Matthew Chapter 21 verse 27 Holy Bible
And they answered Jesus, and said, We know not. He also said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
read chapter 21 in ASV
And they made answer and said, We have no idea. Then he said to them, And I will not say to you by what authority I do these things.
read chapter 21 in BBE
And answering Jesus they said, We do not know. *He* also said to them, Neither do *I* tell you by what authority I do these things.
read chapter 21 in DARBY
And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
read chapter 21 in KJV
read chapter 21 in WBT
They answered Jesus, and said, "We don't know." He also said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
read chapter 21 in WEB
And answering Jesus they said, `We have not known.' He said to them -- he also -- `Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.
read chapter 21 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 27. - We cannot tell; οὐκ οἴδαμεν: we know not; Vulgate, nescimus. The Authorized Version seems, at first sight, to be intended to give a false emphasis to "tell" in Christ's answer; but our translators often render the verb οἴδα in this way (see John 3:8; John 8:14; John 16:18; 2 Corinthians 12:2). The questioners could find no way out of the dilemma in which Christ's unerring wisdom had placed them. Their evasive answer was a confession of defeat, and that in the presence of the gaping crowd who stood around listening to the conversation. They had every opportunity of judging the character of John's mission and that of Christ; it was their duty to form an opinion and to pronounce a verdict on such claims; and yet they, the leaders and teachers of Israel, for fear of compromising themselves, evade the obligation, refuse to solve or even to entertain the question, and, like a modern agnostic, content themselves with a profession of ignorance. Many people, to avoid looking a disagreeable truth in the face, respond to all appeals with the stereotyped phrase, "We cannot tell." F.M. appositely quotes the comment of Donatus on Terent., 'Eunuch.,' 5:4, 31, "Perturbatur Parmeno; nec negare potuit, nec consentire volebat; sed quasi defensionis loco dixit, Nescio." And he said unto them; ἔφη αὐτοῖς καὶ αὐτός: he also said unto them. The Lord answers the thought which had dictated their words to him. Neither tell I you, etc. With such double-minded men, who could give no clear decision concerning the mission of such a one as John the Baptist, it would be mere waste of words to argue further. They would not accept his testimony, and recognizing their malice and perversity, he declined to instruct them further. "Christ shows," says Jerome, "that they knew and were unwilling to answer; and that he knew, but held his peace, because they refused to utter what they well knew."
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(27) We cannot tell.--The confession of impotence to which the priests and scribes were thus brought was, as has been said, a virtual abdication. Before such a tribunal the Prophet whom they called in question might well refuse to plead. There was, indeed, no need to answer. For those who were not wilfully blind and deaf, the words that He had spoken, the works which He had done, the sinless life which He had led, were proofs of an authority from God.
