American Standard Version
Matthew 21:27
27And they answered Jesus, and said, We know not. He also said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
Matthew 21:27 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
- English Standard Version (ESV)So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
- New King James Version (NKJV)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.
Context of Matthew 21:27
25The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven or from men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why then did ye not believe him? 26But if we shall say, From men; we fear the multitude; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We know not. He also said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. 28But what think ye? A man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to-day in the vineyard. 29And he answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented himself, and went.
Read all of Matthew 21Matthew 21:27 word by word
Καὶ ἀποκριθέντες τῷ Ἰησοῦ εἶπαν· οὐκ οἴδαμεν. ἔφη αὐτοῖς καὶ αὐτός· οὐδὲ ἐγὼ λέγω ὑμῖν ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιῶ.¶Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Matthew 21:27
- Matthew 15:14Let them alone: they are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into a pit.
- Matthew 16:3And in the morning, It will be foul weather to-day: for the heaven is red and lowering. Ye know how to discern the face of the heaven; but ye cannot discern the signs of the times.
- Matthew 23:16Woe unto you, ye blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor.
- Isaiah 6:10Make the heart of this people fat, and 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.
- Isaiah 28:9Whom will he teach knowledge? and whom will he make to understand the message? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts?
- Isaiah 29:10For Jehovah hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes, the prophets; and your heads, the seers, hath he covered.
- Isaiah 42:19Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I send? who is blind as he that is at peace with me, and blind as Jehovah’s servant?
- Isaiah 56:10His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.
- Jeremiah 8:7Yea, the stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle-dove and the swallow and the crane observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the law of Jehovah.
- Malachi 2:6The 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.
- Luke 20:7And they answered, that they knew not whence it was.
- John 9:30The man answered and said unto them, Why, herein is the marvel, that ye know not whence he is, and yet he opened mine eyes.
- Romans 1:18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness;
- 2 Corinthians 4:3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish:
- 2 Thessalonians 2:9even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
Commentaries on Matthew 21:27
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 27We cannot tell - Simplicity gives a wonderful confidence and peace of mind; but double dealing causes a thousand inquietudes and troubles. Let a man do his utmost to conceal in his own heart the evidence he has of truth and innocence, to countenance his not yielding to it; God, who sees the heart, will, in the light of the last day, produce it as a witness against him, and make it his judge. We cannot tell, said they; which, in the words of truth, should…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23-27Verses 23-27 See also Mark 11:27-33; Luke 20:1-9. Matthew 21:23 When he was come into the temple - That is, probably, into the inner court - the court of the Israelites. They took this opportunity of questioning him on this subject when he was not surrounded by the multitude. By what authority - There was a show of propriety in this question. He was making great changes in the affairs of the temple, and they claimed the right to know why this was done…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 23-27Verses 23-27 As our Lord now openly appeared as the Messiah, the chief priests and scribes were much offended, especially because he exposed and removed the abuses they encouraged. Our Lord asked what they thought of John's ministry and baptism. Many are more afraid of the shame of lying than of the sin, and therefore scruple not to speak what they know to be false, as to their own thoughts, affections, and intentions, or their remembering and forgetting…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 27The Jewish leaders did not have the honesty or bravery to admit their beliefs about John. So, it was fair for Jesus not to answer their question.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2727. And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell--Evidently their difficulty was, how to answer, so as neither to shake their determination to reject the claims of Christ nor damage their reputation with the people. For the truth itself they cared nothing whatever. Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things--What composure and dignity of wisdom does our Lord here display, as He turns their question upon themselves, and, while revealing…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 21:27
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries