Luke 20:3

And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing; and answer me:

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

20:1-8 Men often pretend to examine the evidences of revelation, and the truth of the gospel, when only seeking excuses for their own unbelief and disobedience. Christ answered these priests and scribes with a plain question about the baptism of John, which the common people could answer. They all knew it was from heaven, nothing in it had an earthly tendency. Those that bury the knowledge they have, are justly denied further knowledge. It was just with Christ to refuse to give account of his authority, to those who knew the baptism of John to be from heaven, yet would not believe in him, nor own their knowledge.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See this passage explained in the notes at Matthew 21:23-27.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2. these things—particularly the clearing of the temple.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Ver. 3-8. See Poole on "Matthew 21:24", and following verses to Matthew 21:27. See Poole on "Mark 11:29", and following verses to Mark 11:33. The substance of our Saviour’s answer is this: From whence had John his authority? He preached and baptized; who gave him his authority? They had sent much such another message to John, John 1:19-22. Was John’s authority ordinary or extraordinary? It is plain that he had no authority from them, for then they would not have sent to him to know who he was. He must therefore have it from heaven. Now if they had allowed John’s call extraordinary, why should not they allow Christ’s to be such, to whom John gave so large a testimony, and who confirmed his extraordinary mission by miraculous operations, which we do not read that John ever did? Besides, the Pharisees saw that if they allowed John’s mission to be extraordinary, and from heaven, they had obviously exposed themselves to a check for not believing what he said; they therefore refuse to make any answer, and Christ refuseth also to satisfy them.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And he answered and said unto them,.... That is, Jesus replied to them, as the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Persic versions express it:

I will also ask you one thing, and answer me; when he also promised, that if they would give him an answer to his question, he would satisfy them in the point they interrogated him about: and as this was a prudent decline to avoid the snare they laid for him, so it was not an impertinent reply to them; since it led on to a proper answer to their question, as appears by the case proposed; See Gill on Matthew 21:24.

Geneva Study Bible

And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing; and answer me:

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 20:3. λόγον: without the ἕνα of the parallels. Vide notes there.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

3. I will also ask you one thing] Rather, a question. The divine readiness and (if we may be allowed the expression) presence of mind of Jesus was most conspicuously shewn on this perilous day and the next day.

and answer me] We see from St Mark (Luke 11:30) that this emphatic expression came after His question—as though to hasten their delay, and break up a whispered colloquy of perplexity.

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 20:3. Εἴπατε, tell ye Me) Answering to Εἶπον ἡμῖν, tell us, in Luke 20:2.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 3-6. - And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing; and answer me: The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men! And they reasoned with themselves saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not? But and if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us: for they be persuaded that John was a prophet. The reply of Jesus was one of strange wisdom. He - Jesus - as was well known, had been introduced to the people by this very John. If the Sanhedrin acknowledged John the Baptist as a divinely accredited messenger, then surely they could not question the claims of one borne special witness to by him, brought forward and introduced to public notice by him! If, on the other hand, the Sanhedrin refused to acknowledge the authority of John as a Heaven-sent messenger, which would have been the course they would have preferred, then the popularity and influence of the Sanhedrin would have been sorely imperilled, for the people generally held firmly that John the Baptist was really a prophet of the Lord. They even feared - as we read, "All the people will stone us" - personal violence on the part of the people whose favour they so zealously courted. Luke 20:3