Reference: Sanhedrin or Sanhedrim
Morish
The Greek word is ?????????, 'a sitting together': it is always translated 'council' in the A.V. There appears to be no Hebrew equivalent to the name. The Jews trace its origin to the seventy elders chosen to assist Moses, Nu 11:16-17; but nothing is said of such a council in the time of the kingdom; and it is probable that it was instituted in the time of the Maccabees. The early writers do not say how it was composed; from the N.T. we find it consisted of the chief priests, or heads of the twenty-four courses, the elders, lawyers, and the scribes. It was the highest court of the Jews, acting 'in all causes, and over all persons, ecclesiastical and civil.' Its decisions were binding on Jews everywhere. Its powers were curtailed by Herod and afterwards by the Romans, who prevented the Jews from putting any one to death legally. Joh 18:31. The Lord, Lu 22:66; Peter and John, Ac 4:1-23; 5:17-41; Stephen, Ac 6:12-15; and Paul, Ac 22:30; 23:1-10; were arraigned before the Sanhedrin.
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And when it was day, the eldership of the people, and the chief priests, and scribes were assembled, and they brought him into their sanhedrim, saying,
Then Pilate said to them, Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your law. The Jews said to him, It is not lawful for us to put any one to death;
And while they were speaking to the people, the priests, and the commander of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, being displeased because they taught the people and declared by Jesus the resurrection of the dead; read more. and they laid hands on them and put them in prison till the next day; for it was now evening. But many of those that heard the word believed, and the number of the men became about five thousand. And on the next day the rulers, and elders, and scribes assembled at Jerusalem, and Annas the chief priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and all that were of the family of the chief priesthood, and placing them in the midst, asked, By what power, or by what name, have you done this? Then Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, said to them, Rulers of the people and elders of Israel, if we are to-day examined concerning the good work done to the sick man, by what means he has been cured, be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazoraean, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him has this man stood before you sound. This is the stone rejected by you builders, which has become the head of a corner. And there is salvation in no other; for there is no other name given under heaven among men, by which we can be saved. And seeing the boldness of Peter and John, and supposing that they were illiterate and common men, they wondered, and perceived that they had been with Jesus; and seeing the man standing with them cured, they could not dispute it. And commanding them to withdraw from the Sanhedrim, they conferred one with another, saying, What shall we do to these men? for that a notable miracle has been performed by them is manifest to all that live at Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it; but that it spread no further among the people, let us threaten them severely, [and charge them] to speak no more to any man in this name. And calling them, they charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, Whether it is right in the sight of God to obey you rather than God, judge; for we cannot but tell what we have seen and heard. And threatening them still further, they dismissed them, not being able to punish them, on account of the people, because all glorified God for what was done; for the man was more than forty years old on whom this miracle of the cure was performed. And being dismissed they came to their friends, and related to them what the chief priests and elders said to them.
And the chief priest arose, and all those with him, being the sect of the Sadducees, and were filled with wrath, and laid hands on the apostles, and put them in the public prison. read more. But an angel of the Lord opening the prison doors by night led them out and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. And hearing this they entered into the temple early in the morning and taught. And the chief priest coming, and those with him, called the Sanhedrim together, and all the eldership of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. But the officers going did not find them in the prison; and returning they reported, saying, The prison found we shut with all safety, and the guards standing before the doors, but opening we found no one within. And when they heard these words, both the priest and the commander of the temple and the chief priests doubted concerning them, what this could mean. But some one came and told them, Behold, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people. Then the commander going away with the officers brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned; and having brought them they placed them before the Sanhedrim. And the chief priest asked them, saying, We charged you strictly not to teach in this name, and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and wish to bring this man's blood on us. And Peter answering, and the apostles, said, It is necessary to obey God rather than man. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you took and hung on a cross; him has God exalted, a Prince and Saviour at his right hand, to give a change of mind to Israel and the forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things, and also the Holy Spirit which God has given to those that obey him. And when they heard this they were highly offended, and took counsel to kill them. But a certain Pharisee in the Sanhedrim, by the name of Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, in honor with all the people, standing up requested them to put the men out a little while; and he said to them, Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you are about to do to these men. For before these days Theudas arose, saying that he was somebody, to whom a number of men, about four hundred, adhered, who was destroyed, and all who obeyed him passed away and came to nothing. After him arose Judas the Galilean, in the days of the census, and drew away people after him; and he was destroyed, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. And now I tell you, abstain from these men, and let them alone; because if this design, or this work, is from men, it will be destroyed; but if it is from God, you cannot destroy them; lest you be found at some time to be fighting against God. And they were persuaded by him, and calling the apostles and scourging them, they charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them. They went therefore from the presence of the Sanhedrim, rejoicing that they were accounted worthy to suffer shame for the name of [Christ];
And they stirred up both the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and coming suddenly they seized him and led him to the Sanhedrim, and brought forward false witnesses who said, This man speaks incessantly against this holy place, and the law; read more. for we have heard him say, that Jesus this Nazoraean will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses gave us. And all who sat in the Sanhedrin looking steadily at him saw his face like the face of an angel.
AND on the next day, wishing to know the truth in respect to what he was accused of by the Jews, [the chiliarch] released him, and commanded the chief priests and all the Sanhedrim to come together; and bringing Paul down he set him before them.
And Paul looking steadily at the Sanhedrim, said, Men and brothers, I have lived before God in all good conscience to this day. And the chief priest Ananias commanded those standing by to strike him on the mouth. read more. Then Paul said to him, God is about to strike you, whitewashed wall; and do you sit to judge me according to the law, and command me to be struck contrary to the law? And those standing by said, Do you revile God's chief priest? And Paul said, I knew not brothers that he was a chief priest; for it is written, You shall not speak evil of the ruler of your people. And Paul knowing that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, cried in the Sanhedrim, Men and brothers, I am a Pharisee and the son of Pharisees; for the hope and resurrection of the dead am I under trial. And having said this, there was a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the multitude were divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees confess both. And there was a great cry, and the scribes of the party of the Pharisees rising up contended, saying, We find no evil in this man; but [what] if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him? And there being a great dissension, the chiliarch, fearing that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, commanded the troops to come down and take him by force from the midst of them, and conduct him to the fortress.