As earlier indicated, this verse implies that the questioning in verses 19-23 was done by Annas.

As noted in the discussion of verse 13, some commentators favor placing verse 24 in the middle of verse 13, to make Caiaphas the interrogator of verse 19. However, there is no textual basis for such a shift. Nor are there grammatical grounds for assuming that the verb sent of this verse has the force of a pluperfect (“had sent”), suggesting that Annas had sent Jesus to Caiaphas, the High Priest, before the questioning of verse 19. The text must be translated as it stands, and the difficulty allowed to remain.

Then Annas sent him must be treated in some languages as a causative, for example, “So Annas caused him to be led to Caiaphas the High Priest.” A literal translation of sent might imply that Jesus went by himself. Obviously, since he was under arrest, he was escorted from Annas to Caiaphas.

There is a question whether the Greek participle used here has the force of still tied up or merely “tied up.” It may carry either force, and the answer really depends on whether Jesus was untied during his interrogation by the High Priest, since verse 12 explicitly states that he was tied up at his arrest. Since the text does not indicate that he was untied in the interim, it is logical to assume that he remained tied during the interrogation. If this conclusion is valid, the perfect participle should be translated still tied up. In some languages still tied up must be rendered as a separate sentence, for example, “He was still tied up” or “His hands were still tied” or “The guards kept his hands tied.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .