Matthew 27:12

Matthew 27:12 is the twelfth verse of the twenty-seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This continues Pilate's Court, and the final trial of Jesus.

The original Koine Greek, according to Westcott and Hort, reads:

και εν τω κατηγορεισθαι αυτον υπο των αρχιερεων και πρεσβυτερων ουδεν απεκρινατο

In the King James Version of the Bible it is translated as:

And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.

The modern World English Bible translates the passage as:

When he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.

This verse is based on Mark 15:3 with several variations. Matthew mentions elders along with the chief priests. Mark also specifies that they accused Jesus of "many things." Matthew gives no extra details on what Jesus was accused of. Most notably Mark makes no mention of any replay by Jesus, and Jesus' silence can be presumed. Matthew makes it explicit that Jesus says nothing when confronted.^[1] Luke also has a version of this exchange at Luke 23:2. Luke's version lists several specific charges made by the priests.^[2]

The silence of Jesus when faced with the accusations have been linked by many scholars to the Suffering Servant of Isaiah, and more generally to Jesus' philosophy of meekness.^[3]

References

1. Senior, Donald P. The Passion of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. Leuven University Press, 1975. pg. 230
2. Davies, W.D. and Dale C. Allison, Jr. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to Saint Matthew. Edinburgh : T. & T. Clark, 1988-1997. pg. 582
3. Davies, W.D. and Dale C. Allison, Jr. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to Saint Matthew. Edinburgh : T. & T. Clark, 1988-1997. pg. 582