Mark 11:33
New International Version
So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

New Living Translation
So they finally replied, “We don’t know.” And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.”

English Standard Version
So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Berean Standard Bible
So they answered, “We do not know.” And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

Berean Literal Bible
And answering to Jesus, they say, "We do not know." And Jesus says to them, "Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things."

King James Bible
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 these things.

New King James Version
So they answered and said to Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

New American Standard Bible
Answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things.”

NASB 1995
Answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Nor will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

NASB 1977
And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Amplified Bible
So they replied to Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Christian Standard Bible
So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

American Standard Version
And they answered Jesus and say, We know not. And Jesus saith unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

Contemporary English Version
and told Jesus, "We don't know." Jesus replied, "Then I won't tell you who gave me the right to do what I do."

English Revised Version
And they answered Jesus and say, We know not. And Jesus saith unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Jesus told them, "Then I won't tell you why I have the right to do these things."

Good News Translation
So their answer to Jesus was, "We don't know." Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you, then, by what right I do these things."

International Standard Version
So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Then Jesus told them, "Then I won't tell you by what authority I'm doing these things."

Majority Standard Bible
So they answered, ?We do not know.? And Jesus replied, ?Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.?

NET Bible
So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Then Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."

New Heart English Bible
They answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know." Jesus said to them, "Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things."

Webster's Bible Translation
And they answered and said to Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith to them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Weymouth New Testament
So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." "Nor do I tell you," said Jesus, "by what authority I do these things."

World English Bible
They answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and answering they say to Jesus, “We have not known”; and Jesus answering says to them, “Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Berean Literal Bible
And answering to Jesus, they say, "We do not know." And Jesus says to them, "Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things."

Young's Literal Translation
and answering they say to Jesus, 'We have not known;' and Jesus answering saith to them, 'Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And having answered they say to Jesus, We know not. And Jesus having answered, says to them, Neither say I to you by what power I do these things.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they answering, say to Jesus: We know not. And Jesus answering, saith to them: Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And answering, they said to Jesus, “We do not know.” And in response, Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

New American Bible
So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.” Then Jesus said to them, “Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

New Revised Standard Version
So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
So they answered and said to Jesus, We do not know. He said to them, I will also not tell you by what authority I do these things.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And they answered and they were saying to Yeshua, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And they answered and said to Jesus: We do not know. And Jesus answering, said to them: Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Godbey New Testament
And responding they say to Jesus, We do not know. And Jesus says to them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

Haweis New Testament
And they answering said to Jesus, We do not know. And Jesus in reply said to them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Mace New Testament
they therefore gave Jesus this answer, we cannot tell, neither do I, said Jesus, acquaint you by what authority I act thus.

Weymouth New Testament
So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." "Nor do I tell you," said Jesus, "by what authority I do these things."

Worrell New Testament
And, answering, they say to Jesus, "We do not know." And Jesus saith to them, "Neither do I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."

Worsley New Testament
and they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus replied and said unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jesus' Authority Challenged
32But if we say, ‘From men’...” they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John truly was a prophet. 33So they answered, “We do not know.” And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

Cross References
Matthew 21:27
So they answered, “We do not know.” And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

Luke 20:8
And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

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 8:25-27
“Who are You?” they asked. “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. / “I have much to say about you and much to judge. But the One who sent Me is truthful, and what I have heard from Him, I tell the world.” / They did not understand that He was telling them about the Father.

Matthew 12:38-42
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” / Jesus replied, “A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. / For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ...

John 2:18-22
On account of this, the Jews demanded, “What sign can You show us to prove Your authority to do these things?” / Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.” / “This temple took forty-six years to build,” the Jews replied, “and You are going to raise it up in three days?” ...

Matthew 16:1-4
Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came and tested Jesus by asking Him to show them a sign from heaven. / But He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘The weather will be fair, for the sky is red,’ / and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but not the signs of the times. ...

John 10:24-26
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. / But because you are not My sheep, you refuse to believe.

Matthew 22:15-22
Then the Pharisees went out and conspired to trap Jesus in His words. / They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and that You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You seek favor from no one, because You pay no attention to external appearance. / So tell us what You think: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” ...

Acts 4:7-10
They had Peter and John brought in and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” / Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people! / If we are being examined today about a kind service to a man who was lame, to determine how he was healed, ...

Matthew 7:28-29
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, / because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

John 7:14-17
About halfway through the feast, Jesus went up to the temple courts and began to teach. / The Jews were amazed and asked, “How did this man attain such learning without having studied?” / “My teaching is not My own,” Jesus replied. “It comes from Him who sent Me. ...

Matthew 13:54-57
Coming to His hometown, He taught the people in their synagogue, and they were astonished. “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers?” they asked. / “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t His mother’s name Mary, and aren’t His brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? / Aren’t all His sisters with us as well? Where then did this man get all these things?” ...

John 12:48-50
There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not receive My words: The word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. / I have not spoken on My own, but the Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to say it. / And I know that His command leads to eternal life. So I speak exactly what the Father has told Me to say.”


Treasury of Scripture

And they answered and said to Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering said to them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

We.

Isaiah 1:3
The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

Isaiah 6:9,10
And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not…

Isaiah 29:9-14
Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink…

Neither.

Job 5:13
He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.

Proverbs 26:4,5
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him…

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 left them, and departed.

Jump to Previous
Authority Idea Jesus
Jump to Next
Authority Idea Jesus
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.














So they answered
This phrase indicates a response from the religious leaders, specifically the chief priests, scribes, and elders, who were questioning Jesus. The Greek word for "answered" is "apokrinomai," which implies a reply or response to a question or situation. In the context of the Gospels, this often reflects a dialogue where the questioners are attempting to challenge or trap Jesus. Here, their answer reveals their inability or unwillingness to commit to a stance regarding John the Baptist's authority, which Jesus had questioned them about.

'We do not know.'
The admission of ignorance, "We do not know," is significant. The Greek phrase "ouk oidamen" suggests a deliberate evasion rather than genuine ignorance. Historically, the religious leaders were well-versed in the Scriptures and the events surrounding John the Baptist. Their refusal to acknowledge John's authority as divine was a strategic move to avoid political and social repercussions. This phrase highlights their spiritual blindness and unwillingness to accept the truth, which is a recurring theme in the Gospels.

And Jesus replied
The Greek word "apokrinomai" is used again here, indicating Jesus' response to their evasion. Jesus often used questions and responses to reveal deeper truths and challenge the hearts of His listeners. His reply is not just a refusal to answer but a profound statement about the nature of authority and revelation. Jesus' responses throughout the Gospels are characterized by wisdom and insight, often turning the tables on His challengers.

'Neither will I tell you
This phrase underscores Jesus' authority and wisdom. The Greek "oude" (neither) and "lego" (tell) indicate a firm refusal. Jesus' decision not to disclose the source of His authority is a judgment on their lack of faith and understanding. It reflects a principle seen throughout Scripture: divine truth is revealed to those with open hearts and concealed from those who are obstinate or insincere.

by what authority
The concept of "authority" (Greek "exousia") is central to this passage. Authority in the biblical sense encompasses power, right, and jurisdiction. Jesus' authority was a point of contention throughout His ministry, as it challenged the established religious order. His authority was divine, rooted in His identity as the Son of God, yet the religious leaders failed to recognize it due to their hardened hearts.

I am doing these things
The phrase "I am doing" (Greek "poieo") refers to Jesus' actions, including His teaching, miracles, and cleansing of the temple. These acts were manifestations of His divine authority and mission. The religious leaders' inability to accept His authority was not due to a lack of evidence but a refusal to acknowledge the implications of His works. This highlights a broader biblical theme: the works of God are evident, but only those with faith perceive their true significance.

(33) We cannot tell.--Better, as also in Matthew 21:27, We do not know. The repetition of the verb "tell" in the English, gives an unreal emphasis which is not in the Greek. The real stress lies on the pronoun "I."

Verse 33. - We know not. They had seen the life of John. They had heard his holy and Divine teaching. They were witnesses to his death for the truth; and yet they lie. They might have said," We think it imprudent or inexpedient to say;" but for this they had not sufficient moral courage. Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. You will not answer my question; neither will I therefore answer yours; because your answer to mine is the answer to your own. "He thus shows," says St. Jerome, "that they knew, but would not answer; and that he knew, but did not speak, because they were silent as to what they knew." Our Lord did thus but mete out to them the measure which they meted to him.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
So
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

they answered
ἀποκριθέντες (apokrithentes)
Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 611: From apo and krino; to conclude for oneself, i.e. to respond; by Hebraism to begin to speak.

[Him],
Ἰησοῦ (Iēsou)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424: Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.

“We do not know.”
οἴδαμεν (oidamen)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1492: To know, remember, appreciate.

And
Καὶ (Kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

Jesus
Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424: Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.

replied,
λέγει (legei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

“Neither
Οὐδὲ (Oude)
Adverb
Strong's 3761: Neither, nor, not even, and not. From ou and de; not however, i.e. Neither, nor, not even.

{will} I
ἐγὼ (egō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

tell
λέγω (legō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

you
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

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.

I am doing
ποιῶ (poiō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st 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.


Links
Mark 11:33 NIV
Mark 11:33 NLT
Mark 11:33 ESV
Mark 11:33 NASB
Mark 11:33 KJV

Mark 11:33 BibleApps.com
Mark 11:33 Biblia Paralela
Mark 11:33 Chinese Bible
Mark 11:33 French Bible
Mark 11:33 Catholic Bible

NT Gospels: Mark 11:33 They answered Jesus We don't know (Mar Mk Mr)
Mark 11:32
Top of Page
Top of Page