Mark 11 31

Mark 11:31 kjv

And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?

Mark 11:31 nkjv

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'

Mark 11:31 niv

They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?'

Mark 11:31 esv

And they discussed it with one another, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'

Mark 11:31 nlt

They talked it over among themselves. "If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn't believe John.

Mark 11 verses

Mark 11 31 Meaning

Mark 11:31 details the internal deliberation of the chief priests, scribes, and elders concerning Jesus' counter-question about the authority of John the Baptist. They understood the logical trap Jesus had set for them: if they admitted John's authority was from God ("from heaven"), Jesus would immediately challenge why they had not believed him. This verse reveals their calculated and self-preserving motive, prioritizing the fear of the crowd's reaction over acknowledging divine truth. It exposes their spiritual blindness and hypocrisy in seeking human approval rather than divine revelation.

Mark 11 31 Context

Mark chapter 11 opens with Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, directly followed by His curse on the fig tree (symbolizing barren Israel) and the powerful act of cleansing the Temple (Mk 11:15-19), overturning the tables of money changers and driving out merchants. This action was a direct challenge to the religious authorities and their system. It implied a divine authority over the Temple.Immediately after this, in Mark 11:27, the chief priests, scribes, and elders directly confront Jesus, demanding to know "By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?" (Mk 11:28). This was a loaded question intended to trap Jesus, either forcing Him to claim divine authority (which they would label blasphemy) or to deny it (undermining His ministry).Jesus' brilliant counter-question about John the Baptist's baptism in Mark 11:30 places them in their own dilemma, compelling them to reveal their true motivations and the shallowness of their piety. Mark 11:31 specifically details their internal, calculated discussion to avoid public condemnation, exposing their fear of man over the truth of God.

Mark 11 31 Word analysis

• καὶ (kai) - "And": A simple conjunction connecting the immediate narrative to the preceding verse, highlighting the direct cause-and-effect relationship between Jesus' question and their internal struggle.
• διελογίζοντο (dielogizonto) - "they reasoned among themselves": Imperfect tense indicates an ongoing, continuous process of internal debate and calculation. The root word "logos" (word, reason) with the prefix "dia" (through, apart) signifies a detailed, thorough, even conflicting discussion, often indicative of an argument or strategizing. It reveals their focus was on political calculus and self-prespreservation, not genuine theological inquiry or humble seeking of truth. This type of "reasoning" is often contrasted with simple faith in biblical texts.
• πρὸς ἑαυτούς (pros heautous) - "among themselves / to themselves": Emphasizes the internal, private, self-referential nature of their deliberation. They are not seeking God's will, the truth, or even a wider public opinion honestly; they are discussing among themselves what would benefit them. It highlights their self-interest and exclusion of external, particularly divine, input.
• λέγοντες (legontes) - "saying": A present participle, "saying," further describing their active process of reasoning aloud to one another within their closed circle.
• Ἐὰν εἴπωμεν (ean eipōmen) - "If we say": Introduces a conditional clause (third class conditional) expressing a hypothetical situation they are contemplating. The subjunctive mood ("eipōmen") signifies their deliberation over a potential action (what they would say). It underlines their calculating nature.
• Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ (Ex ouranou) - "From heaven": A common Jewish circumlocution for "from God" or "of divine origin." It refers to heavenly authority, divine commissioning, and spiritual backing. Acknowledging this would mean admitting John was God's messenger.
• ἐρεῖ (erei) - "he will say": Simple future tense, indicating Jesus' predictable counter-question. They correctly anticipate Jesus' trap.
• Διὰ τί οὖν οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ; (Dia ti oun ouk episteusate autō?) - "Why then did you not believe him?": This is the heart of Jesus' rhetorical trap. "Why then" (dia ti oun) links directly to their failure to respond to John. "Did you not believe him" (ouk episteusate autō) points directly to their unbelief and rejection of God's appointed messenger. To acknowledge John's divine origin meant immediate condemnation of their own spiritual failure and public hypocrisy for having rejected him.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "They reasoned among themselves, saying...": This phrase vividly portrays the spiritual blindness and self-serving nature of the religious leaders. Their internal debate is not one of honest inquiry or theological conviction but rather political strategy and calculation, aimed at preserving their power and reputation rather than acknowledging truth or God's authority. This contrasts sharply with seeking wisdom from God (Jas 1:5).
• "If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’": This perfectly encapsulated dilemma exposes their profound hypocrisy. They knew, at some level, the truth about John’s divine commission. Their hesitation was not due to uncertainty about John’s origin, but a clear admission that they had rejected a messenger of God. Jesus' counter-question masterfully uses their own potential answer against them, cornering them with their own lack of faith and past actions. It highlights their rejection of John as a rejection of God Himself (Lk 7:30).

Mark 11 31 Bonus section

The phrase "from heaven" was a widely understood circumlocution for divine origin, common in Jewish literature and discourse, as Jews often avoided pronouncing God's direct name. By choosing this term, the chief priests acknowledged the widely accepted, traditional way of describing something as being "of God." Their struggle was not about comprehending the source but about confronting the implications of that source for their own actions and status. This moment in Mark also underscores the unity of God's messengers: by rejecting John, they implicitly rejected God and set themselves on a path of rejecting Jesus. It highlights the principle that disbelief in one part of God's revealed truth or His messengers can lead to greater blindness. The leaders’ refusal to answer also reflects a larger pattern of hardening their hearts, paralleling warnings throughout Scripture against stubbornness and unbelief (Heb 3:7-19).

Mark 11 31 Commentary

Mark 11:31 is a critical verse that strips bare the core issues preventing the Jewish religious leadership from embracing Jesus as Messiah. Their careful, calculating "reasoning among themselves" was a stark contrast to true spiritual discernment, driven by political expediency and the fear of public opinion (the crowd) rather than a genuine fear of God. They knew that if they confessed John's authority was from God ("from heaven"), Jesus would expose their fundamental spiritual failure: "Why then did you not believe him?" This direct question would condemn them because their past actions—their rejection and dismissal of John's message and baptism—demonstrated their unbelief. Thus, this verse reveals their heart of hypocrisy; they valued their reputation and control more than truth and God's revealed will. Their intellectual assessment correctly identified Jesus' trap, but their spiritual state precluded them from answering honestly, forcing them to ultimately plead ignorance (Mk 11:33), thereby rejecting both John's and Jesus' authority. It serves as a profound warning against allowing fear of man or self-preservation to supersede one's responsibility to God's truth.

• Example for practical usage: A contemporary parallel could be someone who acknowledges the Bible's divine authority intellectually, yet fails to obey its commands due to peer pressure or self-interest, ultimately showing a lack of genuine belief in God's word. Their internal "reasoning" prevents them from truly committing.