The Bible does not give an exact number, but Les Feldick describes the arresting force as a 'huge number of soldiers.'
Matthew and Mark call the group a 'great multitude,' while John calls it 'a band of men and officers.' Les Feldick, from his teaching on Matthew 26, refers to the group that came with Judas as 'that huge number of soldiers.' No precise count is given in the passages he discusses.
Matthew 26:47 — Shows Judas came with a 'great multitude' from the chief priests and elders, indicating a large arresting party.
Mark 14:43 — Confirms the same 'great multitude' came with Judas from the chief priests, scribes, and elders.
John 18:3 — Describes Judas receiving 'a band of men and officers' from the chief priests and Pharisees.
The Gospel accounts do not specify the number of soldiers. Matthew 26:47 says a 'great multitude' came with Judas 'from the chief priests and elders of the people.' Mark 14:43 likewise says a 'great multitude' came 'from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.' John 18:3 says Judas received 'a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees.' John 18:12 then says 'the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him.' So Scripture describes a large, armed group, but never gives an exact count.
Les Feldick, in his Matthew 26 teaching, says a 'huge number of soldiers' came with Judas to arrest Jesus (Clip 3). He points to the other account where the arresting party 'were all stricken backwards' simply from the power of Christ's voice. He also refers to the 'whole band' of soldiers that the governor's men gathered around Jesus after the arrest (Clip 2). Les does not give a precise figure such as one hundred or six hundred in these clips.
Matthew 26:47 and Mark 14:43 both say the arresting multitude came from the chief priests, scribes, and elders. John 18:3 says Judas received the band 'from the chief priests and Pharisees.' Les Feldick emphasizes that the group was a 'huge number of soldiers' brought by Judas (Clip 3).
Les Feldick refers to 'one of the other accounts' that shows the soldiers 'were all stricken backwards just simply from the power of Christ's voice.' John 18:6 records that when Jesus said, 'I am he,' the group 'went backward, and fell to the ground.' Despite the huge number, they were powerless before Him.
After Jesus was taken, the soldiers of the governor brought Him into the common hall and gathered around Him 'the whole band of soldiers' (Matthew 27:27). Les says this whole band stripped Him and mocked Him with a crown of thorns (Clip 2). This indicates the military presence remained large beyond the arrest itself.
Why Did the Disciples Not Know Jesus Would Die?
Gethsemane experience here in chapter 26 beginning with verse 36. I was just pointing out to Sandy before the class started, I don't know how many Christians or Bible students, however you want to refer to yourselves, realize that Matthew, Mark and Luke are what we call the synoptic Gospels and they deal primarily with His humanity side of everything. John's Gospel deals with His deity.
Acts 4 Explained: No Other Name — Only Jesus Saves
So what did they do? Verse 3. They laid hands on them, that is on Peter, and I don't know if they're all of them, but anyway, the disciples, and put them in hold until the next day, for it was now eventide. Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed. And the number of the men was about 5,000. Now we've got a fair number of Jewish believers at this time.
The Whole Band in the Common Hall
Les says the soldiers of the governor gathered a 'whole band' around Jesus after the arrest, showing a large military force.
Huge Number of Soldiers at the Arrest
Les explicitly calls the group that came with Judas to arrest Jesus 'a huge number of soldiers,' and he notes they were all stricken backward by Christ's voice.
Why the Temple Veil Tore — Matthew 27 Explained
And even though Matthew doesn't give the whole, John doesn't give the whole, but when you put them all together, then you get it. Alright verse 38, "...then there were two thieves crucified with him, and you all know the account of that, and how that the one finally turned to him, and recognized who he was." Now verse 45, "...
Why the Temple Veil Tore — Matthew 27 Explained
and mocked him, saying, Hail king of the Jews. They spit upon him, took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, and they compelled him to bear his cross.
Why Peter Didn't Preach the Gospel in Acts 3
I was thinking I had one other one back in the Old Testament, but I guess that's on another line of thought. Luke 18. Drop down to verse 31. And all of this shocks people the first time they see it. And this isn't the only place it's written. Luke says the same thing in his Gospel. Almost word for word. So you can rest that this is the way it happened.
Why the Temple Veil Tore — Matthew 27 Explained
The nation of Israel now is on trial, more than Jesus is of course, and beginning with verse 15, and I'm not going to read it word for word, but as they now fry out that they don't want Jesus, they want Barabbas, and Pilate still keeps trying to convince the crowd that he can find nothing wrong in this Jesus.
Matthew 26:47: And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.
This is the most direct account of the size of the group that came to arrest Jesus.
Mark 14:43: And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.
Mark's parallel account confirms the same large multitude from the Jewish leaders.
John 18:3: Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.
John describes the group as a 'band of men and officers,' indicating a military-style detachment.
John 18:6: As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.
This verse shows the arresting party collapsing at Jesus' words, which Les references in his teaching.
John 18:12: Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him,
This verse explicitly names the band and captain as the ones who took Jesus into custody.
Matthew 27:27: Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.
After the arrest, the soldiers gathered a 'whole band' around Jesus, which Les mentions in his teaching.
No. Matthew 26:47 and Mark 14:43 describe a 'great multitude,' while John 18:3 calls it a 'band of men and officers.' Les Feldick also only says 'huge number of soldiers.' The exact count is not given.
John 18:12 speaks of 'the band and the captain and officers of the Jews.' Les refers to the 'soldiers of the governor' and a 'whole band' gathered after the arrest (Matthew 27:27). So a military-type group was present.
Les points to John 18:6, where the men who came with Judas 'went backward, and fell to the ground' at Jesus' words. He describes this as happening to the whole arresting party.
Watch the Teaching: Why Did the Disciples Not Know Jesus Would Die?