Discovery BoxLuke 23:2 
Context23:2 They 1 began to accuse 2 him, saying, “We found this man subverting 3 our nation, forbidding 4 us to pay the tribute tax 5 to Caesar 6 and claiming that he himself is Christ, 7 a king.”
Luke 23:14
Context23:14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading 8 the people. When I examined him before you, I 9 did not find this man guilty 10 of anything you accused him of doing.
1 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
2 sn They began to accuse him. There were three charges: (1) disturbing Jewish peace; (2) fomenting rebellion through advocating not paying taxes (a lie – 20:20-26); and (3) claiming to be a political threat to Rome, by claiming to be a king, an allusion to Jesus’ messianic claims. The second and third charges were a direct challenge to Roman authority. Pilate would be forced to do something about them.
3 tn On the use of the term διαστρέφω (diastrefw) here, see L&N 31.71 and 88.264.
sn Subverting our nation was a summary charge, as Jesus “subverted” the nation by making false claims of a political nature, as the next two detailed charges show.
4 tn Grk “and forbidding.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated to suggest to the English reader that this and the following charge are specifics, while the previous charge was a summary one. See the note on the word “misleading” earlier in this verse.
5 tn This was a “poll tax.” L&N 57.182 states this was “a payment made by the people of one nation to another, with the implication that this is a symbol of submission and dependence – ‘tribute tax.’”
6 tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).
7 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
sn See the note on Christ in 2:11.
8 tn This term also appears in v. 2.
9 tn Grk “behold, I” A transitional use of ἰδού (idou) has not been translated here.
10 tn Grk “nothing did I find in this man by way of cause.” The reference to “nothing” is emphatic.
