn floor, so that the president, and the father of the council, could see them (n); for they were all before him, he being situated in the middle, right against them; so that when he stood up, he might be said to stand in the midst of them:

and asked Jesus, saying, answerest thou nothing? For he had made no reply to the several witnesses, that came against him:

what is it which these witness against thee? Is it true, or false? See Gill on Matthew 26:62.

(n) Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 4. sect. 3. Maimon. Hiltch. Sanhedrin, c. 1. sect. 3.

Geneva Study Bible

And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Mark 14:60. εἰς μέσον: a graphic feature in Mk., suggesting that the high priest arose from his seat and advanced into the semi-circle of the council towards Jesus—the action of an irritated, baffled man.—οὐκ ἀποκρίνῃ: on the high priest’s question vide notes on Mt.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

60. And the high priest stood up] The impressive silence, which our Lord preserved, while false witnesses were being sought against Him (Matthew 26:62), was galling to the pride of Caiaphas, who saw that nothing remained but to force Him, if possible, to criminate Himself. Standing up, therefore, in the midst (a graphic touch which we owe to St Mark alone), he adjured Him in the most solemn manner possible (Matthew 26:63) to declare whether He was “the Malcha Meschicha”—the King Messiah, the Son of the Blessed.

Bengel's Gnomen

Mark 14:60. Οὐκ; τί; answerest thou not? What is it that, etc.?) Two distinct interrogations.[4]

[4] But Tischend, has but one interrogation at the end of καταμαρτυροῦσιν; Lachm. says in his Preface that to introduce an interrogation after οὐδεν (;) here, where the τί is used for the relative, is subversive of the sense. Breads ὅ τι. But ADPd, τι. Vulg. “non respondes quicquam ad ea quœ tibi objiciuntur.”—ED. and TRANSL.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 60, 61. - And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing?... But he held his peace, and answered nothing. The high priest would naturally be seated at the top of the semicircle, with the members of the Sanhedrim on either side of him, and the Accused in front of him. Now he rises from his seat, and comes forward into the midst (εἰς τὸ μέσον), and demands an answer. But Jesus answered nothing. It would have been a long and tedious business to answer such a charge, which involved a garbled and inaccurate statement of what he had said. It would have answered no good purpose to reply to an accusation so vague and inaccurate. Our Lord knew that, whatever his answer was, it would be twisted so as to make against him. Silence was therefore the most dignified treatment of such an accusation. Besides, he knew that his hour was come. The high priest now asks him plainly, Art thou the Christ, the son of the Blessed? Here he touches the point of the whole matter. Christ had frequently declared himself to be such. Caiaphas, therefore, now asks the question, not because he needed the information, but that he might condemn him. Mark 14:60