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Ver. 65,66. Mark hath much the same, Mar_14:63,64, only he saith, they all condemned him to be guilty of death. Luke saith, Luk_22:70,71, Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am? And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth. This rending of clothes was a thing very ordinary amongst the Jews, used by them in testimony of sorrow and of indignation. They used it in causes of great sorrow and mourning, even before the Israelites were formed into a nation; we find it practised by Reuben and Jacob, Gen_37:29,34, and by Jacob’s sons, Gen_44:13; by Joshua and Caleb, Num_14:6, by Jephthah, Jud_11:35. Indeed he that was high priest was forbidden to do it, Lev_21:10, and, in order to it, to come near a dead body, Lev_21:11; which command yet the Jews restrain to his priestly garments, but upon other occasions he might rend his clothes, as Caiaphas here did. It was usual in case of blasphemy, both to show their sorrow for it and detestation of it, 2Ki_19:1 Jer_36:24 Act_14:14. So as they convicted our Saviour, not upon oaths of witnesses, but upon words which they interpreted to be blasphemy. The high priest, being but the president in this council, asks the opinion of the rest of the council. They all condemn him as guilty of a capital crime, which is here phrased
guilty of death, that is, one who by their law ought to die.