“Audierunt pharisæi turbam murmurantem de illo hæc : et miserunt principes et pharisæi ministros ut apprehenderent eum.”
“The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.”
“When the Pharisees heard the crowd whispering these things about Jesus, they and the chief priests sent officers to arrest Him.”
“The Pharisees heard the multitude murmuring these things concerning him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to arrest him.”
“The Pharisees heard the multitude murmuring these things concerning him; and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to take him.”
The Pharisees understood well enough that his words signified he was their Messias, and the true Son of God. And they sent some servants to seize him, and bring him to them. (Witham)
The chief priests and Pharisees are here in a close cabal, contriving how to suppress Christ; though this was the great day of the feast, they attended not the religious services of the day, but left them to the vulgar, to whom it was common for those great ecclesiastics to consign and turn over the business of devotion, while they thought themselves better employed in the affairs of church-policy. They sat in the council-chamber, expecting Christ to be brought a prisoner to them, as they had issued out warrants for apprehending him, v. 32. Now here we are told,
Verses 31-36 The discourses of Jesus convinced many that he was the Messiah; but they had not courage to own it. It is comfort to those who are in the world, but not of it, and therefore are hated by it and weary of it, that they shall not be in it always, that they shall not be in it long. Our days being evil, it is well they are few. The days of life and of grace do not last long; and sinners, when in misery, will be glad of the help they now despise. Men dispute about such sayings, but the event will explain them.