And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?
Parallel translations
- WEB They asked him, “Tell us: by what authority do you do these things? Or who is giving you this authority?”
- BSB “Tell us,” they said, “by what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?”
- NKJV and spoke to Him, saying, “Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?”
- NASB and they declared, saying to Him, “Tell us by what authority You are doing these things, or who is the one who gave You this authority?”
- NLT They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
They demand to know by what authority Jesus acts and who gave it to him. The leaders question his right to teach and to cleanse the temple.
Overview
The authorities seek to trap Jesus, for any claim to divine authority could be used against him. Their question, however, exposes their refusal to recognize the authority plainly evident in his words and works. The exchange centers on the true source of Jesus's authority, which is from God himself.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Matt 21:23–27And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?
- Mark 11:28–33And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?
- Exod 2:14And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.
- Acts 7:27But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?
- John 2:18Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
- Acts 7:35–39This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.
- Acts 7:51Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
- Acts 4:7–10And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
- Luke 19:45–46And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;
- Luke 19:35–40And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.
- John 5:22–27For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 20:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.