Luke 11:53

And when he was come out from thence, the scribes and Pharisees began to press upon him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things; laying wait for him, to catch something out of his mouth.

When he was come out from thence ... Spence believed that these words indicate that "Jesus abruptly rose and left the house of his Pharisee entertainers."[56]

Vehemently ... "This is the same verb used to express Herodias' attitude toward John the Baptist (Mark 6:19).[57] It suggests that the murderous enemies of Jesus were aroused to a frenzy of violent talk against him; they were like a swarm of angry hornets. These guides of Jewish public opinion have been denounced by Jesus in the most emphatic language in the presence of the multitudes, and their vicious hatred against him overflowed.

Laying wait to catch something ... They engaged Jesus in conversation, plying him with questions, with only one thing in view: that of extorting, by any means, some word which they might use as a pretext for the murder of Jesus which they had already decided to accomplish. "Their kind lives on in those who listen to a preacher for no reason but to criticize him, and who study the Bible only to argue about it and against it."[58]

The enemies of Jesus were completely frustrated and confounded by the Master's wisdom. They were cunning enough to see that they had been defeated; and, as is ever the case, when they had no logical reply, they had recourse to murder of the one who spoke the truth. After this, all their energies would be directed to the murder of the Son of God.

[56] H. D. M. Spence, op. cit., p. 310.

[57] Herschel H. Hobbs, op. cit., p. 198.

[58] Ibid., p. 199.