The Meaning of Mark 14:55 Explained

Mark 14:55

KJV: And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none.

YLT: And the chief priests and all the sanhedrim were seeking against Jesus testimony -- to put him to death, and they were not finding,

Darby: And the chief priests and the whole sanhedrim sought testimony against Jesus to cause him to be put to death, and did not find any.

ASV: Now the chief priests and the whole council sought witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found it not.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  the chief priests  and  all  the council  sought  for witness  against  Jesus  to  put  him  to death;  and  found  none. 

What does Mark 14:55 Mean?

Context Summary

Mark 14:53-72 - A Mockery Of Justice
A commission of the chief priests awaited the result of the treachery of Judas at the house of Caiaphas. They had made up their minds what to do, but the form of a trial was necessary. The false witnesses were obviously unable to establish a sufficient case, and our Lord maintained a dignified silence. It was too much for Caiaphas, and he put his prisoner on his oath. Our Lord made no attempt to parry the issue or turn aside from the challenge, but replied: I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. See Psalms 110:1; Daniel 7:13. Then followed a shameful scene, Mark 14:65. But our Lord was as self-restrained in the use of His mighty powers as if He had been one of the most helpless of men. The graphic story of the denial, which took place at the time of the trial in the servants' hall, was probably given to the evangelist by Peter himself. What a contrast between the strength of the Master and the weakness of the disciple! Yet Peter was forgiven and made the Apostle of the Pentecost! We may have hope! [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 14

1  A conspiracy against Jesus
3  Expensive perfume is poured on his head by a woman
10  Judas sells his Master for money
12  Jesus himself foretells how he will be betrayed by one of his disciples;
22  after the passover prepared, and eaten, institutes his last supper;
26  declares beforehand the flight of all his disciples, and Peter's denial
43  Judas betrays him with a kiss
46  Jesus is apprehended in the garden;
53  falsely accused and impiously condemned of the council;
65  shamefully abused by them;
66  and thrice denied by Peter

What do the individual words in Mark 14:55 mean?

- And the chief priests and all the Council were seeking against - Jesus testimony to - put to death Him but not they were finding [any]
Οἱ δὲ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ ὅλον τὸ συνέδριον ἐζήτουν κατὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ μαρτυρίαν εἰς τὸ θανατῶσαι αὐτόν καὶ οὐχ ηὕρισκον

Οἱ  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀρχιερεῖς  the  chief  priests 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀρχιερεύς  
Sense: chief priest, high priest.
συνέδριον  Council 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: συνέδριον  
Sense: any assembly (esp.
ἐζήτουν  were  seeking 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ζητέω  
Sense: to seek in order to find.
κατὰ  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: κατά 
Sense: down from, through out.
τοῦ  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰησοῦ  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
μαρτυρίαν  testimony 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: μαρτυρία  
Sense: a testifying.
τὸ  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
θανατῶσαι  put  to  death 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: θανατόω  
Sense: to put to death.
ηὕρισκον  they  were  finding  [any] 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: εὑρίσκω  
Sense: to come upon, hit upon, to meet with.