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Mat_26:59 f. Καὶ τὸ συνέδριον ὅλον ] and the whole Sanhedrim generally. This is a legitimate enough use of the words, even although certain individual members (Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea) did not concur in this proceeding.
ψευδομαρτυρίαν ] so called from the historian’s own point of view. Euthymius Zigabenus well remarks: ὡς μὲν ἑκείνοις ἐδόκει , μαρτυρίαν , ὡς δὲ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ , ψευδομαρτυρίαν .
ὅπως θανατ . αὐτ .] with a view to putting Him to death, which could only be effected by their pronouncing in the first instance a capital sentence, and then having it ratified by the authority of the imperial procurator.
καὶ οὐχ εὗρον καὶ πολλῶν προσελθόντων ψευδομαρτύρων (see the critical remarks): and they found no means of doing so, even though many false witnesses had come forward. There were many who presented themselves to bear witness against Jesus; yet the Sanhedrim did not find what it wanted to find, doubtless because of the lack of that agreement between two of the witnesses at least which the law required (Num_35:30; Deu_17:6; Deu_19:15). See what immediately follows: ὕστερον δὲ προσελθ . δύο , and comp. Mar_14:56. Though there was a show of complying with the ordinary forms of judicial process, they were nevertheless shamefully violated (in opposition to Salvador, Saalschutz), in that exculpatory evidence (Joh_18:20 f.) was never called for.