Pilate was puzzled. The accusations were many and serious, yet the accused said nothing. Matthew Henry writes, "Having no malice against Jesus, Pilate urged him to clear himself, and laboured to get him discharged." Gill gives the sense of the question: "art thou deaf? or dost thou not take in what is alleged against thee?" Pilate was inviting Jesus to speak in His own defense.

"And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly" (Matthew 27:14). Jesus did not answer a single charge. Barnes explains "marvelled greatly" as "Wondered exceedingly, or was much surprised." Mark records the same moment: "But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled" (Mark 15:5).

The phrase "witness against" translates katamartureō, the same rare verb the high priest used in Matthew 26:62. It appears only in the trials of Jesus, before Caiaphas (Matthew 26:62; Mark 14:60) and before Pilate (here and Mark 15:4). Barnes says the men before Pilate "were not witnesses, but accusers." Luke records what they kept saying: "He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place" (Luke 23:5).

Jesus met the same kind of question the same way in two courts. Before Caiaphas He "held his peace" (Matthew 26:63), and before Pilate He "answered him to never a word" (Matthew 27:14). Yet in both courts He answered when asked who He is (Matthew 26:64; Matthew 27:11). His silence was not because He had nothing to say. He would not defend Himself against the charges, but He would confess the truth.

Peter later described what was happening beneath that silence: "when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously" (1 Peter 2:23). Jesus left His case with the Father.