Matthew 26:62,63

The high-priest arose, &c.— When the high-priest found that Jesus took little notice of the things which the witnesses said against him, he fell into a passion, supposing that Christ intended to put an affront upon the council. For he arose from his seat, which judges seldom do, unless when in some perturbation, and spake to him, desiring him to give the reason of his conduct. The rabbies say, that a judge stands up only when he hears witnesses deposing that some person has blasphemed. But the high-priest finding this in vain, in order to cut the trial short, and ensnare Jesus, he adjured or called upon him to answer upon oath, whether he were the Christ. It appears that the Jewish high-priests had the power of administering that oath, which laid the person adjured under the necessity of giving an explicit answer, and of speaking the whole truth without disguise. The craft of the question put to our Lord lay in this, that if he answered in the affirmative, they were ready to condemn him as a blasphemer; but if in the negative, they proposed to punish him as an impostor, who, by accepting the honours and titles of the Messiah from the people, had deceived them.