“I will also ask you a question,” Jesus replied. “Tell Me:
Parallel translations
- WEB He answered them, “I also will ask you one question. Tell me:
- KJV And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing; and answer me:
- NKJV But He answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me:
- NASB But He replied to them, “I will also ask you a question, and you tell Me:
- NLT “Let me ask you a question first,” he replied.
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
Jesus responds by saying he will ask them a question in return. He answers their challenge with wise discernment.
Overview
Rather than directly answering hostile questioners, Jesus poses a counter-question that will expose their hearts. His method reveals both his wisdom and their insincerity. The reply turns the confrontation back upon the leaders who sought to trap him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Matt 15:2–3“Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”
- Luke 22:68And if I ask you a question, you will not answer.
- Col 4:6Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Resources, by level
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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 20:3 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.