14:1 Two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the chief priests and the experts in the law 1 were trying to find a way 2 to arrest Jesus 3 by stealth and kill him. 14:2 For they said, “Not during the feast, so there won’t be a riot among the people.” 4
14:43 Right away, while Jesus 5 was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived. 6 With him came a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and experts in the law 7 and elders. 14:44 (Now the betrayer 8 had given them a sign, saying, “The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him and lead him away under guard.”) 9 14:45 When Judas 10 arrived, he went up to Jesus 11 immediately and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed 12 him. 14:46 Then they took hold of him 13 and arrested him. 14:47 One of the bystanders drew his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, 14 cutting off his ear. 14:48 Jesus said to them, “Have you come with swords and clubs to arrest me like you would an outlaw? 15 14:49 Day after day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, yet 16 you did not arrest me. But this has happened so that 17 the scriptures would be fulfilled.” 14:50 Then 18 all the disciples 19 left him and fled. 14:51 A young man was following him, wearing only a linen cloth. They tried to arrest him, 14:52 but he ran off naked, 20 leaving his linen cloth behind.
14:53 Then 21 they led Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests and elders and experts in the law 22 came together. 14:54 And Peter had followed him from a distance, up to the high priest’s courtyard. He 23 was sitting with the guards 24 and warming himself by the fire. 14:55 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find anything. 14:56 Many gave false testimony against him, but their testimony did not agree. 14:57 Some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: 25 14:58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands and in three days build another not made with hands.’” 14:59 Yet even on this point their testimony did not agree. 14:60 Then 26 the high priest stood up before them 27 and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is this that they are testifying against you?” 14:61 But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest questioned him, 28 “Are you the Christ, 29 the Son of the Blessed One?” 14:62 “I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand 30 of the Power 31 and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 32 14:63 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? 14:64 You have heard the blasphemy! What is your verdict?” 33 They all condemned him as deserving death. 14:65 Then 34 some began to spit on him, and to blindfold him, and to strike him with their fists, saying, “Prophesy!” The guards also took him and beat 35 him.
1 tn Or “the chief priests and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
2 tn Grk “were seeking how.”
3 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
4 sn The suggestion here is that Jesus was too popular to openly arrest him. The verb were trying is imperfect. It suggests, in this context, that they were always considering the opportunities.
5 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
6 tn Or “approached.” This is a different verb than the one translated “arrived” in Matt 26:47 and below in v. 45, although in this context the meanings probably overlap.
7 tn Or “from the chief priests, scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
8 tn Grk “the one who betrays him.”
9 sn This remark is parenthetical within the narrative and has thus been placed in parentheses.
10 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
11 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
12 sn Judas’ act of betrayal when he kissed Jesus is especially sinister when it is realized that it was common in the culture of the times for a disciple to kiss his master when greeting him.
13 tn Grk “put their hands on him.”
14 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 10:44.
15 tn Or “a revolutionary.” This term can refer to one who stirs up rebellion: BDAG 594 s.v. λῃστής 2 has “revolutionary, insurrectionist,” citing evidence from Josephus (J. W. 2.13.2-3 [2.253-254]). However, this usage generally postdates Jesus’ time. It does refer to a figure of violence. Luke uses the same term for the highwaymen who attack the traveler in the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:30).
16 tn Grk “and”; καί (kai) is elastic enough to be used contrastively on occasion, as here.
17 tn Grk “But so that”; the verb “has happened” is implied.
18 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
19 tn Grk “they”; the referent (Jesus’ disciples) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
20 sn The statement he ran off naked is probably a reference to Mark himself, traditionally assumed to be the author of this Gospel. Why he was wearing only an outer garment and not the customary tunic as well is not mentioned. W. L. Lane, Mark (NICNT), 527-28, says that Mark probably mentioned this episode so as to make it clear that “all fled, leaving Jesus alone in the custody of the police.”
21 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
22 tn Or “and scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
23 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
24 sn The guards would have been the guards of the chief priests who had accompanied Judas to arrest Jesus.
25 tn Grk “Some standing up gave false testimony against him, saying.”
26 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
27 tn Grk “in the middle.”
28 tn Grk “questioned him and said to him.”
29 tn Or “the Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
sn See the note on Christ in 8:29.
30 sn An allusion to Ps 110:1. This is a claim that Jesus shares authority with God in heaven. Those present may have thought they were his judges, but, in fact, the reverse was true.
31 sn The expression the right hand of the Power is a circumlocution for referring to God. Such indirect references to God were common in 1st century Judaism out of reverence for the divine name.
32 sn An allusion to Dan 7:13.
33 tn Grk “What do you think?”
34 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
35 tn For the translation of ῥάπισμα (rJapisma), see L&N 19.4.