John 19:6,7 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him,— The priests, whose rage and malice had extinguished not only the sentiments ofjustice, and all the feelings of pity, but that love which countrymen bear to one another,—no sooner saw Jesus, than they began to fear that the fickle populace might relent; and therefore, laying decency aside, they led the way to the mob, crying out with all their might, Crucify him! crucify him! The governor, vexed to find the rulers thus obstinately bent on the destruction of a person who appeared to him perfectly innocent, told them plainly, with great indignation, that, if they would have him crucified, they must do it themselves, because he would not suffer his people to murder a man who was guilty of no crime. But they refused this also, thinking it dishonourable to receive permission to punish one, who had been more than once publicly declared innocent by his judge. Besides, they considered with themselves, that the governor afterwards might have called it sedition, as the permission had been extorted from him. Wherefore they told him, that, though none of the things alleged against the prisoner were true, he had committed such a crime, in the presence of the council itself, as by their law, Leviticus 24:16 deserved the most ignominious death: he had spoken blasphemy, calling himself the Son of God; a title which no mortal could assume without the highest degree of guilt; "therefore, (say they,) since by our law blasphemy merits death, you ought by all means to crucify this blasphemer; for, though Caesar is our master, he governs us by our own laws."