Poole remarks : " After Herod's time tb^re was no regard to the family of Aaron, but the Romans made what high priests they pleased. Josephus tells us that the Jews had thirteen high priests from Aaron to Solomon, which was 612 years; eighteen from Solomon to the Babylonian captivity, which was 460 years; fifteen from the captivity to Antiochus, which was 414 years : but they had no less than twenty-eight between the time that Herod began to reign and Jerusalem was destroyed, which was less than a century."
[Said... Ye know nothing at all.'] The word rendered "ye" is here emphatic in the Greek. It seems not unlikely that it ex- presses Caiaphas' contempt for the ignorance and helplessness of the Pharisees' question. "You and all your party do not uuderstand what the situation of things requires. You are wasting time in complaints and expressions of vexation, when a sterner, severer policy is imperatively demanded."
Chrysostom remarks, " What others made matter of doubt, and put forth in the way of deliberation, this man cried aloud shamelessly, openly, and audaciously. One must die."
Pearce thinks that some of the Jews in council must have talked of only putting a stop to Christ's preaching, as they after- wards tried to stop the Apostles, (Acts iv. 18,) but that Caiaphas ridiculed such weak counsel, and advised more violent measures. May we not suppose that Nicodemus and others spoke in favour of our Lord ?
60.— [Nor consider.] The word thus rendered is almost always translated " reason," and is nowhere " consider,'* except here. It seems to imply that Caiaphas wished the Pharisees to know that they had not reasoned out and properly weighed the right thing to be done. Hence this perplexity. He would not show them the conclusion they ought to have come to.
[It is expedient... one... die... whole... perish not.] Caiaphas* con- clusion is short and decisive. He gives it elliptically. " This Man must die. It is far better that one should die, whether in- nocent or not, for the benefit of the whole uation. than that the whole nation should be brought into trouble and perish. You are thinking that if we do not" let this Man alone, and interfere, we are injuring an innocent person. Away with such childish scruples. Let Him be put out of the way. It is expedient to kill Him. Better He should die to save the nation from further trouble, than live, and the nation be brought into trouble by Him."
I cannot suppose that Caiaphas meant anything more than this. He simply argues that Christ's death would be a public benefit, and that to spare Him might bring destruction on the nation. Of the full meaning that His words were capable of bearing t do not believe he had the least idea.
Let us carefully note here what crimes and sins may be com