Luke 20 8

Luke 20:8 kjv

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

Luke 20:8 nkjv

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

Luke 20:8 niv

Jesus said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."

Luke 20:8 esv

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

Luke 20:8 nlt

And Jesus responded, "Then I won't tell you by what authority I do these things."

Luke 20 verses

Luke 20 8 Meaning

Luke 20:8 records Jesus' resolute refusal to disclose the source of His authority to the chief priests, scribes, and elders. This statement serves as a direct consequence of their previous unwillingness to answer His counter-question regarding the origin of John the Baptist's baptism. Jesus, knowing their malicious intent and insincerity, strategically withheld information from those who refused to acknowledge plain truth and sought only to trap Him. It signifies His divine wisdom in confronting hypocrisy and their self-condemnation.

Luke 20 8 Context

Luke 20:8 takes place during Jesus' final week in Jerusalem, a crucial period of intense confrontation with the religious authorities before His crucifixion. He is teaching in the temple, and the chief priests, scribes, and elders (representing the Sanhedrin) directly challenge His legitimacy, asking "By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority?" (Lk 20:2). This was a loaded question designed to trap Jesus: if He claimed divine authority, they could accuse Him of blasphemy; if human authority, they could discredit Him for acting without their sanction.

Jesus' brilliant counter-question in Lk 20:3-4, about John the Baptist's baptism (whether it was from heaven or from men), puts them in a dilemma. If they said "from heaven," they would be compelled to explain why they didn't believe John. If "from men," they feared the populace who revered John as a prophet. Their admission "We do not know" (Lk 20:7) reveals their hypocrisy and their unwillingness to acknowledge truth for fear of consequences from men. Thus, Jesus' response in Lk 20:8 is not a dodge but a just and strategic withholding of truth from those who had just proven themselves unwilling to acknowledge evident truth (John's prophetic ministry) or answer truthfully, even when their own status was on the line. Historically, Jewish religious authority was critical for public action and teaching, making this challenge to Jesus’ "exousia" a direct threat to His ministry and claim to messiahship.

Luke 20 8 Word analysis

• And Jesus said to them (καὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς - kai ho Iēsous eipen autois):
• καὶ (kai): "And," typical narrative conjunction, smoothly continuing the interaction after their non-answer.
• ὁ Ἰησοῦς (ho Iēsous): "The Jesus," identifying the speaker precisely. The definite article emphasizes His identity, maintaining focus on His divine authority even as He responds with refusal.
• εἶπεν (eipen): "He said," a simple past tense, indicating a direct and decisive verbal act.
• αὐτοῖς (autois): "to them," referring to the challenging chief priests, scribes, and elders (Lk 20:1). This highlights the targeted nature of Jesus' response, addressed specifically to their insincere challenge.
• Neither (Οὐδὲ - Oude):
• A strong negative particle, meaning "not even" or "neither...nor." It signifies an absolute refusal, correlating directly with their own refusal to answer. It creates a parallelism in denial, a just reciprocity.
• will I tell you (ἐγὼ λέγω ὑμῖν - egō legō hymin):
• ἐγὼ (egō): "I," the pronoun for "I." Its inclusion here is emphatic ("neither I..."). It underscores that it is He, Jesus, who makes the decision to withhold, emphasizing His self-possession and ultimate authority even in this refusal.
• λέγω (legō): "I tell" or "I am telling," present tense, implying an ongoing or definite refusal in the present moment.
• ὑμῖν (hymin): "you" (plural, dative case). Emphatically refers to the Sanhedrin members. The specific mention of "you" reinforces that His refusal is personal to their conduct and dishonesty, not a general policy of secrecy.
• by what authority (ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ - en poia exousia):
• ἐν (en): "in" or "by." Indicates the basis or realm of action.
• ποίᾳ (poia): "what kind of," "what," implying a direct reference to their earlier question about the nature or source of His authority (Lk 20:2).
• ἐξουσίᾳ (exousia): "authority," "power," "right." This is the core concept. It implies not just raw power (δύναμις - dynamis) but the right to exercise that power. Jesus does not lack the power, but they lack the moral standing to demand disclosure of the right (legitimacy) to wield it.
• I do these things (ταῦτα ποιῶ - tauta poiō):
• ταῦτα (tauta): "these things." Refers to Jesus' specific actions that prompted their challenge, primarily His teaching in the Temple, His cleansing of the Temple (implicitly), and His miracles.
• ποιῶ (poiō): "I do" or "I am doing," present tense. Refers to His ongoing works that manifest His authority. The authorities observe what He does, yet they question the right by which He acts, rather than assessing the nature of the acts themselves.

• "Οὐδὲ ἐγὼ λέγω ὑμῖν" (Oude egō legō hymin - Neither will I tell you): This phrase is a powerful act of strategic silence and justified reciprocity. Since they refused to give an honest answer to Jesus' question about John, a question directly tied to their own responsibility regarding God's messengers, Jesus, in turn, refused to give them an answer that they sought to misuse for their own destructive ends. His response perfectly mirrors their own "We do not know."
• "ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιῶ" (en poia exousia tauta poiō - by what authority I do these things): This group of words re-states the core of their original query, highlighting that Jesus perfectly understood their manipulative intent. He knew the specific answer they sought (a direct claim to divine authority to condemn Him) but withheld it because they were not truly seeking truth, but leverage. Their actions (disbelieving John, rejecting God's counsel, seeking to entrap Jesus) demonstrated their spiritual blindness, making them unworthy of further revelation at that moment.

Luke 20 8 Bonus section

This strategic non-answer by Jesus is a profound demonstration of His messianic authority being inextricably linked to His divine wisdom. While the religious leaders sought to expose a "source" of power they could condemn, Jesus' response exposes their own moral bankruptcy and their rejection of God's revealed will through John the Baptist. Their refusal to acknowledge John's prophetic commission (which pointed directly to Jesus) sealed their fate regarding Jesus' own revelation. The immediate narrative consequence is Jesus proceeding to tell the Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Luke 20:9-18), a pointed allegorical condemnation of these very religious leaders who consistently rejected God's messengers. Thus, His silence in Luke 20:8 paradoxically speaks volumes, setting the stage for an even more direct confrontation and declaration of judgment upon those who claimed authority yet rejected its true divine source.

Luke 20 8 Commentary

Luke 20:8 epitomizes Jesus' divine wisdom and mastery in facing manipulative and hostile religious authorities. His refusal to answer is not an admission of lacking authority, nor is it ignorance. Instead, it is a deliberate, righteous tactical response rooted in principles of divine justice and human accountability. Having put the Sanhedrin leaders to the test by linking His authority to that of John the Baptist—a figure they simultaneously revered among the people but personally rejected—Jesus reveals their duplicity. When they admitted "We do not know," they confessed not intellectual ignorance, but rather their fear of human opinion and their unwillingness to align with God's clear truth (demonstrated through John's ministry).

Jesus' refusal ("Neither will I tell you") underscores that sacred truth and divine authority are not to be carelessly dispensed to those with closed minds and malicious intent. They had, by their own admission of spiritual paralysis and political expediency, forfeited the right to a direct answer from Him. This moment teaches that true spiritual understanding requires humility and an honest disposition toward God's truth, not merely intellectual curiosity or strategic questioning. Jesus, in effect, holds them accountable for their willful ignorance concerning John before He will account for His own identity and mission. His actions reveal that continued revelation is often conditional on our reception of previous revelation and our sincere pursuit of truth.

For practical application, this verse reminds us that:

• We are not obligated to entertain every insincere or malicious inquiry, especially when the questioner's intent is to harm or entrap rather than genuinely learn.
• Wisdom often dictates when to speak and when to remain silent, especially when engaging with those hardened against the truth.
• Honesty and humility are prerequisites for receiving deeper spiritual understanding.