And the high priest stood up in the midst,.... Of the sanhedrim, of which he was now president: he sat at the head of them, and Ab Beth Din, or the father of the council, at his right hand; and the rest of the council sat before him, in a semicircular form, as the half of a round corn floor, so that the president, and the father of the council, could see them n; for they were all before him, he being situated in the middle, right against them; so that when he stood up, he might be said to stand in the midst of them:
and asked Jesus, saying, answerest thou nothing? For he had made no reply to the several witnesses, that came against him:
what is it which these witness against thee? Is it true, or false?
n Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 4. sect. 3. Maimon. Hiltch. Sanhedrin, c. 1. sect. 3.