His appearance before Annas.
Besides the ill account that these men could give of this nights Passover [no sooner eaten, but their hands in blood] and besides the horrid offence they committed against the Lord and against his Christ in this fact that they were upon, they doubly transgressed against their own Canons: namely in arraigning and condemning a person upon a ho∣liday, for such a day was now come in: and arraigning and judging a person by night, both which are directly forbidden by their Law. Tal. in Jom. tobh per. 5. halac. 2.
They first bring Christ to Annas, And why? For he was neither chief Magistrate, but Gamaliel; nor the Highpriest, but Caiaphas: He was indeed Sagan, and Father in Law to Caiaphas, but by neither of these relations had he Judicial power as a single man. But as the Chief Priests had a special hand in this business, and Annas was chief among them by his place and relation to Caiaphas, and so had had no doubt a singular stroke in con∣triving this business that was now transacting, so upon his apprehension he is first brought thither, to shew that they had the man sure whom he so much desired to be secured, and to take his grave advice what further to do with him. He was brought bound to him, and so bound he sends him to Caiaphas.