“By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You the authority to do them?”
Parallel translations
- WEB and they began saying to him, “By what authority do you do these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?”
- KJV And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?
- NKJV And they said to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?”
- NASB and began saying to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do these things?”
- NLT They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right to do them?”
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
The leaders demand to know by what authority Jesus acts, especially in cleansing the temple.
Overview
Their question challenges the source and legitimacy of Jesus' bold actions and teaching. Rather than considering whether His authority is from God, they seek grounds to condemn Him. The exchange forces the issue of who Jesus truly is and where His authority comes from.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Exod 2:14But the man replied, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “This thing I have done has surely become known.”
- Num 16:3They came together against Moses and Aaron and told them, “You have taken too much upon yourselves! For everyone in the entire congregation is holy, and the LORD is in their midst. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?”
- Acts 7:38–39He was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. And he received living words to pass on to us.
- Acts 7:51You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.
- Num 16:13Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? Must you also appoint yourself as ruler over us?
- Acts 7:27–28But the man who was abusing his neighbor pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us?
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Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 11:28 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.