Mark 11:31
in Mark 11They deliberated among themselves what they should answer: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?
KJV
And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?
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This verse in Mark 11
Commentary
10 notes on this verse(ubi sup.) And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him? As if He had said, He whom you confess to have had his prophecy from heaven bore testimony of Me, and ye have heard from him, by what authority I do these things.
This site's exposition
I will ask you one question
on Mark 11:29-33
Jesus answers with a question about John’s baptism, whether it was from heaven or from men, and either answer costs them. From heaven concedes John’s witness to Christ, and From men provokes a crowd that held that John truly was a prophet.
This site's exposition
They deliberated among themselves
Their private reasoning shows the trap. Bede explains that John, whom they would have to confess as sent from heaven, had borne witness to Jesus in their hearing. To answer from heaven was to admit they had refused both John and the one he announced.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church3 voices
They were angry with the Lord, for having cast out of the temple those who had made it a place of merchandize, and therefore they come up to Him, to question and tempt Him. Wherefore it is said: And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the Chief Priests, and the Scribes, and the elders, and say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee authority to do these things? As if they had said, Who art thou that doest these things?
But they considered among themselves, saying: If we say, from heaven, he will say to us: Why then did you not believe him? For he whom you acknowledge to have had prophecy from heaven, testified about me, and you heard from him by what authority …
Enraged that Christ had driven the money-changers out of the temple, they come to Him with the question: "By what authority do You do these things?" They were, as it were, saying to Him reproachfully: "Who are You to do this? Were You appointed as …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
This colt was borrowed too. Christ went upon the water in a borrowed boat, ate the passover in a borrowed chamber, was buried in a borrowed sepulchre, and here rode on a borrowed ass. Let not Christians scorn to be beholden one to another, and, when need is, to go a borrowing, for our Master did not.
And they reasoned with themselves saying,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
Let us observe in these verses, how much spiritual blindness may be in the hearts of those who hold high ecclesiastical office . We see "the chief priests and scribes and elders" coming to our Lord Jesus, and raising difficulties and objections in the way of His work. These men, we know, were the accredited teachers and rulers of the Jewish Church. They were regarded by the Jews as the fountain and spring-head of religious knowledge. They were, most of them, regularly ordained to the position they held, and could trace their orders by regular descent from Aaron.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
Let us observe in these verses, how much spiritual blindness may be in the hearts of those who hold high ecclesiastical office . We see "the chief priests and scribes and elders" coming to our Lord Jesus, and raising difficulties and objections in the way of His work. These men, we know, were the accredited teachers and rulers of the Jewish Church. They were regarded by the Jews as the fountain and spring-head of religious knowledge. They were, most of them, regularly ordained to the position they held, and could trace their orders by regular descent from Aaron. And yet we find these very men, at the time when they ought to have been instructors of others, full of prejudice against the truth, and bitter enemies of the Messiah! These things are written to show Christians that they must beware of depending too much on ordained men. They must not look up to ministers as Popes, or regard them as infallible. The orders of no church confer infallibility, whether they be Episcopal, Presbyterian, or Independent. Bishops, priests, and deacons, at their best, are only flesh and blood, and may err, both in doctrine and practice, as well as the chief priests and elders of the Jews. Their acts and teaching must always be tested by the word of God. They must be followed so far as they follow Scripture, and no further. There is only one Priest and Bishops of souls, who makes no mistakes. That one is the Lord Jesus Christ. In Him alone is no weakness, no failure, no shadow of infirmity. Let us learn to lean more entirely on Him. Let us "call no man father on earth," (Matt. 23:9.) So doing, we shall never be disappointed. Let us observe, in the second place, how envy and unbelief make men throw discredit on the commission of those who work for God . These chief priests and elders could not deny the reality of our Lord's miracles of mercy.
The words behind it
16 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| διελογίζοντο | dielogizonto | they were reasoning | G1260 → | 16 times |
| πρὸς | pros | with | G4314 → | 700 times |
| ἑαυτοὺς | he'autous | themselves | G1438 → | 322 times |
| λέγοντες· | legontes | saying; | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| ἐὰν | ean | If | G1437 → | 352 times |
| εἴπωμεν· | eipomen | we shall say; | G2036 → | 925 times |
| ἐξ | ex | From | G1537 → | 911 times |
| οὐρανοῦ, | ouranou | heaven, | G3772 → | 272 times |
| ἐρεῖ· | erei | He will say; | G4483 → | |
| διὰ | dia | Because of | G1223 → | 664 times |
| τί | ti | why | G5101 → | 563 times |
| οὖν | oun | then | G3767 → | 497 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἐπιστεύσατε | episteusate | did you believe | G4100 → | 237 times |
| αὐτῷ; | auto | in him? | G846 → | 5565 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
διελογίζοντοthey were reasoning
dielogizontoG1260 →16 times
πρὸςwith
prosG4314 →700 times
ἑαυτοὺςthemselves
he'autousG1438 →322 times
λέγοντες·saying;
legontesG3004 →1325 times
ἐὰνIf
eanG1437 →352 times
εἴπωμεν·we shall say;
eipomenG2036 →925 times
ἐξFrom
exG1537 →911 times
οὐρανοῦ,heaven,
ouranouG3772 →272 times
ἐρεῖ·He will say;
ereiG4483 →
διὰBecause of
diaG1223 →664 times
τίwhy
tiG5101 →563 times
οὖνthen
ounG3767 →497 times
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἐπιστεύσατεdid you believe
episteusateG4100 →237 times
αὐτῷ;in him?
autoG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
John 1:29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
it leads to
- Isaiah 53:7
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not…
- 1 John 2:2
He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
- 1 John 3:5
But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.
- 1 Peter 1:19
but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.
- 2 Corinthians 5:21
God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
- Isaiah 53:7
Through
John 1:15John testified concerning Him. He cried out, saying, “This is He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’”
it leads to
- Matthew 3:11
I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and…
- Matthew 3:11
Through
John 1:36When he saw Jesus walking by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
it leads to
- John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
- 1 Peter 1:19–20
but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.
- John 1:29
Where this verse is studied
About Mark
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bede, On the Gospel of Mark; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark.