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John 2:18

On account of this, the Jews demanded, “What sign can You show us to prove Your authority to do these things?”

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

The Jews therefore answered and said unto him, What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?

KJV

Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?

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Commentary

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Hebraic traditional view

Why there were money-changers in the Temple

It was Passover, one of the three feasts when the Law brought all Israel to Jerusalem, and the courts were a marketplace by design: pilgrims needed animals guaranteed fit for sacrifice, and the Temple tax could not be paid in Roman coins bearing the emperor's image, so approved silver had to be exchanged. The Mishnah records the system plainly: from the 25th of the month Adar, the money-changers' tables were set up IN THE TEMPLE itself (Shekalim 1:3).

So Jesus is not objecting to a black market that snuck in; He is overturning licensed furniture, in the outer court, the one court open to the nations, and calling the whole arrangement what it had made His Father's house.

Sources: Mishnah Shekalim 1:3 (the tables in the Temple) · Exodus 30:13 (the half-shekel the changers served)

Original language & word study

14 tagged words
OriginalTransliterationMeaningWord study
ἀπεκρίθησανapekrithēsanAnsweredG611 →
οὖνounthereforeG3767 →
οἱhoitheG3588 →
ἸουδαῖοιIoudaioiJewsG2453 →
καὶkaiandG2532 →
εἶπανeipansaidG2036 →
αὐτῷ·autōto Him;G846 →
τίtiWhatG5101 →
σημεῖονsēmeionsignG4592 →
δεικνύειςdeiknueisshow YouG1166 →
ἡμῖνhēminto usG3165 →
ὅτιhotithatG3754 →
ταῦταtautathese thingsG3778 →
ποιεῖς;¶poieisYou do?G4160 →

The walk

Related verses

18 strongest cross-references

The gold bar shows how strongly the cross-reference sources tie the two verses together: a long bar means many compiled references make the connection, a short one means few.

1 Corinthians 1:22Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom,Matthew 12:38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”Exodus 7:9“When Pharaoh tells you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ you are to say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a serpent.”Luke 11:29As the crowds were increasing, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.John 4:48Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.”John 6:30So they asked Him, “What sign then will You perform, so that we may see it and believe You? What will You do?Matthew 21:23When 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?”Mark 11:27–28After their return to Jerusalem, Jesus was walking in the temple courts, and the chief priests, scribes, and elders came up to Him.Mark 8:11Then the Pharisees came and began to argue with Jesus, testing Him by demanding from Him a sign from heaven.1 Kings 13:3That day the man of God gave a sign, saying, “The LORD has spoken this sign: ‘Surely the altar will be split apart, and the ashes upon it will be poured out.’”Luke 20:2“Tell us,” they said, “by what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?”Matthew 16:1–4Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came and tested Jesus by asking Him to show them a sign from heaven.Acts 4:7They had Peter and John brought in and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”Acts 5:28“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us responsible for this man’s blood.”John 1:25asked him, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”Luke 20:1–2One 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.Matthew 21:10When Jesus had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”Matthew 12:38–42Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”

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