Luke 20 3

Luke 20:3 kjv

And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing; and answer me:

Luke 20:3 nkjv

But He answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me:

Luke 20:3 niv

He replied, "I will also ask you a question. Tell me:

Luke 20:3 esv

He answered them, "I also will ask you a question. Now tell me,

Luke 20:3 nlt

"Let me ask you a question first," he replied.

Luke 20 verses

Luke 20 3 Meaning

Luke 20:3 records Jesus' immediate and astute response to the chief priests, scribes, and elders who challenged His authority. Instead of directly answering their provocative question about who gave Him the authority to teach and act as He did in the temple, Jesus skillfully counters with a question of His own. He asserts His intention to pose a single, decisive question to them, demanding an answer in return, thereby shifting the burden of response back onto His challengers.

Luke 20 3 Context

This verse is situated during Jesus' final week in Jerusalem, specifically on the Tuesday before His crucifixion, as recorded in Luke 20. Jesus is teaching daily in the Temple courts. Following His symbolic cleansing of the Temple and His teaching on a large scale, the chief priests, scribes, and elders, the official religious authorities of the Jewish people, confront Him. They are highly threatened by His popular appeal and the perceived challenge to their established power and religious traditions. Their initial question in Luke 20:2 is a direct challenge to His authority, seeking to trap Him, either by making Him claim divine authority (which they would label blasphemy) or by admitting a human source (which would undermine His message). Luke 20:3 is Jesus' strategic counter-move, where He does not directly answer their question but poses one of His own, effectively turning the tables and exposing their true intentions and the nature of their leadership.

Luke 20 3 Word analysis

• And (καὶ - kai): A conjunction often used in narrative to simply link events, but here it marks an immediate and direct transition from the challenge to Jesus' response, showing no hesitation on His part.
• He answered (ἀποκριθεὶς - apokritheis): A participle from the Greek verb ἀποκρίνομαι (apokrinomai), meaning "to answer" or "to reply." This implies a deliberate and considered response, not an impulsive one. It signifies that Jesus engaged directly with their inquiry.
• and said (εἶπεν - eipen): From the verb λέγω (legō), meaning "to say" or "to speak." Used alongside "answered," it emphasizes that Jesus not only formed a reply but vocalized it, initiating communication.
• to them (πρὸς αὐτοὺς - pros autous): Identifies the direct recipients: the challenging religious authorities. This highlights the public and confrontational nature of the interaction.
• I also (κἀγὼ - kagō): A contracted form of καὶ ἐγὼ (kai egō), literally "and I" or "I too." This little phrase carries significant weight, signaling a reciprocity and a turning of the tables. "You asked me, I also will ask you." It implies a challenge for a challenge.
• will ask (Ἐρωτήσω - erotēsō): A future tense of the verb ἐρωτάω (erōtaō), which means "to ask a question," "to inquire," or even "to interrogate." Here, it signifies Jesus' intention to probe or examine them through a question, much as they sought to examine Him.
• you (ὑμᾶς - hymas): Plural pronoun, referring directly back to the group of religious leaders, reiterating the directness of Jesus' counter-challenge to their collective authority.
• one question (λόγον - logon): From the significant Greek word λόγος (logos), which has a wide range of meanings including "word," "speech," "account," "reason," or "matter." In this context, it functions as "a question" or "a subject for discussion." By calling it "one question" (literally "a word" or "a matter"), Jesus emphasizes its singular, critical nature and the unified answer he expects.
• and tell (καὶ εἴπατέ - kai eipatē): The conjunction "and" links this request for a response to the act of asking the question. "Tell" is an imperative (a command) from λέγω (legō), meaning "speak" or "declare." Jesus directly commands them to respond.
• me (μοι - moi): The dative pronoun "to me," indicating that their response is directly owed and addressed to Jesus, completing the direct challenge-response dynamic.

Words-group Analysis:

• "And he answered and said to them": This phrase marks the initiation of Jesus' strategic counter-response. It portrays Jesus as calm, collected, and discerning, choosing His words carefully in a tense environment. This isn't a mere spontaneous reply but a deliberate rhetorical move.
• "I also will ask you one question": This is the core of Jesus' turnabout. The "I also" is crucial, signifying that He is not merely deflecting but engaging them on His own terms, demonstrating His wisdom and authority by mirroring their challenge. The specificity of "one question" hints at a profound or pivotal query designed to reveal their motives or expose their hypocrisy, which is later revealed as John's baptism (Luke 20:4).
• "and tell me": This imperative places a direct demand on them. Just as they demanded an answer from Him, He now demands an answer from them. It sets up the conditions for their subsequent dilemma and exposes their fear of man over God.

Luke 20 3 Bonus section

Jesus' counter-question strategy is a powerful lesson in discernment and spiritual warfare. It teaches that not all questions deserve a direct answer, especially when the interrogator's motive is to entrap or slander rather than to genuinely seek truth. Jesus, knowing the hearts of His adversaries (Jn 2:24-25), understood that a direct claim of divine authority at that moment would only give them the pretext they sought to accuse Him, while providing no true conviction for them. By posing His own question, He shifted the dynamic from His defense to their accountability, revealing their lack of genuine spiritual authority compared to His unassailable wisdom. This interaction also illustrates that true authority doesn't always reside in hierarchical positions but in wisdom, truth, and moral courage, often leading to a discomfort among those holding formal, but morally bankrupt, power.

Luke 20 3 Commentary

Luke 20:3 encapsulates Jesus' mastery in dealing with hostile inquiries. Instead of directly validating or refuting their challenge to His authority—a move that would have given His adversaries a direct path to accusation—Jesus uses a brilliant rabbinic technique: He answers a question with a question. This is not evasiveness but a tactical and wise maneuver designed to expose the insincerity and true motives of His interrogators. By posing "one question," He compresses the weight of their own religious and political standing into a single point, setting the stage for their dilemma in the following verses concerning John the Baptist. His command "tell me" demonstrates His authority not only to teach but also to demand accountability from those who questioned Him. This interchange highlights Jesus' divine wisdom, His control over the narrative, and His ability to expose the self-serving nature of His opponents, forcing them to reveal their fear of the people rather than their commitment to truth.