Luke 20:8

And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
And	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
Jesus	Ἰησοῦς Iēsous	G2424	Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua) · noun — nominative singular masculine, a proper name
said	εἶπεν eipen	G2036	to speak or say (by word or writing) · verb — second aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
them	αὐτοῖς· autois	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — dative plural masculine
Neither	οὐδὲ oude	G3761	not however · conjunction — negative
tell	λέγω legō	G3004	properly · verb — present active indicative, 1st person singular
I	ἐγὼ egō	G1473	I · personal pronoun — 1st person nominative singular
you	ὑμῖν hymîn	G5213	to (with or by) you
by	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
what	ποίᾳ poia	G4169	individualizing interrogative (of character) what sort… · interrogative pronoun — dative singular feminine
authority	ἐξουσίᾳ exousia	G1849	privilege · noun — dative singular feminine
I do	ποιῶ.¶ poiō	G4160	to make or do (in a very wide application · verb — present active indicative, 1st person singular
these things	ταῦτα taûta	G5023	these things

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Job 5:12-13 He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.
Proverbs 26:4-5 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
Matthew 15:14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
Matthew 16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he…
Matthew 21:27 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.
Mark 11:33 And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do the…
Luke 22:68 And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Luke 20:1-8

In this passage of story nothing is added here to what we had in the other evangelists; but only in the first verse, where we are told, I. That he was now teaching the people in the temple, and preaching the gospel. Note, Christ was a preacher of his own gospel. He not only purchased the salvation for us, but published it to us, which is a great confirmation of the truth of the gospel, and gives abundant encouragement to us to receive it, for it is a sign that the heart of Christ was much upon it, to have it received. This likewise puts an honour upon the preachers of the gospel, and upon their office and work, how much soever they are despised by a vain world. It puts an honour upon the pop…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 20:7

could not tell--crooked, cringing hypocrites! No wonder Jesus gave you no answer (Mat 7:6). But what dignity and composure does our Lord display as He turns their question upon themselves!

Adam Clarke on Luke 20:2

By what authority, etc. - See the note on Mat 21:23-27 (note).

John Gill on Luke 20:8

And Jesus said unto them,.... Since they would not give him a direct answer to his question: neither tell I you by what authority I do these things; nor was there any need of it; they might easily perceive by what he had said, from whence he professed to have received his authority, from God, and not men; See Gill on Matthew 21:27.

John Calvin on Luke 20:1-8

Luke 20:1-8 Matthew 21:23-27 Mark 11:27-33 Luke 20:1-8 23. And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and elders of the people came to him, saying By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee that authority? [23] 24. And Jesus answering said to them, I also will ask you something, which if you shall tell me, I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25. Whence was the baptism of John? From heaven, or from men? But they thought within themselves saying, If we shall say, From heaven, he will say to us, Why then did you not believe him? 26. But if we shall say, From men, we dread the multitude, for they all hold John for a prophet. 27. And answer…

The Church Fathers

But, at any rate, when He actually met their refusal to say what they thought, with such reprisals as, "Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things," He returned evil for evil! "Render unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's.
— Tertullian, Against Marcion Book IV

They were unworthy to learn the truth and to see the pathway that leads directly to every good work. Christ answered them, "Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things." The Jews therefore did not know the truth, and they were not taught of God, that is, of Christ. Christ reveals that knowledge to us who have believed in him. We, receiving in mind and heart his divine and adorable mystery, or rather the knowledge of it, and being careful to fulfill those things which are pleasing to him, shall reign with him.
— Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 133

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Luke 20:1-8

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 20:7

Adam Clarke on Luke 20:2

John Gill on Luke 20:8

John Calvin on Luke 20:1-8

The Church Fathers

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Luke 20:1-8

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 20:7

Adam Clarke on Luke 20:2

John Gill on Luke 20:8

John Calvin on Luke 20:1-8

The Church Fathers

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Luke 20:7-8