King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And said, This [fellow] said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.
Complete Jewish Bible:
"This man said, `I can tear down God's Temple and build it again in three days.'"
Berean Standard Bible:
and declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
American Standard Version:
and said, This man said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And said{G2036}, This{G3778} fellow said{G5346}, I am able{G1410} to destroy{G2647} the temple{G3485} of God{G2316}, and{G2532} to build{G3618} it{G846} in{G1223} three{G5140} days{G2250}.
Cross-References (KJV):
John 2:19
- Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
John 2:21
- But he spake of the temple of his body.
Matthew 27:40
- And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest [it] in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
Psalms 22:6
- But I [am] a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
Psalms 22:7
- All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, [saying],
Mark 15:29
- And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest [it] in three days,
Isaiah 53:3
- He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were [our] faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
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Commentary for Matthew 26:61
Matthew 26:61 is a verse that captures a significant moment in the passion narrative of Jesus Christ, as recounted in the New Testament. The verse is part of the narrative concerning the trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious court. In this verse, false witnesses are brought forward to testify against Jesus, and they misquote a statement He had made earlier, found in John 2:19, where Jesus had declared, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."
The historical context of this verse is crucial to understanding its themes. Jesus' statement was not a literal reference to the physical temple in Jerusalem, which was the center of Jewish religious life. Instead, He was speaking metaphorically about His body and His resurrection. The temple, in Jesus' teaching, symbolized His role as the embodiment of God's presence among His people, a presence that would be made new and eternal through His death and resurrection.
The themes of Matthew 26:61 include misrepresentation, false testimony, and the gravity of the charges leveled against Jesus. The verse reflects the intense conflict between Jesus and the religious authorities of His time, highlighting the misunderstanding and rejection of His message and mission. It also foreshadows the impending crucifixion and resurrection, which are central to Christian faith and theology. The misinterpretation of Jesus' words by the false witnesses underscores the broader motif of misunderstanding that runs throughout the Gospels, as even His disciples often fail to grasp the deeper meaning of His teachings until after the resurrection.
In summary, Matthew 26:61 encapsulates the tension and conflict surrounding Jesus' trial, the misrepresentation of His words, and the profound spiritual truths He conveyed about His mission to inaugurate a new covenant through His sacrificial death and resurrection, which the physical temple could not achieve. This verse is a pivotal point in the Gospel narrative, setting the stage for the climactic events of Jesus' passion, death, and ultimate vindication by God through the resurrection.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: G2036
There are 901 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: ἔπω
Transliteration: épō
Pronunciation: ep'-o
Description: a primary verb (used only in the definite past tense, the others being borrowed from ἐρέω, ῥέω, and φημί); to speak or say (by word or writing):--answer, bid, bring word, call, command, grant, say (on), speak, tell. Compare λέγω. - Strong's Number: G3778
There are 344 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: οὗτος
Transliteration: hoûtos
Pronunciation: how'-tahee
Description: from the article ὁ and αὐτός; the he (she or it), i.e. this or that (often with article repeated):--he (it was that), hereof, it, she, such as, the same, these, they, this (man, same, woman), which, who. - Strong's Number: G5346
There are 57 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: φημί
Transliteration: phēmí
Pronunciation: fay-mee'
Description: properly, the same as the base of φῶς and φαίνω; to show or make known one's thoughts, i.e. speak or say:--affirm, say. Compare λέγω. - Strong's Number: G1410
There are 201 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: δύναμαι
Transliteration: dýnamai
Pronunciation: doo'-nam-ahee
Description: of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible:--be able, can (do, + -not), could, may, might, be possible, be of power. - Strong's Number: G2647
There are 16 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: καταλύω
Transliteration: katalýō
Pronunciation: kat-al-oo'-o
Description: from κατά and λύω; to loosen down (disintegrate), i.e. (by implication) to demolish (literally or figuratively); specially (compare κατάλυμα) to halt for the night:--destroy, dissolve, be guest, lodge, come to nought, overthrow, throw down. - Strong's Number: G3485
There are 40 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: ναός
Transliteration: naós
Pronunciation: nah-os'
Description: from a primary (to dwell); a fane, shrine, temple :--shrine, temple. Compare ἱερόν. - Strong's Number: G2316
There are 1172 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: θεός
Transliteration: theós
Pronunciation: theh'-os
Description: of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with ὁ) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:--X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward). - Strong's Number: G2532
There are 5212 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: καί
Transliteration: kaí
Pronunciation: kahee
Description: apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet. - Strong's Number: G3618
There are 38 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: οἰκοδομέω
Transliteration: oikodoméō
Pronunciation: oy-kod-om-eh'-o
Description: from the same as οἰκοδομή; to be a house-builder, i.e. construct or (figuratively) confirm:--(be in) build(-er, -ing, up), edify, embolden. - Strong's Number: G846
There are 3776 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: αὐτός
Transliteration: autós
Pronunciation: ow-tos'
Description: from the particle (perhaps akin to the base of ἀήρ through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative ἑαυτοῦ) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which. Compare αὑτοῦ. - Strong's Number: G1223
There are 580 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: διά
Transliteration: diá
Pronunciation: dee-ah'
Description: a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through (in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional):--after, always, among, at, to avoid, because of (that), briefly, by, for (cause) … fore, from, in, by occasion of, of, by reason of, for sake, that, thereby, therefore, X though, through(-out), to, wherefore, with (-in). In composition it retains the same general importance. - Strong's Number: G5140
There are 60 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: τρεῖς
Transliteration: treîs
Pronunciation: tree'-ah
Description: a primary (plural) number; "three":--three. - Strong's Number: G2250
There are 366 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: ἡμέρα
Transliteration: hēméra
Pronunciation: hay-mer'-ah
Description: feminine (with ὥρα implied) of a derivative of (to sit; akin to the base of ἑδραῖος) meaning tame, i.e. gentle; day, i.e. (literally) the time space between dawn and dark, or the whole 24 hours (but several days were usually reckoned by the Jews as inclusive of the parts of both extremes); figuratively, a period (always defined more or less clearly by the context):--age, + alway, (mid-)day (by day, (-ly)), + for ever, judgment, (day) time, while, years.