So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
Parallel translations
- WEB They answered Jesus, and said, “We don’t know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
- KJV And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
- BSB So they answered, “We do not know.” And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
- NASB And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” He also said to them, “Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things.
- NLT So they finally replied, “We don’t know.” 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
Refusing to answer honestly, the leaders say 'We don't know,' so Jesus declines to state His authority. Their evasion is itself a self-condemnation.
Overview
The leaders' professed ignorance is a dodge to avoid the consequences of either answer. Because they will not deal honestly with John's testimony, Jesus justly withholds a direct answer they would only reject. The episode shows that spiritual truth is withheld from those who close their hearts, and it sets up three parables of judgment that follow.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Rom 1:18–22For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
- 2 Th 2:9–10even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
- Matt 23:16–28“Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.’
- Luke 20:7–8They answered that they didn’t know where it was from.
- 2 Cor 4:3Even if our Good News is veiled, it is veiled in those who perish;
- Isa 28:9Whom will he teach knowledge? To whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts?
- Isa 6:10Make the heart of this people fat. Make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn again, and be healed.”
- Isa 42:19–20Who is blind, but my servant? Or who is as deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is as blind as he who is at peace, and as blind as Yahweh’s servant?
- Rom 1:28Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
- Isa 56:10–11His watchmen are blind. They are all without knowledge. They are all mute dogs. They can’t bark; dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.
- Jer 8:7–9Yes, the stork in the sky knows her appointed times; and the turtledove, the swallow, and the crane observe the time of their coming; but my people don’t know Yahweh’s law.
- John 9:30The man answered them, “How amazing! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.
- Matt 16:3In the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but you can’t discern the signs of the times!
- Mal 2:6–9The law of truth was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found in his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many away from iniquity.
- Isa 29:10–12For Yahweh has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes, the prophets; and he has covered your heads, the seers.
- Matt 15:14Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
- John 9:40–41Those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?”
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 21:27 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.