Matthew 21:24

24 And Jesus answered [and] said to them, "I also will ask you one question. If you tell [the answer] to me, I also will tell you by what authority I am doing these [things].

Matthew 21:24 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 21:24

And Jesus answered and said unto them
Not by replying directly to their question, but by putting another question to them, whereby he escaped the snare he saw they laid for him:

I also will ask you one thing,
word, or question,

which if ye tell me;
honestly, and plainly answer to it,

I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:
which was putting the thing upon such a foot, and in such a form, as they could not well object to; for Christ promises, that if they would return a plain answer to the question he had to put to them, and which was no unreasonable, nor impertinent one, he would thoroughly satisfy them in this point; and expressly declare his commission and authority, what it was, and from whence he had it. The question is as follows:

Matthew 21:24 In-Context

22 And whatever you ask in prayer, [if you] believe, you will receive."

23 And [after] he arrived at the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him [while he] was teaching, saying, "By what authority are you doing these [things]? And who gave you this authority?"

24 And Jesus answered [and] said to them, "I also will ask you one question. If you tell [the answer] to me, I also will tell you by what authority I am doing these [things].

25 From where was the baptism of John--from heaven or from men?" And they began to discuss [this] among themselves, saying, "If we say 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'

26 But if we say, 'From men,' we are afraid of the crowd, because they all look upon John as a prophet."

Footnotes

• [a]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("answered") has been translated as a finite verb
• [b]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation