Bible Strands
John 18:14
Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it would be better if one man died for the people.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator identifies Caiaphas, the high priest of that year, at the moment Jesus is being led to the courtyard following his arrest. The detail is inserted while describing the movement of the captors and the disciples who followed.
The words — The Greek participle συμβουλεὺσας (sumbouleusas) literally means "having given counsel." It is linked to ἦν (ēn), "was," to pinpoint Caiaphas as the specific figure who previously offered the recommendation.
The thread — The text explicitly recalls Caiaphas's earlier statement recorded in John 11:49, where he addressed the Jewish leaders. This cross-reference anchors the current arrest scene to the high priest's prior political assessment.
Why it lands — The verse records a human calculation of sacrifice alongside the actual detention of Jesus. It requires the reader to observe how the narrative places that past counsel directly against the present movement of the captors.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
Cross-references
- John 11:49 But one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all!