Council
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Synedrion denotes an assembled council, court, or governing body, and in the New Testament it often refers to Jewish judicial councils, including the Jerusalem Sanhedrin. Jesus warns that angry contempt can make a person liable to council judgment.
Reader summary
Full entry for συνέδριον (G4892) · Open the biblical lexicon
Synedrion denotes an assembled council, court, or governing body, and in the New Testament it often refers to Jewish judicial councils, including the Jerusalem Sanhedrin. Jesus warns that angry contempt can make a person liable to council judgment.
The BSB source-word alignment has 22 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include Sanhedrin (19), [the] councils (1), [their] councils (1), the Sanhedrin (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 5:22. Its strongest book concentrations include Acts (14), Mark (3), Matthew (3), John (1).
Synedrion denotes an assembled council, court, or governing body, and in the New Testament it often refers to Jewish judicial councils, including the Jerusalem Sanhedrin. Jesus warns that angry contempt can make a person liable to council judgment. He tells disciples they will be handed over to councils for witness under persecution. Luke portrays the assembly questioning Jesus, John records leaders convening a council after Lazarus is raised, and Acts shows Peter and John removed while the council deliberates.
The noun identifies an institution or meeting, not the justice of its decisions. Councils can exercise real public authority, hear testimony, protect order, or misuse power against Christ and His witnesses.
Synedrion names a council or court where judgment and policy are considered. Jesus acknowledges council liability, predicts disciples appearing before such bodies, stands before the assembled elders, provokes elite deliberation through His signs, and gives apostles opportunity to testify.
But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell.
Matthew 5:22 places liability to the council within Jesus' intensification of the murder command. He exposes contemptuous anger at the heart level rather than supplying a simple three-tier map of earthly courts and hell.
So be on your guard. You will be delivered over to the councils and beaten in the synagogues. On My account you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.
Mark 13:9 warns disciples that they will be handed over to councils and beaten in synagogues. Their trials become occasions to bear witness before rulers and nations under the Spirit's help.
At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and scribes, met together. They led Jesus into their Sanhedrin and said,
Luke 22:66 says the assembly of elders, chief priests, and scribes gathered and led Jesus into their council. The formal setting does not make the proceedings just; the narrative exposes rejection of the Son.
Then the chief priests and Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs.
John 11:47 records chief priests and Pharisees convening a council after Lazarus's raising. Their deliberation is driven by fear of Roman consequences and leads toward a plan to kill Jesus.
So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin and then conferred together.
Acts 4:15 says the council ordered Peter and John outside while members conferred. Their inability to deny the healed man leaves them managing public perception rather than receiving apostolic testimony.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Greek word. Formal judicial council; specifically denotes the Jewish Sanhedrin, supreme religious and legal authority.
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 22 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
a council, the Sanhedrin
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Read versea council, the Sanhedrin
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 5 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
συνέδριον is built from these roots:
Synedrion reminds readers that injustice can wear institutional clothing. Councils exist to deliberate and judge, and Jesus can refer to their genuine legal authority. Yet the Passion and Acts show respected bodies protecting status, fearing political loss, suppressing undeniable evidence, and condemning the righteous. Christ does not answer such misuse by denying all public order.
He prepares disciples to bear truthful witness when summoned, promises the Spirit's help, and exposes anger and contempt in every human heart. Churches should therefore honor lawful process while refusing to equate office with righteousness. Leaders need transparent evidence, accountable deliberation, and willingness to be corrected by God's word. Believers facing hostile authorities should avoid both panic and theatrical defiance, speaking faithfully about Christ while entrusting judgment to God.
Mark.13.9
Synedrion combines syn with hedra and denotes a sitting together, hence an assembly, council, or court. It may refer to the Jerusalem Sanhedrin or to local councils; capitalization and institutional precision depend on context.
Israel appoints elders and judges to administer justice, while prophets condemn courts that accept bribes or protect the powerful. The New Testament portrays the righteous Messiah and His witnesses standing before flawed human tribunals.