Luke 22:2

Luk 22:2. [Καὶ ἐζήτουν, and the chief priests sought) Judas ‘sought’ the same thing, Luk 22:6. A most wicked pursuit.—V. g.]—γὰρ, for) This assigns the cause why they had to ‘seek’ suitable means and a favourable opportunity (πῶς ἀνέλωσιν αὐτὸν, how they might kill Him). [Most wretched (pitiful) fear, succeeded by atrocious joy, Luk 22:5.—V. g.]

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Luk 22:2 . τὸ πῶς , the how, that was the puzzle; that Jesus should be put out of the way by death ( ἀνέλωσιν α .); some how was a settled matter. Cf. Luk 19:48 ( τὸ τί , etc.). ἐφοβοῦντο γάρ τ . λ .: their fear of the people explains why the how was so perplexing a matter. The popularity of Jesus was very embarrassing.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 2. They feared the people.] The great mass of the people seem to have been convinced that Christ was at least a prophet sent from God; and it is likely they kept steady in their attachment to him. The multitude, who are represented as clamouring for his blood at the crucifixion, appear to have been a mere mob, formed out of the creatures of the chief priests and Pharisees.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

2. the chief priests and scribes] Their humiliation and defeat before the people—the immense and divine superiority of the wisdom of Jesus so publicly displayed—had at last aroused them into irreconcilable hostility. It is very noticeable that the Pharisees, as a distinct party, now vanish entirely into the background. They are scarcely mentioned again except in Mat_27:62.

sought] Rather, were seeking. The word involves a continuous effort, and probably includes the memorable meeting in the Palace of Caiaphas, which is traditionally placed on the ‘Hill of Evil Counsel,’ but was probably close to the Temple precincts. They seem to have come on that occasion, in consequence of the advice of Caiaphas, to three conclusions. (1) To put Jesus to death; (2) to do it as secretly as possible; and (3) not to do it during the Feast, so as to avoid the chance of tumults on the part of the Galilaean pilgrims. If this meeting was on Tuesday evening, at the very time that they were deciding not to kill Jesus (Psa_2:2) for more than eight days—and it was unusual to put to death during the Passover, Act_12:4—He, seated on the slopes of Olivet, was telling His disciples that before the Passover He should be slain, Mat_26:1-5.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the chief priests and Scribes,.... Matthew adds, "and the elders of the people"; which made up the great sanhedrim and council of the nation; these met together, not in their usual place the temple, but at the palace of Caiaphas, the high priest; see Mat 24:3.

And sought how they might kill him; that is, "Jesus", as the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions read; they had determined before, upon the advice of Caiaphas, to put him to death, and very likely had fixed what kind of death he should die; see Joh 11:49 and now they consult together, of the manner of bringing it about, and at what time; and the majority were not for doing it on a feast day, when there was a great concourse of people, but with more privacy:

for they feared the people: which were now in great multitudes with him, who came along with him, from Galilee, and other parts; and had hosanna'd him into the city, and still abode with him, and their numbers were increasing; and the sanhedrim were aware, that at the passover there would be still a greater company of people from all parts of the land; and they might conclude, that he would have a large number of his friends come out of Galilee, where he had been for the most part teaching, and working miracles; and they were afraid, should they lay hold on him publicly, the people would rise and stone them; at least would rescue him out of their hands, and disappoint them of their designs.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

2 And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people.

Ver. 2. How they might kill him] Not put him to death as judges, but kill him as cutthroats, ανελωσι. So Act 2:23.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people. The determination, long maturing, had, during the last few days of public teaching, been come to on the part of the Sanhedrin. They had determined to put the dangerous public Teacher to death. The bitter hatred on the part of the Jewish rulers had been gradually growing in intensity during the two years and a half of the public ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. The raising of Lazarus seems to have finally decided the governing body with as little delay as possible to compass the Reformer"s death. The temporary withdrawal of the Lord after the great miracle deferred their purpose for a season; after, however, a retirement for a few weeks, Jesus appeared again, shortly before the Passover, and taught publicly in the temple, at a season when Jerusalem was crowded with pilgrims arriving for the great feast. Never had his teaching excited such interest, never had it stirred up such burning opposition as at this juncture. This decided the Jewish rulers to carry out their design on the life of the Galilaean Teacher with as little delay as possible. The only thing that perplexed them was how this could safely be accomplished, owing to the favor in which he was held by the people, especially by the crowds of pilgrims from the provinces then in Jerusalem.

HOMILIES BY W. CLARKSON Ver. 2. Piety, pedantry, and formalism.

Of all those who in any and every way were responsible for the death of Jesus Christ, the largest share of guilt lies at the door of the religious leaders of the time. The Roman soldiers were only the immediate instruments of it; the Jewish populace were only the blind agents of it; but these scribes and chief priests were the guilty instigators of it: they brought it about. It was they who first conceived the idea; it was they who suggested and urged it; it was they who ceased not to agitate and direct until the dark deed was done. How came they to go so far astray? How came it to pass that while "all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple for to hear him", (Luk_21:38) thus bearing witness to the sincerity of their discipleship and their desire to know the truth he taught, they, the leaders of the land scribes who were familiar with every letter of the Law, priests who were daily occupied in the services of the sanctuary, learned doctors, and pious ministrants were actively and earnestly compassing his death? The fact is that

I RELIGIOUS PEDANTRY MAY BE VERY LEARNED, AND YET WHOLLY WRONG. These men knew their Scriptures with a fullness and nicety of detail that surpasses the knowledge we have of our sacred writings; and they had also a perfect familiarity with the teachings of traditional lore. They despised the ignorance of the common people in these respects. (see Joh_7:47) Yet they were not wise with the wisdom of God; they entirely failed to understand the Divine will and the way to eternal life. The religion they taught and lived was utterly heartless; it was a service without any soul in it, a mechanism without any life in it; it was an elaborate error, a great and sad misconception of the mind of God; it was a surrender of freedom that did man no good and gave God no pleasure; it was a toilsome and torturing imposition that neither satisfied the intellect, nor cleansed the heart, nor elevated the life. And it so perverted the judgment that, when the Truth himself came to reveal the Father, these learned bat unwise leaders, instead of being eager to hear him like the people, (Luk_21:38) were "seeking how they might kill him.

II RELIGIOUS FORMALISM WILL GO TO GREAT LENGTHS OF WRONG-DOING. If the scribes were men of pedantry, the chief priests represented the evil and error of religious formalism; and the latter were in no way behind the former in either spiritual blindness or malevolence. They, too, failed to recognize their Messiah, and were actively engaged in compassing his murder. In every age and land religious formalism has been blind and cruel; it has failed to recognize the reformer when he has come to speak in God"s name; and it has been forward to accuse and to slay him. Such has been its spirit and its course, that the home of love and mercy has been converted into the hotbed of hatred and of cruelty. It is another illustration of the truth that the corruption of the best becomes the worst of all; the piety that runs into ordinances, utterances, abstinences, formalities, will in time degenerate into utter error and shameful wrong. This is a truth which applies to many more Churches than one; it is, indeed, more or less applicable to all religious circles. There lies a deep-seated tendency in our nature which accounts for the facts in our Lord"s time and in every age since then. Let us, therefore, learn that

III TRUE PIETY IS FOUND IN RECTITUDE OF HEART AND LIFE. Not in holding and professing certain correct formulae; not in going through certain ceremonies or observing a number of rules and regulations. These have their place in the kingdom of God, but they do not by any means assure us of our place in it. It is rightness of heart toward God our Father and our Savior, and consequent integrity of life, which make us to "stand before God" as his loyal subjects now, and will make us "worthy to stand before the Son of man" when he shall call us to his nearer presence. C.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2. ἐζήτουν. ‘Were seeking.’ The word involves a continuous effort, and probably includes the memorable meeting in the Palace of Caiaphas, which is traditionally placed on the ‘Hill of Evil Counsel,’ but was probably close to the Temple precincts. They seem to have come on that occasion, in consequence of the advice of Caiaphas, to three conclusions. (1) To put Jesus to death; (2) to do it as secretly as possible; and (3) not to do it during the Feast, so as to avoid the chance of tumults on the part of the Galilaean pilgrims. If this meeting was on Tuesday evening, at the very time that they were deciding not to kill Jesus (Psa 2:2) for more than eight days—and it was unusual to put to death during the Passover, Act 12:4—He, seated on the slopes of Olivet, was telling His disciples that before the Passover He should be slain, Mat 26:1-5.

οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς. Their humiliation and defeat before the people—the divine superiority of the wisdom of Jesus so publicly displayed—had at last aroused them into irreconcilable hostility. It is very noticeable that the Pharisees, as a distinct party, now vanish entirely into the background. They are scarcely mentioned again except in Mat 27:62.

τὸ πῶς ἀνέλωσιν αὐτόν. Having decided ‘to do away with Him’ they now only considered the most feasible plan. Ἀναιρέω, vaguely rendered ‘kill’ in the A. V[378], is common in St Luke (twice in the Gospel, nineteen times in the Acts), but elsewhere only occurs in the N.T. in Mat 2:16, and in another sense in Heb 2:9 (the reading in 2Th 2:8 is uncertain).

[378] A. V. Authorised Version.

ἐφοβοῦντο τὸν λαόν. The crowds which listened to Jesus (Luk 21:38) shewed that He had friends among the multitude.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2.] Conspiracy of the Jewish authorities to kill Jesus. Mat 26:1-5.Mar 14:1Mar 14:1, Mar 14:2. The account of Matt. is the fullest: see notes there. The words here give us a mere compendium of what took place.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2. ἐζήτουν … τὸ πῶς. “They continued seeking as to the method”: comp. 19:47, 48, and for the τό see on 1:62. tells us that they held a meeting in the house of Caiaphas.

ἀνέλωσιν. Another of Lk.’s favourite words. Here, 23:32, and eighteen times in the Acts it has the special meaning of “remove, slay”: so also 2Th 2:8, where the reading is doubtful. This meaning is common in LXX (Gen 4:15; Exo 2:14, Exo 2:15, Exo 2:21:29, etc.) and in class. Grk. Except Mat 2:16; 2Th 2:8, and Heb 10:9 (where see Wsctt.), it occurs only in Lk. With ἐφοβοῦντο comp. 20:19, 19:48, 21:38.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Sought. Imperfect, were seeking, contemporaneously with the approach of the feast.

Kill [ανελωσιν] . Lit., to take up and carry off, and so to make way with.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.