Albert Barnes Commentary Matthew 27:1

"Now when morning was come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:" — Matthew 27:1 (ASV)

When the morning was come. This was not long after He had been condemned by the Sanhedrin. Peter's last denial was probably not far from three o'clock, or near the break of day. As soon as it was light, they consulted together to take His life. The sun rose at that season of the year in Judea not far from five o'clock, and the time when they assembled was not long after Peter's denial.

The Chief Priests—took counsel. They had agreed that He deserved to die, on a charge of blasphemy. Yet they did not dare to put Him to death by stoning, as they later did to Stephen (Acts 7:1) and as the law commanded in case of blasphemy, for they feared the people.

They therefore consulted, or took counsel together, to determine on what pretext they could deliver Him to the Roman emperor, or to fix some charge of a civil nature by which Pilate might be induced to condemn Him. The charge which they settled on was not that on which they had tried Him, and on which they had determined He ought to die (Matthew 26:66), but that of perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, (Luke 23:2). On this accusation, if substantiated, they supposed Pilate could be induced to condemn Jesus. On a charge of blasphemy they knew He could not, since that was not an offense against the Roman laws, and over which, therefore, Pilate claimed no jurisdiction.

To put Him to death. To devise some way by which He might be put to death under the authority of the Roman governor.