Matthew 21:24

Jesus said to them, “I also will ask you a question, and if you answer me, I will tell you who authorized me to do these things.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.

In Context

23After that, Jesus went into the Temple courtyard. While he was teaching the people, the chief priests and the elders of the Jewish Council approached him. They asked, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who authorized you to do what you did here yesterday [DOU]?”

25Where did John the Baptizer get his authority to baptize those who came to him? Did he get it from God or from people? [MTY/EUP]” The chief priests and elders debated among themselves about what they should answer. They said to each other, “If we say, ‘ It was [MTY/EUP] from God’, he will say to us, ‘Then ◄you should have believed his message!/why did you not believe John’s message?► [RHQ]’

Read all of Matthew 21

Cross References

Proverbs 26:4If a foolish person asks a foolish question, do not answer him, because if you answer his question, you are just as foolish as he is.

Luke 6:9Then Jesus said to the others, “I ask you this: Do the laws that God gave Moses permit people to do what is good ◄on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day►, or do they permit people to harm others? Do they permit us to save a person’s life on our day of rest or to let him die [HYP] by refusing to help him?”

Matthew Henry on Matthew 21:24-28

Christ Questioned as to His Authority. 23 And 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? 24 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Matthew 21:24