Mark 11:28
New International Version
“By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”

New Living Translation
They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right to do them?”

English Standard Version
and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?”

Berean Standard Bible
“By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You the authority to do them?”

Berean Literal Bible
And they were saying to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things? Or who gave You this authority, that You should do these things?"

King James Bible
And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?

New King James Version
And they said to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?”

New American Standard Bible
and began saying to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do these things?”

NASB 1995
and began saying to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do these things?”

NASB 1977
and began saying to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do these things?”

Legacy Standard Bible
and began saying to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do these things?”

Amplified Bible
and began saying to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do these things?”

Christian Standard Bible
and asked him, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do these things? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and asked Him, “By what authority are You doing these things? Who gave You this authority to do these things?”

American Standard Version
and they said unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? or who gave thee this authority to do these things?

Contemporary English Version
They asked, "What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?"

English Revised Version
and they said unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? or who gave thee this authority to do these things?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They asked him, "What gives you the right to do these things? Who told you that you could do this?"

Good News Translation
and asked him, "What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you such right?"

International Standard Version
and asked him, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority to do them?"

Majority Standard Bible
“By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You the authority to do them?”

NET Bible
and said, "By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?"

New Heart English Bible
and they began saying to him, "By what authority do you do these things? And who gave you this authority to do these things?"

Webster's Bible Translation
And say to him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?

Weymouth New Testament
and asked, "By what authority are you doing these things? and who gave you authority to do them?"

World English Bible
and they began saying to him, “By what authority do you do these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and they say to Him, “By what authority do You do these things? And who gave You this authority that You may do these things?”

Berean Literal Bible
And they were saying to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things? Or who gave You this authority, that You should do these things?"

Young's Literal Translation
and they say to him, 'By what authority dost thou these things? and who gave thee this authority that these things thou mayest do?'

Smith's Literal Translation
And say to him, By what power doest thou these things? and who gave thee this power that thou doest these things?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they say to him: By what authority dost thou these things? and who hath given thee this authority that thou shouldst do these things?

Catholic Public Domain Version
And they said to him: “By what authority do you do these things? And who has given you this authority, so that you would do these things?”

New American Bible
and said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do them?”

New Revised Standard Version
and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And they said to him, By what authority do you do these things? and who gave you this authority to do these things?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And they were saying to him, “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority to do these things?”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
and said to him: By what authority do you these things? and who gave you this authority to do these things?

Godbey New Testament
and they said to Him, By what authority are you doing these things? and who gave you this authority that you may do them?

Haweis New Testament
and say to him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority, that thou shouldest do these things?

Mace New Testament
and asked him, by what authority do you behave thus? and who gave you that authority?

Weymouth New Testament
and asked, "By what authority are you doing these things? and who gave you authority to do them?"

Worrell New Testament
and said to Him, "By what authority art Thou doing these things! Or who gave Thee this authority to do these things!"

Worsley New Testament
and ask Him, By what authority dost thou these things, and who gave thee this authority, to do thus?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jesus' Authority Challenged
27After their return to Jerusalem, Jesus was walking in the temple courts, and the chief priests, scribes, and elders came up to Him. 28“By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You the authority to do them?” 29“I will ask you one question,” Jesus replied, “and if you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.…

Cross References
Matthew 21:23-27
When Jesus returned to the temple courts and began to teach, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to Him. “By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You this authority?” / “I will also ask you one question,” Jesus replied, “and if you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. / What was the source of John’s baptism? Was it from heaven or from men?” They deliberated among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ ...

Luke 20:1-8
One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the gospel, the chief priests and scribes, together with the elders, came up to Him. / “Tell us,” they said, “by what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?” / “I will also ask you a question,” Jesus replied. “Tell Me: ...

John 2:18
On account of this, the Jews demanded, “What sign can You show us to prove Your authority to do these things?”

John 5:27
And He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.

John 10:24-25
So the Jews gathered around Him and demanded, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” / “I already told you,” Jesus replied, “but you did not believe. The works I do in My Father’s name testify on My behalf.

Acts 4:7
They had Peter and John brought in and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

Acts 7:27
But the man who was abusing his neighbor pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us?

Acts 22:1
“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”

Romans 13:1
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God.

1 Corinthians 9:1-2
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you yourselves not my workmanship in the Lord? / Even if I am not an apostle to others, surely I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

2 Corinthians 3:5-6
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God. / And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Ephesians 1:21
far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

Colossians 2:10
And you have been made complete in Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

Hebrews 5:4
No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was.

Exodus 2:14
But the man replied, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “This thing I have done has surely become known.”


Treasury of Scripture

And say to him, By what authority do you these things? and who gave you this authority to do these things?

Exodus 2:14
And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.

Numbers 16:3,13
And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD? …

Acts 7:27,28,38,39,51
But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? …

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Mark 11
1. Jesus rides with triumph into Jerusalem;
12. curses the fruitless fig tree;
15. purges the temple;
20. exhorts his disciples to steadfastness of faith, and to forgive their enemies;
27. and defends his actions by the witness of John, who was a man sent of God.














By what authority
The Greek word for "authority" here is "ἐξουσία" (exousia), which implies not just power but the rightful power to act. In the context of first-century Judea, authority was a significant concept, often associated with religious leaders, such as the Pharisees and Sadducees, who derived their authority from the Law of Moses and the traditions of the elders. Jesus' authority, however, was divine and inherent, not derived from human institutions. This question challenges Jesus' divine authority, which He demonstrated through His teachings and miracles, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies and revealing His identity as the Son of God.

are You doing these things?
The phrase "these things" refers to Jesus' actions in the temple, particularly His cleansing of the temple and His teachings. The religious leaders were questioning the legitimacy of His actions, which disrupted the established religious order. Historically, the temple was the center of Jewish worship and authority, and any challenge to its practices was seen as a challenge to the religious leaders' power. Jesus' actions symbolized a new covenant and a shift from the old ways, emphasizing a direct relationship with God rather than ritualistic practices.

they asked
The "they" in this context refers to the chief priests, scribes, and elders. These groups represented the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish council and court in Jerusalem. Their questioning of Jesus was not merely inquisitive but confrontational, as they sought to undermine His influence and authority among the people. This reflects the broader tension between Jesus and the religious establishment, which ultimately led to His crucifixion. Their question was a strategic attempt to trap Jesus into making a statement they could use against Him.

And who gave You the authority
This part of the question seeks to identify the source of Jesus' authority. In Jewish tradition, authority was often passed down through lineage or granted by recognized religious leaders. By asking this, the religious leaders were implying that Jesus lacked legitimate authority because He did not receive it from them. However, Jesus' authority was divine, as He was sent by God the Father. This question highlights the religious leaders' inability to recognize Jesus' divine mission and their focus on human traditions over spiritual truth.

to do them?
The "them" refers again to Jesus' actions, particularly His authoritative teaching and His cleansing of the temple. This question underscores the religious leaders' concern with maintaining control and their fear of losing influence over the people. Jesus' actions were a direct challenge to their authority and exposed the corruption and hypocrisy within the temple practices. His mission was to restore true worship and reveal the kingdom of God, which transcended the established religious order. This confrontation set the stage for the unfolding of God's redemptive plan through Jesus' death and resurrection.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
“By
Ἐν (En)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

what
ποίᾳ (poia)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4169: Of what sort. From the base of pou and hoios; individualizing interrogative what sort of, or which one.

authority
ἐξουσίᾳ (exousia)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1849: From exesti; privilege, i.e. force, capacity, competency, freedom, or mastery, delegated influence.

are You doing
ποιεῖς (poieis)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4160: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.

these things?”
ταῦτα (tauta)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

they asked.
ἔλεγον (elegon)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

“[And]
(ē)
Conjunction
Strong's 2228: Or, than. A primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than.

who
τίς (tis)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

gave
ἔδωκεν (edōken)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1325: To offer, give; I put, place. A prolonged form of a primary verb; to give.

You
σοι (soi)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

the
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

authority
ἐξουσίαν (exousian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1849: From exesti; privilege, i.e. force, capacity, competency, freedom, or mastery, delegated influence.

to
ἵνα (hina)
Conjunction
Strong's 2443: In order that, so that. Probably from the same as the former part of heautou; in order that.

do
ποιῇς (poiēs)
Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4160: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.

[them]?”
ταῦτα (tauta)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.


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NT Gospels: Mark 11:28 And they began saying to him (Mar Mk Mr)
Mark 11:27
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