21:23 Now after Jesus 8 entered the temple courts, 9 the chief priests and elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority 10 are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”
26:47 While he was still speaking, Judas, 11 one of the twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and elders of the people.
27:3 Now when 14 Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus 15 had been condemned, he regretted what he had done and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders,
1 tc The Greek verb ἔφαγεν (efagen, “he ate”) is found in a majority of witnesses (Ì70 C D L W Θ Ë1,13 33 Ï latt sy co) in place of ἔφαγον (efagon, “they ate”), the wording found in א B pc. ἔφαγεν is most likely motivated by the parallels in Mark and Luke (both of which have the singular).
2 tn Grk “the bread of presentation.”
sn The sacred bread refers to the “bread of presentation,” “showbread,” or “bread of the Presence,” twelve loaves prepared weekly for the tabernacle and later, the temple. See Exod 25:30; 35:13; 39:36; Lev 24:5-9. Each loaf was made from 3 quarts (3.5 liters; Heb “two tenths of an ephah”) of fine flour. The loaves were placed on a table in the holy place of the tabernacle, on the north side opposite the lampstand (Exod 26:35). It was the duty of the priest each Sabbath to place fresh bread on the table; the loaves from the previous week were then given to Aaron and his descendants, who ate them in the holy place, because they were considered sacred (Lev 24:9). See also Mark 2:23-28, Luke 6:1-5.
3 sn Jesus’ response to the charge that what his disciples were doing was against the law is one of analogy: “If David did it for his troops in a time of need, then so can I with my disciples.” Jesus is clear that on the surface there was a violation here. What is not as clear is whether he is arguing a “greater need” makes this permissible or that this was within the intention of the law all along.
4 sn See 1 Sam 21:1-6.
5 tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
6 tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
7 tn Grk “crying out in the temple [courts] and saying.” The participle λέγοντας (legontas) is somewhat redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
8 tn Grk “he.”
9 tn Grk “the temple.”
10 tn On this phrase, see BDAG 844 s.v. ποῖος 2.a.γ.1
11 tn Grk “behold, Judas.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
12 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
13 sn The guards would have been the guards of the chief priests who had accompanied Judas to arrest Jesus.
14 tn Grk “Then when.” Here τότε (tote) has been translated as “now” to indicate a somewhat parenthetical interlude in the sequence of events.
15 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.