Matthew 26:60,61

At the last came two false witnesses, &c.— St. Mark, Mark 14:58 tells us, that these false witnesses alleged, that our Lord had said, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands. Now it is in the addition of these last words that their false testimony consists, because it restrains to the temple of Jerusalem the expression of Jesus, which might otherwise be understood both of that temple, and of his body, and which indeed he meant of the latter. Besides, our Lord had not said I will destroy, but do you destroy this temple. See John 2:19. The witnesses, it seems, either through ignorance, or more probably through malice, perverted his answer into an affirmation, that he was able to destroy and build the temple in three days; and the judges reckoned it blasphemy, because it was an effect that could be accomplished by nothing less than divine power; wherefore these men are justly branded through the world with the name of false witnesses, and their testimony was deservedly disregarded by our Lord, especially as they had expressed great ill-will to him in giving it, contrary to the rules of equity and goodness.—This fellow, said they contemptuously. This is one instance, among many others, in which the bow of malice has been broken by overstraining it, and innocence cleared up by the very extravagance of those charges which have been advanced against it. It is observable, that the words which they thus misrepresented, were spoken by Christ at least three years before. Their going back so far to find matter for the charge they brought, was a glorious, though silent attestation, of the unexceptionable manner in which our Lord had behaved himself during all the course of his public ministry. See Doddridge and Macknight.

See commentary on Matthew 26:59