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Translation
King James Version
¶ When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:
Complete Jewish Bible
Early in the morning, all the head cohanim and elders met to plan how to bring about Yeshua's death.
Berean Standard Bible
When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people conspired against Jesus to put Him to death.
American Standard Version
Now when morning was come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:
World English Bible Messianic
Now when morning had come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Yeshua to put him to death:
Geneva Bible (1599)
When the morning was come, all the chiefe Priests, and the elders of the people tooke counsell against Iesus, to put him to death,
Young's Literal Translation
And morning having come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus, so as to put him to death;
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Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers . Public domain.
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Pseudo-Augustine (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(Hil. Quæst. V. et N. Test. q. 94.) Since the Chief Priests were employed about the murder of the Lord from the morning to the ninth hour, how is this proved that before the crucifixion Judas returned them the money he had received, and said to them in the temple, I have sinned, in that I have betrayed innocent blood? Whereas it is manifest that the Chief Priests and Elders were never in the temple before the Lord's crucifixion, seeing that when He was hanging on the Cross they were there to insult Him. Nor indeed can this be proved hence, because it is related before the Lord's Passion, for many things which were manifestly done before, are related after, that, and the reverse. It might have been done after the ninth hour, when Judas, seeing the Saviour dead and the veil of the temple rent, the earthquake, the bursting of the rocks, and the elements terrified, was seized with fear and sorrow thereupon. But after the ninth hour the Chief Priests and Elders were occupied, as I suppose, in the celebration of the Passover; and on the Sabbath, the Law would not have allowed him to bring money. Therefore it is to me as yet unproved on what day or at what time Judas ended his life by hanging.
John ChrysostomAD 407
Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 85
For because they were desirous to put Him to death, but were not able themselves because of the feast, they lead Him to the governor.
But mark, I pray thee, how the act was forced on, so as to take place at the feast. For so was it typified from the first.
This was a charge both against him, and against these men; against him, not because he repented, but because he did so, late, and slowly, and became self-condemned (for that he delivered Him up, he himself confessed); and against them, for that having the power to reverse it, they repented not.
But mark, when it is that he feels remorse. When his sin was completed, and had received an accomplishment. For the devil is like this; he suffers not those that are not watchful to see the evil before this, lest he whom he has taken, should repent. At least, when Jesus was saying so many things, he was not influenced, but when his offense was completed, then repentance came upon him; and not then profitably. For to condemn it, and to throw down the pieces of silver, and not to regard the Jewish people, were all acceptable things; but to hang himself, this again was unpardonable, and a work of an evil spirit. For the devil led him out of his repentance too soon, so that he should reap no fruit from thence; and carries him off, by a most disgraceful death, and one manifest to all, having persuaded him to destroy himself.
But mark, I pray thee, the truth shining forth on every side, even by what the adversaries both do and suffer. For indeed even the very end of the traitor stops the mouths of them that had condemned Him, and suffers them not to have so much as any shadow of an excuse that is surely shameless. For what could they have to say, when the traitor is shown to pass such a sentence on himself.
He brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests, and saith, I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood. And they said, what is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
For neither could he bear his conscience scourging him. But mark, I pray thee, the Jews too suffering the same things. For these men also, when they ought to have been amended by what they suffered, do not stop, until they have completed their sin. For his sin had been completed, for it was a betrayal; but theirs not yet. But when they too had accomplished theirs, and had nailed Him to the cross then they also are troubled.
Hear, ye covetous, consider what befell him; how he at the same time lost the money, and committed the sin, and destroyed his own soul. Such is the tyranny of covetousness. He enjoyed not the money, neither the present life, nor that to come, but lost all at once, and having got a bad character even with those very men, so hanged himself.
John Chrysostom (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 407
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(Hom. lxxxiv.) They did not put Him to death in secret, because they sought to destroy His reputation, and the wonder with which He was regarded by many. For this reason they were minded to put Him to death openly before all, and therefore they led Him to the governor.
Observe that he repents only when his sin is finished and complete; for so the Devil suffers not those who are not watchful to see the evil before they bring it to an end.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Matthew
(Chapter 27, verses 1 onwards) Now when morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. And they bound him, and led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. He was not only taken to Pilate, but also to Herod, so that both of them might mock the Lord. And see the eagerness of the priests for evil. They stayed awake all night in order to commit murder. And they handed him over bound to Pilate. For they had this custom, that whoever they had condemned to death, they would hand over to the judge bound.
Then seeing Judas, who had betrayed Him, that He was condemned, being moved by repentance, he returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying: I have sinned in betraying innocent blood. He cast away the weight of impiety from the greatness of his greed. Seeing that the Lord was condemned to death, Judas returned the price to the priests, as if he had the power to change the sentence of those who persecuted. Therefore, although he changed his will, he did not change the outcome of his first intention. But if he who handed over the innocent blood sinned, how much more did the Jews sin, who bought the innocent blood, and by offering a price, provoked the betrayal of the disciple? Let those who attempt to introduce different natures and say that Judas, the traitor, had an evil nature, and could not be saved by election, answer how an evil nature could have repented.
JeromeAD 420
COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 4.27.1-2
The Lord was led not only to Pilate but also to Herod so that he could be mocked by both. Notice the solicitude with which the priests carried out their evil doing; they remained vigilant throughout the night in preparation for committing murder. “And they delivered him bound to Pilate.” It was their customary practice to bind a man who had been condemned to death and to hand him over to his judge.
Jerome (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 420
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Observe the evil zeal of the Chief Priests; they watched the whole night with a view to this murder. And they gave Him up to Pilate bound, for such was their practice to send bound to the judge any whom they had sentenced to death.
Judas, when he saw that the Lord was condemned to death, returned the money to the Priests, as though it had been in his power to change the minds of His persecutors.
Augustine of Hippo (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 430
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(de Cons. Ev. iii. 7.) The Evangelist had above brought down his history, of what was done to the Lord as far as early morning; he then turned back to relate Peter's denial, after which he returned to the morning to continue the course of events, When the morning was come, &c.
Leo the GreatAD 461
SERMON 41.5.2
O religious leaders [of the Jews], this morning was far from your time of ascendency, as it might have seemed to you. Your sun was in fact beginning to set. The dawn you expected did not come. A night of blackest darkness was brooding over your spiteful hearts. Out of this morning would come the overthrow of the temple and its altars, the surpassing of the law and the prophets, the undoing of the kingship and priesthood, turning youth to continual lament. For you set out that morning on a mad and bloody course. You offered up to die the Author of life, the Lord of glory. Pilate—that terror-stricken judge—was overcome by your shouts, so that he chose a man for pardon who was a murderer and demanded the crucifixion of the Savior of the world.
Leo the Great (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 461
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(Serm. 52, 5.) When he says, I have sinned, in that I have betrayed innocent blood, he persists in his wicked treachery, seeing that amid the last struggles of death he believed not Jesus to be the Son of God, but merely man of our rank; for had he not thus denied His omnipotence, he would have obtained His mercy.
Remigius of Rheims (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 533
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
But they said, What is that to us? that is to say, What is it to us that He is righteous? See thou to it, i. e. to thy own deed what will come of it. Though some would read these in one1, What must we think of you, when you confess that the man whom yourself have betrayed is innocent?
Rabanus Maurus (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 856
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Though it should be observed that they did not now first bind Him, but before, when they first laid hands upon Him in the garden, as John relates. (John 18:12.)
He hung himself, to show that he was hateful to both heaven and earth.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Matthew 27:1 opens the climactic day of Jesus' crucifixion, revealing the chilling determination of the Jewish religious authorities. After a night of illegal trials and false accusations, the chief priests and elders convened at dawn to formalize their decision and strategize how to secure the Roman governor's consent for Jesus' execution, effectively sealing His fate and setting in motion the final events of His earthly ministry.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse immediately follows the tumultuous night of Jesus' arrest in Gethsemane, His initial interrogation before Annas, and the full Sanhedrin trial presided over by Caiaphas, the high priest, as detailed in Matthew 26:57-68. During this night trial, Jesus was condemned on charges of blasphemy, despite the lack of credible witnesses and the clear injustice of the proceedings. The transition from the darkness of the night to the "morning" in Matthew 27:1 signifies a shift from the internal Jewish legal process to the necessary step of involving the Roman authorities, as the Sanhedrin lacked the power to execute a capital sentence under Roman occupation. The verse also implicitly sets the stage for Judas Iscariot's despair and suicide, which immediately follows in Matthew 27:3-10, further emphasizing the grim reality of Jesus' condemnation.
Historical & Cultural Context: Under Roman rule, the Jewish Sanhedrin retained significant religious and civil authority, but capital punishment was reserved for the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, who resided in Caesarea but was in Jerusalem for the Passover festival to maintain order. The "chief priests and elders of the people" constituted the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish judicial and religious council, composed of Sadducees (primarily the chief priests) and Pharisees (often represented by the elders and scribes). Their morning meeting was not a new trial but a formal ratification of the previous night's verdict and a strategic session to devise a charge that would compel Pilate to act. They knew a religious charge like blasphemy would not suffice for the Romans, who were concerned with maintaining peace and Roman law. Thus, they would need to present Jesus as a political threat or insurrectionist, a "king of the Jews," to secure His execution, as later seen in John 18:33-37. The timing, "when the morning was come," was crucial for presenting Jesus to Pilate early, before the crowds gathered and to avoid any potential unrest during the Passover celebrations.
Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several key themes within Matthew's Gospel and the broader biblical narrative. It underscores the theme of human conspiracy against divine will, revealing the depth of human malice and rejection of God's Son, even by those who claimed to represent God. The "counsel against Jesus" highlights the injustice and corruption of religious authority, as those entrusted with upholding God's law perverted justice for their own self-preservation and envy, echoing Jesus' earlier condemnations of the religious leaders in Matthew 23. Paradoxically, this human evil simultaneously serves the theme of divine sovereignty and the fulfillment of prophecy. Despite the malevolent intentions of the chief priests and elders, their actions were precisely what God had foretold would happen to His Messiah, as Jesus Himself had predicted He would be "delivered to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified" (Matthew 20:19). Thus, the verse marks a critical juncture where human sin and divine purpose intersect, moving toward the ultimate act of redemption.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Matthew 27:1 employs several literary devices to convey its profound message. Foreshadowing is evident as the "counsel...to put him to death" directly anticipates the crucifixion that will unfold later that day, building dramatic tension. There is also a strong element of Irony: the religious leaders, who are supposed to be guardians of life and justice, are actively plotting the death of the very source of life, the Son of God. The phrase "When the morning was come" provides a stark Contrast between the literal dawning of a new day and the spiritual darkness of the Sanhedrin's intentions. This temporal marker also serves as a Narrative Transition, moving the story from the Jewish legal sphere to the Roman political arena, highlighting the shift in jurisdiction necessary for Jesus' execution. Finally, the collective "all the chief priests and elders of the people" functions as Synecdoche, where a part (the Sanhedrin) represents the whole of the official religious establishment, emphasizing the institutional rejection of Jesus.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Matthew 27:1 serves as a stark reminder of humanity's capacity for profound injustice and rejection of divine truth, even by those who claim religious authority. The unanimous decision of the Sanhedrin to put Jesus to death highlights the depths of human sin and the spiritual blindness that can afflict even the most devout. Yet, this verse also subtly points to God's overarching sovereignty. Despite the malevolent intentions of the religious leaders, their actions were not outside of God's control but were, in fact, integral to His predetermined plan for the redemption of humanity. This event, born of human wickedness, was a necessary step in the unfolding of God's redemptive purpose, demonstrating that even the darkest moments of human history can be woven into the tapestry of divine salvation.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Matthew 27:1 calls us to a profound reflection on the nature of power, justice, and spiritual discernment. The chilling resolve of the religious leaders to condemn Jesus to death, despite His innocence and divine authority, serves as a sobering warning against the dangers of religious zeal untempered by genuine love and truth. It challenges us to examine our own hearts: are we truly seeking God's will, or are we, like the Sanhedrin, driven by self-preservation, fear, or a desire to maintain our own perceived authority or comfort? This verse reminds us that true faith is not about adhering to rigid structures or traditions at the expense of compassion and justice, but about humbly submitting to the living Christ. It also encourages us to stand for truth and righteousness, even when it is unpopular or costly, recognizing that injustice, even when cloaked in religious garb, remains an affront to God. Ultimately, it invites us to trust in God's sovereign plan, knowing that even through the darkest acts of human sin, His redemptive purposes will prevail.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did the chief priests and elders need to "take counsel" again in the morning after condemning Jesus at night?
Answer: The chief priests and elders had already condemned Jesus on religious grounds (blasphemy) during their night trial (Matthew 26:65-66). However, under Roman occupation, the Jewish Sanhedrin did not possess the authority to carry out a death sentence. Capital punishment was reserved for the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Therefore, their morning "counsel" was not a re-trial but a strategic meeting to formalize their decision and, critically, to formulate charges against Jesus that would be recognized as capital offenses under Roman law. They needed to present Jesus to Pilate as a political threat (e.g., claiming to be "King of the Jews," a rival to Caesar) rather than merely a religious blasphemer, to ensure His execution. This is why they immediately led Him to Pilate after their morning consultation (Matthew 27:2).
What does "chief priests and elders of the people" signify about the opposition to Jesus?
Answer: This phrase refers to the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish ruling council and judicial body. The "chief priests" were primarily Sadducees, who controlled the Temple and were often wealthy and politically connected. The "elders of the people" were respected lay leaders, often associated with the Pharisees and scribes, representing various influential families and groups within Jewish society. The fact that "all" of them "took counsel" against Jesus signifies a unified and institutional opposition from the highest levels of Jewish religious and political power. It highlights that Jesus' condemnation was not a fringe act but a deliberate, collective decision by the established authorities, driven by a combination of theological disagreement, fear of His growing influence, and a desire to maintain their own power and status (John 11:47-48).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Matthew 27:1, though depicting the dark machinations of human sin, ultimately points to the profound Christ-centered fulfillment of God's redemptive plan. The "counsel against Jesus to put him to death" was not a defeat for God's purposes but the very means by which they were accomplished. Jesus, the innocent Lamb of God, was being led to the slaughter, fulfilling the ancient prophecies of a suffering servant who would bear the sins of many (Isaiah 53:7-8). His being "delivered" by the Jewish authorities to the Roman governor was a necessary step for Him to become the atoning sacrifice, shedding His blood for the forgiveness of sins, for "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22). In this moment of apparent human triumph over divine truth, Jesus was, in fact, exercising His ultimate sovereignty, willingly laying down His life for His sheep (John 10:17-18). His unjust condemnation by earthly powers paved the way for His righteous act of self-sacrifice, demonstrating God's immense love for humanity (Romans 5:8) and securing eternal life for all who believe in Him (John 3:16). Thus, this verse, far from being merely a historical account of injustice, is a pivotal moment in the unfolding of God's glorious plan of salvation through Christ.