But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.
MATTHEW 26:5KJVWhat does Matthew 26:5 mean?
Matthew 26:5 shows that the religious leaders were planning to arrest Jesus, but they decided not to do it during the feast because they were afraid the people would riot. They were worried that taking action against Jesus during a major festival would cause a public disturbance.
In this verse, the chief priests and elders are secretly discussing how to capture Jesus. The setting is just before the Passover, a time when Jerusalem was crowded with pilgrims. Their concern about an "uproar among the people" reveals that Jesus was popular with the crowds, and the leaders feared backlash if they acted openly during the feast.
The Greek behind Matthew 26:5
- The word for "uproar" is θόρυβος (thorubos), which often means a noisy disturbance or riot. This shows the leaders were not just worried about mild disapproval, but about a real risk of chaos or violence.
- The word for "feast" is ἑορτή (heortē), which specifically refers to a major religious festival. The leaders' caution highlights how sensitive the timing was, since the city was full of people celebrating Passover.
Why Matthew 26:5 matters
- This verse clarifies that Jesus' arrest was not a spontaneous event but carefully plotted, with the leaders weighing public reaction.
- The leaders’ fear of the crowd’s reaction shows Jesus’ influence and popularity at this point in the story.
- This moment sets up the tension that leads to Jesus’ eventual arrest at night, away from the crowds, which happens later in the chapter.