Luke 23:4-5

23:4 Then ¹  Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no basis for an accusation ²  against this man.” 23:5 But they persisted ³  in saying, “He incites ⁴  the people by teaching throughout all Judea. It started in Galilee and ended up here!” ⁵ 

Luke 23:10-11

23:10 The chief priests and the experts in the law ⁶  were there, vehemently accusing him. ⁷  23:11 Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, ⁸  dressing him in elegant clothes, ⁹  Herod ¹⁰  sent him back to Pilate.

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¹ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

² tn Grk “find no cause.”

sn Pilate’s statement “I find no reason for an accusation” is the first of several remarks in Luke 23 that Jesus is innocent or of efforts to release him (vv. 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 22).

³ tn Or “were adamant.” For “persisted in saying,” see L&N 68.71.

⁴ sn He incites the people. The Jewish leadership claimed that Jesus was a political threat and had to be stopped. By reiterating this charge of stirring up rebellion, they pressured Pilate to act, or be accused of overlooking political threats to Rome.

⁵ tn Grk “beginning from Galilee until here.”

⁶ tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 5:21.

⁷ sn Luke portrays the Jewish leadership as driving events toward the cross by vehemently accusing Jesus.

⁸ tn This is a continuation of the previous Greek sentence, but because of its length and complexity, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying “then” to indicate the sequence of events.

⁹ sn This mockery involved putting elegant royal clothes on Jesus, either white or purple (the colors of royalty). This was no doubt a mockery of Jesus’ claim to be a king.

¹⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.