Matthew 21:27

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Matthew 21:23-27

Our Lord Jesus (like St. Paul after him) preached his gospel with much contention; his first appearance was in a dispute with the doctors in the temple, when he was twelve years old; and here, just before he died, we have him engaged in controversy. In this sense, he was like Jeremiah, a man of contention; not striving, but striven with. The great contenders with him, were, the chief priests and the elders, the judges of two distinct courts: the chief priests presided in the ecclesiastical... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 21:23-27

21:23-27 When Jesus had come into the Temple precincts, the chief priests and elders of the people came to him as he was teaching and said, "By what authority do you do these things? And who gave you this authority?" Jesus answered them, "I will ask you one question, and if you give me an answer to it, I too will tell you by what authority I do these things. Whence was the baptism of John? Was it from heaven? Or, was it from men?" They debated within themselves. "If," they said, "we say... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 21:27

And they answered Jesus and said, we cannot tell ,.... They saw the dilemma they were brought into; they chose rather therefore to speak against their own consciences, and tell a wilful lie, and incur the reproach of ignorance: who, at other times, took upon them to judge of a prophet, whether he was a true or a false one, and by what authority he acted, whether of God, or man: but now being reduced to this wretched condition, contrary to their office and character, declare they did not... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 21:27

We cannot tell - Simplicity gives a wonderful confidence and peace of mind; but double dealing causes a thousand inquietudes and troubles. Let a man do his utmost to conceal in his own heart the evidence he has of truth and innocence, to countenance his not yielding to it; God, who sees the heart, will, in the light of the last day, produce it as a witness against him, and make it his judge. We cannot tell, said they; which, in the words of truth, should have been, We will not tell, for we... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 21:1-46

The vast multitudes who came to his baptism thereby professed faith in his teaching. Hence the general expression, "All hold John as a prophet." The defeat of Herod's army in the war with Aretas, King of Arabia, was esteemed by the Jews a judgment for the death of John (Josephus, 'Ant.,' John 18:7 ). 2 . John ' s testimony therefore should be conclusive. III. AS IT IS EVIDENT IN THE DISCOMFITURE OF HIS ENEMIES . 1 . They set up their authority against... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 21:23-27

First attack, referring to his late actions : and Christ ' s answer . read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 21:23-27

Question met by question. Perhaps we shall best gather up the lessons of this incident if we look first at the form it assumed, then at the underlying substance. I. THE FORM . 1 . The question of the rulers. 2 . The counter question of Christ. He postpones his reply to a question he desires to have answered by the rulers. II. THE SUBSTANCE . That was indeed an important question which the rulers put to Christ. If it were asked humbly and sincerely, it might be... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 21:23-32

The authority of Jesus. The "things" in reference to the doing of which this question of the authority of Jesus was raised by the chief priests and elders, were his purging the temple from the traffickers, his publicly teaching and working miracles of healing there. Mark, by more clearly placing the miracle of the withering of the fig tree in order before these things, brings them into closer connection with the passage before us. We may profitably consider the authority of Jesus— I. AS... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 21:23-40

The controversy in the temple. I. THE LORD 'S AUTHORITY CALLED IN QUESTION . 1 . The intervention of the chief priests. St. Luke tells us that they had resolved to destroy our Lord. He had now allowed himself to be saluted openly as the Christ, the Son of David. He had accepted the hosannas of the multitude in the city, in the temple itself. He had assumed a paramount authority in the temple. The chief priests regarded themselves as rulers there; the market in the court... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 21:27

We cannot tell; οὐκ οἰ ì δαμεν : 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 οἰ ì δα 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... read more

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