Matthew 21:27

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

25Did John’s right to baptize come from heaven or from humans?” They discussed this among themselves. They said, “If we say, ‘from heaven,’ he will ask us, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26But if we say, ‘from humans,’ we’re afraid of what the crowd might do. All those people think of John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Jesus told them, “Then I won’t tell you why I have the right to do these things. 28“What do you think about this? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go to work in the vineyard today.’ 29“His son replied, ‘I don’t want to!’ But later he changed his mind and went.

Matthew 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• they answeredἀποκρίνωapokrinomai · to answerG611
• Jesusὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• and saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Weεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• cannotοὐou · noG3756
• heαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• saidφημίphēmi · to assertG5346
• Neitherοὐδέoude · norG3761
• tellλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• youσύsu · youG4771
• byἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• whatποῖοςpoios · what?G4169
• authorityἐξουσίαexousia · authorityG1849
• I doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• these thingsοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778

Cross-references for Matthew 21:27

• Matthew 15:14Leave them alone! They are blind leaders. When one blind person leads another, both will fall into the same pit.”
• Matthew 16:3And in the morning you say that there will be a storm today because the sky is red and overcast. You can forecast the weather by judging the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.
• Matthew 23:16“How horrible it will be for you, you blind guides! You say, ‘To swear an oath by the temple doesn’t mean a thing. But to swear an oath by the gold in the temple means a person must keep his oath.’
• Isaiah 6:10Make these people close-minded. Plug their ears. Shut their eyes. Otherwise, they may see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their minds, and return and be healed.”
• Isaiah 28:9To whom will they make the message understood? To whom will they explain this message? To children just weaned from milk? To those just taken from their ⌞mother’s⌟ breasts?
• Isaiah 29:10The Lord has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep. He will shut your eyes. (Your eyes are the prophets.) He will cover your heads. (Your heads are the seers.)
• Isaiah 42:19Who is blind except my servant or deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind like the one who has my trust or blind like the servant of the Lord?
• Isaiah 56:10⌞Israel’s⌟ watchmen are blind. None of them know anything. All of them are like dogs that are unable to bark. They lie around dreaming; they love to sleep.
• Jeremiah 8:7Even storks know when it’s time to return. Mourning doves, swallows, and cranes know when it’s time to migrate. But my people don’t know that I, the Lord, am urging them to return.
• Malachi 2:6The teaching that came from his mouth was true. Nothing unjust was found on his lips. He lived with me in peace and honesty and turned many people away from sin.
• Luke 20:7So they answered that they didn’t know who gave John the right to baptize.
• John 9:30The man replied to them, “That’s amazing! You don’t know where he’s from. Yet, he gave me sight.
• Romans 1:18God’s anger is revealed from heaven against every ungodly and immoral thing people do as they try to suppress the truth by their immoral living.
• 2 Corinthians 4:3So if the Good News that we tell others is covered with a veil, it is hidden from those who are dying.
• 2 Thessalonians 2:9The man of sin will come with the power of Satan. He will use every kind of power, including miraculous and wonderful signs. But they will be lies.

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

• Falsehood

In the dictionaries

• Jesus
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• Authority
• Daughter
• Grind
• Loose
• Move
• Presently
• Reverence
• Seat

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