Mark 14:59

(59) Neither so did their witness agree together.—This, again, is peculiar to St. Mark. We are not told in what respects their evidence failed to agree; possibly in details of time and place, possibly in the absence or presence of the words reported in the previous verse.

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

59. neither so] The utterance of words tending to bring the Temple into contempt was regarded as so grave an offence that it afterwards formed a capital charge against the first martyr, Stephen (Act_6:13). But dangerous as was the charge, it broke down. The statements of the witnesses did not tally, and their testimony was therefore worthless. Their memories had travelled over three years to the occasion of the first Passover at Jerusalem and the first cleansing of the Temple. But they perverted the real facts of the case (Joh_2:18-22). St Mark alone notices the disagreement of their testimony. “The differences between the recorded words of our Lord and the reports of the witnesses are striking: ‘I can destroy’ (Mat_26:61); ‘I will destroy’ (Mar_14:58); as compared with ‘Destroy … and I will raise’ (Joh_2:19).” Westcott’s Introduction, p. 326 n.

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.

Then the high priest rent his clothes,.... As was usual upon hearing blasphemy; which he now supposed the case, or at least would have it so thought:

and saith, what need we any further witnesses? or trouble ourselves to see for any more, or to hear and take the depositions of any others; See Gill on Mat 26:65.

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

59. οὐδὲ οὕτως. Mk only. Mt. regards the statement that they were false witnesses as sufficient. Mk states with satisfaction that even about this definite charge their statements did not tally. According to Joh 2:19 Jesus had said “Destroy … and I will raise.”

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.

59.] Perhaps the inconsistency of these testimonies may be traced in the different reports here and in Matt.

οὕτως,—‘in asserting this’—i.e. they varied in the terms in which it was expressed.

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

59. καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως—and not even so, implying that this was the nearest approach to definite and consistent testimony that they found, but that even in this, the testimony of different witnesses disagreed in essential particulars. Mk. calls it ψευδομαρτυρία, but evidently in the sense that it misrepresented a saying of Jesus, not that there was no such saying. According to Mt., there were two witnesses who testified to this.

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