Luke 23

"\nAnd they began to accuse him,.... After they found that Pilate would not receive him as a malefactor upon their word, and delivery of him to him as such; but insisted on knowing what they had to charge him with, and what accusation they had to bring against him:\n\nsaying, we have found this fellow perverting the nation; the nation of the Jews. Three of Beza's copies read, "our nation"; and so do the Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions; and it is to be understood, either of his perverting the nation from the true doctrine of Moses and the prophets; by spreading among them new notions, and false principles of religion; whereby he was a troubler of God's Israel, as Ahab charged Elijah, 1Ki 18:17 where the Septuagint use the same word as here; and so is a charge of heresy, or innovation in religion against Christ: and thus Jesus stands charged in their writings {o}; on those words in Ps 91:10. "Neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling", they have this note;\n\n"that thou mayest not have a son, or a disciple, that corrupts his food publicly (i.e. his doctrine, who departs from the true doctrine and worship, to heresy and idolatry, and propagates the same), \u05db\u05d2\u05d5\u05df \u05d9\u05e9\u05d5 \u05d4\u05e0\u05d5\u05e6\u05e8\u05d9, "as Jesus the Nazarene".''\n\nWhich last clause, in some later editions of the Talmud, is left out: or it may be understood of his perverting the nation in their politics, and so is a charge of sedition against him, as follows;\n\nforbidding to give tribute to Caesar; than which, nothing was more false; see Mt 22:21 nor does what is after alleged, support this charge:\n\nsaying, that he himself is Christ, a King; or Christ the King, or the King Christ; that is, he whom the Jews so frequently in their writings call \u05de\u05dc\u05da \u05d4\u05de\u05e9\u05d9\u05d7, "the King Messiah", for so he might be, and was, without any hurt to Caesar's dignity, or revenue; for though he was a king, yet not an earthly one; and though he had a kingdom, yet not of this world: indeed they would insinuate by this, that he set himself up as an earthly king, in opposition to Caesar, to draw off the people from him, and their allegiance and duty to him; and so the Jews say of Jesus of Nazareth, that he was put to death, and had no mercy shown him, because he was \u05e7\u05e8\u05d5\u05d1 \u05dc\u05de\u05dc\u05db\u05d5\u05ea, "near to the kingdom" {p}. The whole of this charge was untrue; he was so far from perverting the nation with false doctrine and worship, that he taught the true doctrine, and right way of worship, and refuted the false glosses of the Pharisees, and opposed the vain traditions of the elders, by which both were corrupted; and so far was he from any seditious principles and practices, or doing any injury to Tiberius Caesar, the then reigning emperor, that he taught the people to give Caesar the things that were Caesar's, and he himself paid the tribute money; and when the people would have took him by force, and have made him a king, he avoided it by getting out of the way, Joh 6:15.\n\n{o} T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 103. 1. & Beracot, fol, 17. 2. {p} T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 43. 1.\n\n\n "

23:1-5 Pilate well understood the difference between armed forces and our Lord's followers. But instead of being softened by Pilate's declaration of his innocence, and considering whether they were not bringing the guilt of innocent blood upon themselves, the Jews were the more angry. The Lord brings his designs to a glorious end, even by means of those who follow the devices of their own hearts. Thus all parties joined, so as to prove the innocence of Jesus, who was the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

"\nAnd Pilate asked him, saying,.... Observing that it was said, he had given himself out to be a king; for as for what regarded religion, he took no notice of it; he put this question to him,\n\nart thou the King of the Jews? that their prophecies speak of, and they have expected;\n\nand he answered him and said, thou sayest it; that is, thou sayest well; it is as thou sayest, I am the King of the Jews;\n[See comments on Mt 27:11] though he did not leave this without an explanation; without informing him what sort of a king he was, and what kind of a kingdom he had; see Joh 18:36 which made Pilate perfectly easy, and desirous to release him, as appears by what follows.\n\n\n "

"\nThen said Pilate to the Chief priests, and to the people,.... Both to the sanhedrim, and to the mob that were gathered together about the governor's palace on this occasion; and who were standing without the judgment hall, into which they would not enter, lest they should be defiled, and be unfit to eat the passover: wherefore Pilate came out to them; and this was the second time of his coming out to them, when he said the following words,\n Joh 18:28.\n\nI find no fault in this man; no cause, or reason, why any punishment should be inflicted on him, and especially he be put to death; no crime that can be fastened on him, or accusation proved against him, or any thing that amounts to a charge of sedition: the man is an harmless and innocent man, that has done nothing against Caesar, or the government, and good of the nation; and therefore is not worthy of death, or of stripes, but should be discharged. This was Pilate's sense.\n\n\n "

"\nAnd they were the more fierce,.... Or urgent to have him put to death; so the Hebrew word \u05d7\u05d6\u05e7 is rendered in Ex 12:33 which answers to that here used.