And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.

LUKE 22:4KJV
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Luke 22:4 (KJV)

What does Luke 22:4 mean?

Luke 22:4 describes Judas Iscariot going to speak with the chief priests and the officers in charge of the temple guards to discuss how he could betray Jesus to them. This verse shows Judas actively taking steps to arrange Jesus’ arrest by those in religious authority.

In this scene, Judas is not acting under pressure but is making a deliberate choice to approach the leaders who were already looking for a way to arrest Jesus quietly. The verse highlights the secretive and calculated nature of Judas’s actions, setting in motion the events that will lead to Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion.

The Greek behind Luke 22:4

  • The word "commune" comes from the Greek word συνέλαλησεν (synelalēsen), which means "to talk together" or "to discuss." This word suggests a private, possibly strategic conversation rather than a casual chat.
  • "Chief priests" (ἀρχιερεῦσιν, archiereusin) refers to the highest-ranking priests in Jerusalem, showing that Judas went directly to the top religious authorities.
  • "Captains" (στρατηγοῖς, stratēgois) points to the officers who were responsible for the temple police, indicating that the conversation involved both religious and security leaders.
  • "Betray" (παραδοῖ, paradōi) carries the sense of handing someone over, often with the idea of delivering someone to authorities. This word highlights the seriousness of Judas’s intention.

Why Luke 22:4 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Judas’s betrayal was not a spur-of-the-moment decision but a planned act involving direct negotiation with Jesus’ opponents.
  • It shows that the religious leaders were not acting alone; they needed someone from within Jesus’ circle to help them arrest him quietly, away from the crowds.
  • Luke 22:4 sets the stage for the events of Jesus’ arrest, emphasizing the human choices and secret dealings that led to the crucifixion.

Where else these words appear

“with” Greek G4814 · used in 6 verses

  • Matthew 17:3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
  • Mark 9:4 And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.
  • Luke 9:30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:

“captains” Greek G4755 · used in 10 verses

  • Luke 22:52 Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?
  • Acts 5:26 Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.
  • Acts 16:35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.

“how” Greek G4459 · used in 100 verses

  • Matthew 6:28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
  • Luke 11:18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.
  • Acts 9:27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

“way” Greek G565 · used in 118 verses

  • Matthew 2:22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
  • Mark 5:17 And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.
  • Luke 24:12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.