And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
- KJV And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
- NKJV And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
- NASB And Jesus said to them, “Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things.”
- NLT And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.”
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
Since they will not answer, Jesus declines to tell them by what authority he acts. Those unwilling to receive truth are not given more.
Overview
Jesus exposes that the leaders are not honest seekers but hostile challengers, and so he withholds a direct answer. Their refusal to acknowledge John shows they would not accept the truth about Jesus either. The exchange illustrates that revelation is withheld from those who harden themselves against it.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Job 5:12–13He thwarts the schemes of the crafty, so that their hands find no success.
- Matt 16:4A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Then He left them and went away.
- Prov 26:4–5Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be like him.
- Matt 15:14Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
- Mark 11:33So they answered, “We do not know.” And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
- Matt 21:27So they answered, “We do not know.” And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
- Luke 22:68And if I ask you a question, you will not answer.
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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 20:8 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.