Luke 23:2

Verse

And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man subverting our nation, forbidding payment of taxes to Caesar, and proclaiming Himself to be Christ, a King.”

American Standard Version (1901)

And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar, and saying that he himself is Christ a king.

Bible in Basic English

And they made statements against him, saying, This man has to our knowledge been teaching our nation to do wrong, and not to make payment of taxes to Caesar, even saying that he himself is Christ, a king.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And they began to accuse him, saying: We have found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he is Christ the king.

Free Bible Version

There they started to accuse him. “We found this man deceiving our nation, telling people not to pay taxes to Caesar, and claiming he is Messiah, a king,” they said.

Geneva Bible 1599

And they began to accuse him, saying, We haue found this man peruerting the nation, and forbidding to pay tribute to Cesar, saying, That he is Christ a King.

King James (Authorized) Version

And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.

One Unity Resource Bible

They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man perverting the nation, forbidding paying taxes to Caesar [Ruler], and saying that he himself is Messiah [Anointed one], a king.”

Translation for Translators

They began to accuse Jesus, saying, “We (exc) have determined that this fellow has caused political trouble in our country. He has been telling people that they should not pay taxes to the Roman government [MTY]. Also, he says that he is the Messiah, a king!”

Unlocked Literal Bible

They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”

Noah Webster Bible

And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this man perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cesar, saying, that he himself is Christ a king.

World English Bible

They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man perverting the nation, forbidding paying taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”

Young's Literal Translation

and began to accuse him, saying, 'This one we found perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying himself to be Christ a king.'

Context

Jesus before Pilate

¹Then the whole council rose and led Jesus away to Pilate.²And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man subverting our nation, forbidding payment of taxes to Caesar, and proclaiming Himself to be Christ, a King.”

Sermons

Jesus Stands Trial Before Pilate John 18:28-19:16

David Servant

Summary

In Luke 23:2, the chief priests and scribes accuse Jesus before Pilate, claiming that He is misleading the nation by forbidding payment of taxes to Caesar and declaring Himself as Christ, a king. This verse sets the stage for the trial and crucifixion of Jesus, illustrating the religious leaders' desire to eliminate Him due to fear of losing their authority and influence. It also highlights the political tension surrounding Jesus' claims and the clash between the Jewish religious leaders and the Roman government. Ultimately, this accusation leads to the fulfillment of Jesus' sacrificial mission for the salvation of humanity.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
John Gill
Tyndale

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Perverting the nation - The Greek word διαστρεφοντα, signifies stirring up to disaffection and rebellion. Many MSS. and versions add ἡμων, Our nation. They intimated that he not only preached corrupt doctrine, but that he endeavored to make them disaffected towards the Roman government, for which they now pretended to feel a strong affection! Several copies of the Itala add, Destroying our law and prophets. Et solventem legem nostram et prophetas. Forbidding to give tribute to Caesar - These were the falsest slanders that could be invented. The whole of our Lord's conduct disproved them. And his decision in the case of the question about the lawfulness of paying tribute to Caesar, Mat 22:21, was so fully known that we find Pilate paid not the least attention to such evidently malicious and unfounded accusations. Neither Christ nor any of his followers, from that day until now, ever forbade the paying tribute to Caesar; that is, constitutional taxes to a lawful prince.

John Gill Bible Commentary

And they began to accuse him,.... After they found that Pilate would not receive him as a malefactor upon their word, and delivery of him to him as such; but insisted on knowing what they had to charge him with, and what accusation they had to bring against him: saying, we have found this fellow perverting the nation; the nation of the Jews. Three of Beza's copies read, "our nation"; and so do the Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions; and it is to be understood, either of his perverting the nation from the true doctrine of Moses and the prophets; by spreading among them new notions, and false principles of religion; whereby he was a troubler of God's Israel, as Ahab charged Elijah, Kg1 18:17 where the Septuagint use the same word as here; and so is a charge of heresy, or innovation in religion against Christ: and thus Jesus stands charged in their writings (o); on those words in Psa 91:10. "Neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling", they have this note; "that thou mayest not have a son, or a disciple, that corrupts his food publicly (i.e. his doctrine, who departs from the true doctrine and worship, to heresy and idolatry, and propagates the same), , "as Jesus the Nazarene".'' Which last clause, in some later editions of the Talmud, is left out: or it may be understood of his perverting the nation in their politics, and so is a charge of sedition against him, as follows; forbidding to give tribute to Caesar; than which, nothing was more false; see Mat 22:21 nor does what is after alleged, support this charge: saying, that he himself is Christ, a King; or Christ the King, or the King Christ; that is, he whom the Jews so frequently in their writings call , "the King Messiah", for so he might be, and was, without any hurt to Caesar's dignity, or revenue; for though he was a king, yet not an earthly one; and though he had a kingdom, yet not of this world: indeed they would insinuate by this, that he set himself up as an earthly king, in opposition to Caesar, to draw off the people from him, and their allegiance and duty to him; and so the Jews say of Jesus of Nazareth, that he was put to death, and had no mercy shown him, because he was , "near to the kingdom" (p). The whole of this charge was untrue; he was so far from perverting the nation with false doctrine and worship, that he taught the true doctrine, and right way of worship, and refuted the false glosses of the Pharisees, and opposed the vain traditions of the elders, by which both were corrupted; and so far was he from any seditious principles and practices, or doing any injury to Tiberius Caesar, the then reigning emperor, that he taught the people to give Caesar the things that were Caesar's, and he himself paid the tribute money; and when the people would have took him by force, and have made him a king, he avoided it by getting out of the way, Joh 6:15. (o) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 103. 1. & Beracot, fol, 17. 2. (p) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 43. 1.

Luke 23:2

Jesus before Pilate

Scripture
Sermons
Commentary

Berean Standard Bible

And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man subverting our nation, forbidding payment of taxes to Caesar, and proclaiming Himself to be Christ, a King.”

American Standard Version (1901)

And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar, and saying that he himself is Christ a king.

Bible in Basic English

Douay-Rheims 1899

And they began to accuse him, saying: We have found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he is Christ the king.

Free Bible Version

There they started to accuse him. “We found this man deceiving our nation, telling people not to pay taxes to Caesar, and claiming he is Messiah, a king,” they said.

Geneva Bible 1599

And they began to accuse him, saying, We haue found this man peruerting the nation, and forbidding to pay tribute to Cesar, saying, That he is Christ a King.

King James (Authorized) Version

And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.

One Unity Resource Bible

They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man perverting the nation, forbidding paying taxes to Caesar [Ruler], and saying that he himself is Messiah [Anointed one], a king.”

Translation for Translators

Unlocked Literal Bible

They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”

Noah Webster Bible

And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this man perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cesar, saying, that he himself is Christ a king.

World English Bible

They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man perverting the nation, forbidding paying taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”

Young's Literal Translation

and began to accuse him, saying, 'This one we found perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying himself to be Christ a king.'

Adam Clarke
John Gill
Tyndale

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Luke 23:2

Verse

Context

Jesus before Pilate

Sermons

Summary

Commentary

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes

Luke 23:2

Jesus before Pilate

Jesus Stands Trial Before Pilate John 18:28-19:16

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes