And they stirred up the people - They “excited” the people, or alarmed their fears, as had been done before when they sought to put the Lord Jesus to death, Matthew 27:20.
The elders - The members of the Sanhedrin, or Great Council.
Scribes - See the notes on Matthew 2:4.
To the council - To the Sanhedrin, or the Great Council of the nation, which claimed jurisdiction in the matters of religion. See the notes on Matthew 2:4.