Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 26:5

5 But they said, Not on the feast day lest there be an uproar amongst the people.

Mark. Ch. 14.1. saith,—The Chief Priests and the Scribes so[illegible: 1 letter]ght [illegible: 1 letter]ow they might take him by Craft, and put him to Death. Luke saith much the same with Mark. They had before this been seeking how to destroy him, Luke 19.47. nor was it the first time they had made a Formal Council about it, Ioh. 11.47. but now again they met. The place is Named, that was the High Priests Hall, the Councellors were the Chief Priests, Scribes, and Elders. The matter of their Deliberation, was to kill Christ, and how they might do it by Subtilty, for they were afraid of the People, who had a great esteem for our Saviour, bec[illegible: 1 letter]use of the many Miracles he had wrought. But they said Not on the Feast Day, that was now within two Days, [illegible: 1 letter]nd in order to it, the City was full of People, and they were afraid (as they were concerned being a Conquered People, and having b[illegible: 1 letter]t a Precarious Liberty for their Religion) of causing any Tu[illegible: 1 letter]u[illegible: 1 letter]ts, this awed them, not any great Religion for the Festival, for all things now were out of order with them. Their High Priest was chosen annually, and at the Will of their Conquerers, some little appearance they had of their Ancient Rel[illegible: 1 letter]gious Government, but it was in no due order.