A common misinterpretation portrays the religious leaders as considerate of the people's devotion or the feast's holiness, suggesting restraint out of piety, whereas their concern is self-serving, aimed solely at avoiding backlash that could undermine their power; another error assumes this delays Jesus' arrest indefinitely, ignoring how it heightens the dramatic irony as events proceed swiftly despite their plans, fulfilling prophecy.
Matthew 26:5
King James Version (1769)
5 But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.
The chief priests and elders, while conspiring to arrest and kill Jesus, express reluctance to act during the Passover feast due to fear of inciting a riot among the supportive crowds, illustrating their cunning pragmatism and hypocrisy—they prioritize maintaining order and their authority over outright righteousness, even as divine timing unfolds independently of their caution.