Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 26:61

"and said, This man said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days." — Matthew 26:61 (ASV)

This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God — It is remarkable that the two Gospels which record this charge do not record the words from which it originated. Apparently, the second cleansing of the Temple (Matthew 21:12) had revived the memory of the first and reminded people of the words spoken then: Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up (John 2:19).

What was now reported was a sufficiently natural distortion of what had been said. St. Mark adds that even then, the witnesses did not agree. There were still discrepancies regarding time, place, and the exact words, which did not align with the established rules of evidence.