Of the Blessed? - Θεου του ευλογητου, Or, of God the blessed one. Θεου, is added here by AK, ten others, Vulgate, and one of the Itala. It might be introduced into the text, put in Italics, if the authority of the MSS. and versions be not deemed sufficient. It appears necessary for the better understanding of the text. The adjective, however, conveys a good sense by itself, and is according to a frequent Hebrew form of speech.

But he held his peace, and answered nothing,.... Knowing it would be to no purpose, and signifying hereby, that the things alleged against him were unworthy of an answer:

again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? The Vulgate Latin adds, "God": in Matthew it is "God" only, Matthew 26:63. This is one of the names and epithets of God, with the Jews; nothing is more common in their writings, than this abbreviature, which is, , "the holy blessed he"; who is blessed in himself, and the fountain of all blessedness to his creatures, and who is blessed and praised by angels and saints; See Gill on Matthew 26:63.

But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the {o} Blessed?

(o) Of God, who is most worthy of all praise?

14:53-65 They led Jesus away to the high priest. For Trial of Christ, see notes on Mt 26:57-68. Compare Lu 22:63-71 Joh 18:13-27. Mark's account corresponds very closely with Matthew's.

14:61 Mt 26:63; Lu 22:67.

61. But he held his peace, and answered nothing-This must have nonplussed them. But they were not to be easily baulked of their object.

Again the high priest-arose (Mt 26:62), matters having now come to a crisis.

asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?-Why our Lord should have answered this question, when He was silent as to the former, we might not have quite seen, but for Matthew, who says (Mt 26:63) that the high priest put Him upon solemn oath, saying, "I adjure Thee by the living God, that Thou tell us whether Thou be the Christ, the Son of God." Such an adjuration was understood to render an answer legally necessary (Le 5:1). (Also see on [1510]Joh 18:28.)

14:53-65 We have here Christ's condemnation before the great council of the Jews. Peter followed; but the high priest's fire-side was no proper place, nor his servants proper company, for Peter: it was an entrance into temptation. Great diligence was used to procure false witnesses against Jesus, yet their testimony was not equal to the charge of a capital crime, by the utmost stretch of their law. He was asked, Art thou the Son of the Blessed? that is, the Son of God. For the proof of his being the Son of God, he refers to his second coming. In these outrages we have proofs of man's enmity to God, and of God's free and unspeakable love to man.