Bible Encyclopedia: Caiaphas

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

CAIAPHAS

ka'-a-fas, ki'-a-fas (Kaiaphas; Caiaphas = Kephas (compare Dods in Expositor's Greek Test, I, 803), and has also been interpreted as meaning "depression"): Caiaphas was the surname of Joseph, a son-in-law of Annas (compare John 18:13), who filled the post of high priest from about 18-36 A.D., when he was deposed by Vitellius (compare Josephus, Ant, XVIII, ii, 2; iv, 3). He is mentioned by Luke as holding office at the time of John the Baptist's preaching in the wilderness (Luke 3:2).

Caiaphas took a leading part in the trial and condemnation of Jesus. It was in his court or palace that the chief priests (Sadducees) and Pharisees, who together constituted the Sanhedrin, assembled "that they might take Jesus by subtlety, and kill him" (compare Matthew 26:3, 4 John 11:49). The regal claims of the new Messiah and the growing fame of His works had made them to dread both the vengeance of imperial Rome upon their nation, and the loss of their own personal authority and prestige (compare John 11:48). But Caiaphas pointed a way out of their dilemma: let them bide their time till the momentary enthusiasm of the populace was spent (compare Matthew 26:5), and then by the single sacrifice of Jesus they could at once get rid of a dangerous rival and propitiate the frowns of Rome (compare John 11:49, 50; John 18:14). The commentary of John upon this (John 11:51, 52) indicates how the death of Jesus was indeed to prove a blessing not only for Israel but also for all the children of God; but not in the manner which the cold-blooded statecraft of Caiaphas intended. The advice of the high priest was accepted by the Sanhedrin (John 11:53), and they succeeded in arresting Jesus. After being led "to Annas first" (John 18:13), Jesus was conducted thence in bonds to Caiaphas (John 18:24), According to Matthew He was led immediately upon His arrest to Caiaphas (Matthew 26:57). Mark and Luke do not refer to Caiaphas by name. His conduct at this preliminary trial of Jesus (Matthew 26:57-68), its time and its procedure, were almost entirely illegal from the standpoint of then existing Jewish law (compare JESUS CHRIST, THE ARREST AND TRIAL OF; and A. Taylor Innes, The Trial of Jesus Christ). False witnesses were first called, and when Jesus refused to reply to their charges, Caiaphas asked of Him if He were "the Christ, the Son of God" (Matthew 26:63). Upon our Lord's answering "Thou hast said" (Matthew 26:64), Caiaphas "rent his garments, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy: what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard the blasphemy" (Matthew 26:65). Upon this charge was Jesus found "worthy of death" (Matthew 26:66). Caiaphas is also mentioned in Acts 4:6 as being among those who presided over the trial of Peter and John.

C. M. Kerr

Greek

2533. Kaiaphas -- Caiaphas, an Israelite high priest
... Caiaphas, an Israelite high priest. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration:
Kaiaphas Phonetic Spelling: (kah-ee-af'-as) Short Definition: Caiaphas ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2533.htm - 6k

Library

Caiaphas
... CAIAPHAS. ... They hesitate, and are at a loss what to do. But however they may hesitate,
there is one man who knows his own mind"Caiaphas, the high priest. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/caiaphas.htm

Jesus Before Caiaphas
... JESUS BEFORE CAIAPHAS. 'And ... Me? Now Annas had sent Him bound unto Caiaphas
the high priest. And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture st john chaps xv to xxi/jesus before caiaphas.htm

Jesus Examined by Caiaphas
... ILLUSTRATIONS: JESUS EXAMINED BY CAIAPHAS. And they that had laid hold on
Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the ...
/.../newton/the life of jesus christ for the young/jesus examined by caiaphas.htm

Caiaphas Answered.
... Book I. Chapter LXI."Caiaphas Answered. "Then Caiaphas attempted to impugn
the doctrine of Jesus, saying that He spoke vain things ...
/.../unknown/recognitions of clement /chapter lxi caiaphas answered.htm

Annas and Caiaphas, Summas and Datam, Gamaliel, Judas, Levi...
... Part I."The Acts of Pilate. Latin Form. Chapter 1. Annas and Caiaphas, Summas
and Datam, Gamaliel, Judas, Levi� Annas and Caiaphas ...
/.../unknown/the gospel of nicodemus /chapter 1 annas and caiaphas.htm

Challenge by Caiaphas.
... Book I. Chapter XLIV."Challenge by Caiaphas. "But when we twelve apostles,
on the day of the passover, had come together with ...
/.../unknown/recognitions of clement /chapter xliv challenge by caiaphas.htm

Before Caiaphas
... Mark CHAPTER 14:53-65 BEFORE CAIAPHAS. ... Caiaphas adjures Him by their common
God to answer, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? ...
/.../chadwick/the gospel of st mark/chapter 14 53-65 before caiaphas.htm

Morning. --Examination Before Caiaphas.
... CHAPTER VI. THE TRIAL AND CONDEMNATION. Section 283. Morning."Examination
before Caiaphas. In the examination before the Sanhedrim ...
/.../section 283 morning examination before caiaphas.htm

Thursday Night - Before Annas and Caiaphas - Peter and Jesus.
... Book V. THE CROSS AND THE CROWN. CHAPTER XIII. THURSDAY NIGHT - BEFORE ANNAS
AND CAIAPHAS - PETER AND JESUS. (John 18:12-14; Matthew ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xiii thursday night -.htm

Second Stage of Jewish Trial. Jesus Condemned by Caiaphas and the ...
... Jesus Condemned by Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin. (Palace of Caiaphas. Friday.) ... d
24 Annas therefore sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest. ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/cxxvi second stage of jewish.htm

ATS Bible Dictionary

Caiaphas

High priest of the Jews, A. D. 27 to 36. He was a Sadducee, and a bitter enemy of Christ. At his palace the priests, etc., met after the resurrection of Lazarus, to plot the death of the Savior, lest all the people should believe on him. On one of these occasions, John 11:47-54, he counseled the death of Christ for the political salvation of the nation; and his words were, unconsciously to him, an inspired prediction of the salvation of a lost world. These plots against Christ, Matthew 26:1-5 Mark 14:1 Luke 22:2, led to his seizure, and he was brought first before Annas, formerly high priest, who sent him to Caiaphas his son-in-law. See ANNAS. Caiaphas examined Christ before the assembling of the Sanhedrin, after which the trial went on, and Christ was condemned, mocked, and transferred to Pilate for sentence and execution, Matthew 26:57-68 Mark 14:53-72 Luke 22:54-71 John 18:13-27. Not content with procuring the death of the Savior, Caiaphas and his friends violently persecuted his followers, Acts 4:1-6 5:17,33. But a few years after the ascension of Christ, and soon after the degradation of Pilate, Caiaphas also was deposed from office by the Roman proconsul Vitellius. Like Balaam of the Old Testament, he is a melancholy instance of light resisted, privilege, station, and opportunity abused, and prophetic words concerning Christ joined with a life of infidelity and crime and a fearful death.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

The Jewish high priest (A.D. 27-36) at the beginning of our Lord's public ministry, in the reign of Tiberius (Luke 3:2), and also at the time of his condemnation and crucifixion (Matthew 26:3, 57; John 11:49; 18:13, 14). He held this office during the whole of Pilate's administration. His wife was the daughter of Annas, who had formerly been high priest, and was probably the vicar or deputy (Hebrews sagan) of Caiaphas. He was of the sect of the Sadducees (Acts 5:17), and was a member of the council when he gave his opinion that Jesus should be put to death "for the people, and that the whole nation perish not" (John 11:50). In these words he unconsciously uttered a prophecy. "Like Saul, he was a prophet in spite of himself." Caiaphas had no power to inflict the punishment of death, and therefore Jesus was sent to Pilate, the Roman governor, that he might duly pronounce the sentence against him (Matthew 27:2; John 18:28). At a later period his hostility to the gospel is still manifest (Acts 4:6). (see ANNAS.)

Thesaurus

Caiaphas (9 Occurrences)
... His wife was the daughter of Annas, who had formerly been high priest, and was probably
the vicar or deputy (Hebrews sagan) of Caiaphas. ...CAIAPHAS. ...
/c/caiaphas.htm - 14k

Caiaphas's (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Caiaphas's (1 Occurrence). John 18:28 So they
brought Jesus from Caiaphas's house to the Praetorium. It ...
/c/caiaphas's.htm - 6k

Ca'iaphas (9 Occurrences)
Ca'iaphas. Caiaphas, Ca'iaphas. Caiaphas's . Multi-Version Concordance
Ca'iaphas (9 Occurrences). Matthew 26:3 Then the chief priests ...
/c/ca'iaphas.htm - 8k

Annas (4 Occurrences)
... In AD 25 Caiaphas, who had married the daughter of Annas (John 18:13), was raised
to that office, and probably Annas was now made president of the Sanhedrim ...
/a/annas.htm - 13k

Assembled (186 Occurrences)
... Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the
people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, (KJV WEY ...
/a/assembled.htm - 36k

Arrest (22 Occurrences)
... Of the matters considered in this article, the arrest of Jesus and the proceedings
before Annas, Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin took place professedly under Jewish ...
/a/arrest.htm - 45k

Trial (45 Occurrences)
... Of the matters considered in this article, the arrest of Jesus and the proceedings
before Annas, Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin took place professedly under Jewish ...
/t/trial.htm - 52k

Led (260 Occurrences)
... (See NAS RSV NIV). Matthew 26:57 Those who had taken Jesus led him away to Caiaphas
the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. ...
/l/led.htm - 36k

Elders (203 Occurrences)
... Matthew 26:3 Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people were
gathered together in the court of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas. ...
/e/elders.htm - 39k

Malchus (1 Occurrence)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Reigning, the personal servant or slave of the
high priest Caiaphas. He is mentioned only by John. Peter ...
/m/malchus.htm - 8k

Bible Concordance

Caiaphas (9 Occurrences)

Matthew 26:3 Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Matthew 26:57 Those who had taken Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Luke 3:2 in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

John 11:49 But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all,
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

John 18:13 and led him to Annas first, for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

John 18:14 Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should perish for the people.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT RSV)

John 18:24 Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas, the high priest.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

John 18:28 They led Jesus therefore from Caiaphas into the Praetorium. It was early, and they themselves didn't enter into the Praetorium, that they might not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Acts 4:6 Annas the high priest was there, with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and as many as were relatives of the high priest.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Subtopics

Caiaphas

Caiaphas or Caiaphas

Caiaphas: High Priest

Caiaphas: Jesus Tried Before

Caiaphas: Peter and Other Disciples Accused Before

Caiaphas: Prophesies Concerning Jesus

Caiaphas: Son-In-Law of Annas

Caiphas

Related Terms

Caiaphas's (1 Occurrence)

Ca'iaphas (9 Occurrences)