Luke 23:12

23:12 Herod and Pilate, who had been enemies before: There was a history of bad blood between Herod Antipas and Pilate. Herod and three of his brothers had previously brought charges against Pilate before Tiberius Caesar when Pilate set up idolatrous golden shields in Jerusalem, and Tiberius had ordered Pilate to remove the shields. Pilate was also governing Judea, which Antipas’s father, Herod the Great, had once ruled, and which Antipas hoped one day to claim as his own.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Luk 23:12. Φίλοι, friends) [in such a way as that neither now desired to derogate aught from what was due to the other.—V. g.] Judaism and Heathenism (as in this instance) began to coalesce at the time of the birth of Christianity.

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

Luk 23:12 . ἐγένοντο φίλοι : that the one positive result of the transaction two rulers, previously on bad terms, reconciled, at least for the time. Sending Jesus to Herod was a politic act on Pilate’s part. It might have ended the case so far as he was concerned; it pleased a jealous prince, and it gave him a free hand in dealing with the matter: nothing to fear in that quarter. μετʼ ἀλλήλωγ for ἀλλήλοις (Euthy. Zig., who also substitutes πρὸς ἀλλήλους for πρὸς ἑαυτούς ). ὄντες after προϋπῆρχον might have been omitted, as in Act 8:9 , but it serves to convey the idea of continued bad relations.

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

The hatred of godliness joineth the wicked together.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 12. Pilate and Herod were made friends] I do not find any account of the cause of the enmity which subsisted between Herod and Pilate given by ancient authors; and the conjectures of the moderns on the subject should be considered as mere guesses. It is generally supposed that this enmity arose from what is related Luke 13, of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate hath mingled with that of their sacrifices. These were Herod's subjects, and Pilate seems to have fallen on them at the time they were offering sacrifices to God at the temple. Wicked men cannot love one another: this belongs to the disciples of Christ. But when Christ, his truth, or his followers are to be persecuted, for this purpose the wicked unite their counsels and their influence. The Moabites and Ammonites, who were enemies among themselves, united against poor Israel, and, as Rabbi Tanchum says, may be likened to two contending dogs, who, when the wolf comes, join together to destroy him; each knowing that, if he do not, the wolf will kill both in succession: whereas, by their union, they may now kill or baffle him. There is a proverb among the rabbins, that, when the cat and weasel marry together, misery becomes increased.

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

(12) Before they were at enmity between themselves.—The special cause of enmity is not known. Possibly the massacre of the Galileans, mentioned in Luk_13:1, may have had somewhat to do with it. The union of the two in their enmity against Jesus, though not mentioned in the Gospels, is referred to in the first recorded hymn of the Church of Christ (Act_4:27). Herod, however, it will be noted, passes no formal sentence. He is satisfied with Pilate’s mark of respect for his jurisdiction.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12. were made friends together] Rather, became friends with one another. Psa_2:1-3.

they were at enmity] perhaps in consequence of the incident mentioned in Luk_13:1. This is the first type of Judaism and Heathenism leagued together to crush Christianity.

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 same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together,.... For it pleased Herod, that Pilate should show such a regard to his authority and power, as to send one that belonged to his jurisdiction to take cognizance of his case; and especially as it was a person that was much talked of, and he had long wanted to see; and Pilate, on the other hand, was pleased with Herod, that though he was one that was under his jurisdiction, and so had a right of trying the cause, and either absolve or condemn, yet chose not to use this his power, but referred the case to the Roman governor:

for before they were at enmity between themselves; it may be on account of the Galilaeans, the subjects of Herod, whom Pilate had slain, whilst they were sacrificing at Jerusalem, Luk 13:1, which Herod might resent, as an infringement upon his authority and power; for had they been ever so deserving of punishment, it ought to have been left to him, to have inflicted it, and not the governor of Judea, who had nothing to do with them: but now matters were made up by this step of Pilate's, in sending Christ to him, supposed to be a Galilean, and so of Herod's jurisdiction; which was tacitly acknowledging his former conduct to be wrong, and showed a regard to Herod's authority: and thus they were reconciled together, and agreed in their contemptuous usage, and ill-treatment of Christ, and so fulfilled Psa 2:1.

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

12 And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.

Ver. 12. Pilate and Herod were made friends] Two dogs that are fighting can easily agree to pursue the hare that passeth by them. Martial brings in the hare thus complaining:

" In me omnis terraeque, aviumque, marisque rapina est:

Forsitan et coeli, si canis astra tenet."

In littore Siculo cum lepus canum venaticorum vim evasisset, a cane marino captus dicitur: est enim voracissima maris bellua, saith Bodin. The wicked can easily unite against the saints.

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.

Made friends together ... - What had been the cause of their quarrel is unknown. It is commonly supposed that it was Pilate’s slaying the Galileans in Jerusalem, as related in Luk 13:1-2. The occasion of their reconciliation seems to have been the civility and respect which Pilate showed to Herod in this case. It was not because they were united in “hating” Jesus, as is often the case with wicked people, for Pilate was certainly desirous of releasing him, and “both” considered him merely as an object of ridicule and sport. It is true, however, that wicked people, at variance in other things, are often united in opposing and ridiculing Christ and his followers; and that enmities of long standing are sometimes made up, and the most opposite characters brought together, simply to oppose religion. Compare Psa 83:5-7.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

12. Pilate and Herod were made friends—From the method of the reconciliation we may infer the nature of their previous enmity. A deference to the jurisdiction of Herod in the present case seems to have both furnished Pilate a mode of ridding himself of Jesus, and making amends for some past trespass. We may, therefore, reasonably conclude that their quarrel had arisen over some question of conflicting jurisdictions.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together. This union of two such bitter enemies in their enmity against Jesus evidently struck the early Church with sad wonderment. It is referred to in the first recorded hymn of the Church of Christ. (Act_4:27) How often has the strange sad scene been reproduced in the world"s story since! Worldly men apparently irreconcilable meet together in friendship when opportunity offers itself for wounding Christ!

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

12. ἐγένοντο … φίλοι … μετ’ ἀλλήλων. ‘Became friends with one another. Psa 2:1-3.

αὐτῇ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ. Not ‘the same day’ (as in A.V[402]), which would be τῇ αὐτῇ, but ‘on that very day.’ See Luk 23:7, Luk 13:31, Luk 23:7.

[402] A.V. Authorised Version.

ἐν ἔχθρᾳ ὄντες. Perhaps in consequence of the incident mentioned in Luk 13:1. This is the first type of Judaism and Heathenism leagued together to crush Christianity.

πρὸς αὐτούς. (אBL.) Meaning the same as πρὸς ἀλλήλους. (See note on Luk 20:5.)

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.

12.] The cause of the quarrel is uncertain: apparently something concerning Herod’s power of jurisdiction, which was conceded by Pilate in this sending Jesus to him, and again waived by Herod in sending Him back again. From chap. 13:1, Pilate appears to have encroached on that jurisdiction.

The remarks of some Commentators about their uniting in enmity against Christ (so even, recently, Wordsworth), are quite beside the purpose. The present feeling of Pilate was any thing but hostile to the person of Christ; and Herod, by his treatment of Him, shews that he thought Him beneath his judicial notice.

This remission of Jesus to Herod seems not to have been known to either of the other three Evangelists. It is worthy of notice that they all relate the mocking by the soldiers of Pilate, which Luke omits,—whereas he gives it as taking place before Herod. This is one of the very few cases where the nature of the history shews that both happened.

Let the student ask himself, How could John, if he composed his Gospel with that of Luke before him, have here given us a narrative in which so important a fact as this is not only not related, but absolutely cannot find any place of insertion? Its real place is after John ver. 38;—but obviously nothing was further from the mind of that Evangelist, for he represents Pilate as speaking continuously.

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

12. ἐγένοντο δὲ φίλοι. Although Pilate failed in the attempt to transfer the responsibility to Herod, yet something was gained by the transaction. In the Gospel of Peter Herod addresses him as Ἀδελφὲ Πειλᾶτε. The cause of enmity may easily have been some dispute about jurisdiction.

Ephrem conjectured that the enmity arose through Pilate sending soldiers to punish the chief men of Galilee who had been the guests of Herod when he put the Baptist to death, and that this was the occasion when the blood of Galileans was mingled with their sacrifices. For the importance of this strange idea as a link in the evidence respecting the Diatessaron see Rendel Harris in Contemp. Review, Aug. 1895, p. 279.

D transposes the clauses, and has ἀηδίᾳ for ἔχθρᾳ :ὄντες δὲ ἐν ἀηδίᾳ ὁ Π. κ. ὁ Ἡ. ἐγένοντο φίλοι ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ἡμ. So also Cod. Colb. cum essent autem in dissensionem pil. et her. facti sumt amici in illa die.

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