Then
The word "then" serves as a transitional term, indicating a sequence of events. In the context of the Gospel of Luke, it connects the preceding events of Jesus' trial before the Sanhedrin with His subsequent presentation to Pilate. This transition underscores the urgency and determination of the council to move forward with their agenda against Jesus. It reflects the unfolding of divine prophecy and the inexorable march toward the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan.

the whole council
The "whole council" refers to the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish judicial and ecclesiastical body in Jerusalem. Comprising chief priests, elders, and scribes, the Sanhedrin held significant authority in Jewish society. Historically, this body was responsible for maintaining religious order and adjudicating matters of Jewish law. Their unanimous decision to bring Jesus to Pilate highlights the gravity of the charges against Him and the perceived threat He posed to their authority and religious traditions.

rose
The act of rising signifies a formal and deliberate action. In the context of a judicial setting, it indicates the conclusion of deliberations and the readiness to proceed with a decision. This movement from a seated position to standing can symbolize the transition from judgment to action, reflecting the council's resolve to escalate the matter to the Roman authorities. It also metaphorically represents the rising tension and the pivotal moment in the Passion narrative.

and led Jesus away
The phrase "led Jesus away" conveys the physical act of taking Jesus from one place to another, signifying a transfer of custody. This movement is laden with symbolic meaning, as it represents the transition from Jewish to Roman jurisdiction. Theologically, it underscores Jesus' submission to human authority and His willingness to endure suffering for the sake of humanity's salvation. It also fulfills prophetic scriptures that foretold the Messiah's suffering and rejection.

to Pilate
Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea, holding the power to enforce capital punishment, which the Jewish authorities lacked. Bringing Jesus to Pilate was a strategic move by the Sanhedrin to secure a death sentence. Historically, Pilate is known for his complex relationship with the Jewish leaders and his role in the crucifixion of Jesus. This encounter between Jesus and Pilate is pivotal, as it sets the stage for the final events leading to the crucifixion, highlighting the intersection of divine sovereignty and human authority.

XXIII.

(1-5) And the whole multitude of them arose.--See Notes on Matthew 27:11-14; Mark 15:2-5.

Verses 1-4. - The trial before Pilate: First examination. Verse 1. - And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate. The Sanhedrin had now formally condemned Jesus to death. They were, however, precluded by the Roman regulations then in force from carrying out their judgment. A capital sentence in Judaea could only be inflicted as the result of a decision by the Roman court. The Sanhedrin supposed, and as we shall see rightly, that the judgment they had pronounced would speedily be confirmed by the Roman judge. The Sanhedrin condemnation to death was, however, from the Jewish standpoint, illegal. In capital cases judgment could not be legally pronounced on the day of trial. But in the case of Jesus, the Accused was condemned without the legal interval which should have been left between the trial and the sentence. The Prisoner was then at once hurried before the Roman tribunal, in order that the Jewish sentence might be confirmed and carried out with all the additional horrors which accompanied Gentile public executions in such cases of treason. Derenbourg ('Histoire de la Palestine,' p. 201) attributes the undue illegal precipitancy of the whole proceeding to the overwhelming influence exercised in the supreme council by Annas and Caiaphas with their friends who were Sadducees, a party notorious for their cruelty as well as for their unbelief. Had the Pharisees borne sway in the Sanhedrin at that juncture, such an illegality could never have taken place. This apology possesses certain weight, as it is based upon known historical facts; yet when the general bearing of the Pharisee party towards our Lord during the greater part of his public ministry is remembered, it can scarcely be supposed that the action of the Sadducee majority in the Sanhedrin was repugnant to, or even opposed by, the Pharisee element in the great assembly. Pilate, Pontius Pilate, a Roman knight, owed his high position as Procurator of Judea to his friendship with Sejanus, the powerful minister of the Emperor Tiberius, He probably belonged by birth or adoption to the gens of the Pontii. When Judaea became formally subject to the empire on the deposition of Archelaus, Pontius Pilate, of whose previous career nothing is known, through the interest of Sejanus, was appointed to govern it, with the title of procurator, or collector of the revenue, invested with judicial power. This was in A.D. , and he held the post for ten years, when he was deposed from his office in disgrace. His government of Judaea seems to have been singularly unhappy. His great patron Sejanus hated the Jews, and Pilate seems faithfully to have imitated his powerful friend. Constantly the Roman governor appears to have wounded the susceptibilities of the strange, unhappy people he was placed over. Fierce disputes, mutual insults arising out of apparently purposeless acts of arbitrary power on his side, characterized the period of his rule. His behaviour in the one great event of his life, when Jesus was brought before his tribunal, will illustrate his character. He was superstitious and yet cruel; afraid of the people he affected to despise; faithless to the spirit of the authority with which he was lawfully invested. In the great crisis of his history, flora the miserably selfish motive of securing his own petty interests, we watch him deliberately giving up a Man, whom he knew to be innocent, and felt to be noble and pure, to torture, shame, and death.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Then
Καὶ (Kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

the
τὸ (to)
Article - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

whole
ἅπαν (hapan)
Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 537: All, the whole, altogether. Absolutely all or every one.

council
πλῆθος (plēthos)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4128: A multitude, crowd, great number, assemblage. From pletho; a fulness, i.e. A large number, throng, populace.

rose
ἀναστὰν (anastan)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 450: To raise up, set up; I rise from among (the) dead; I arise, appear. From ana and histemi; to stand up.

[and] led
ἤγαγον (ēgagon)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 71: A primary verb; properly, to lead; by implication, to bring, drive, go, pass, or induce.

[Jesus] {away}
αὐτὸν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

to
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

Pilate.
Πιλᾶτον (Pilaton)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4091: Pilate. Of Latin origin; close-pressed, i.e. Firm; Pilatus, a Roman.


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NT Gospels: Luke 23:1 The whole company of them rose up (Luke Lu Lk)