Luke 20:2

20:2 By what authority are you doing all these things? Since these groups were the recognized Jewish authorities in Jerusalem, they wanted to know how Jesus could claim authority to enter Jerusalem as a king and drive the merchants from the Temple.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Luk 20:2 . εἰπὸν ἡμῖν : peculiar to Lk., makes the question pointed. ταῦτα ought to refer to the preaching, not to the cleansing of the temple, which in Lk. is very slightly noticed. τίς ἐστιν , etc.: a direct question introduced by ἢ , not dependent on εἰπὸν , not altogether distinct from the first question; an alternative form putting it more specifically and more pointedly than in parallels = who is it that gives, who can it be? Authority everything for the interrogants. Every Rabbi had his diploma, every priest his ordination (Farrar).

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 2. By what authority, &c.] See Clarke's notes on Mt 21:23-27.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(2) Tell us, by what authority . . .?—The form of the question is nearly identical in the three Gospels.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2. by what authority] Rather, by what kind of authority. The implication is ‘you are only called a Rabbi by courtesyyou are not a ‘pupil of the wise you are not a priest, or a scribe, or a political functionary. Yet you usurp functions which rather belong to Caiaphas, or the President of the Sanhedrin, or the Romans, or Herod. If you act as a Prophet shew us a sign. Practically it was the old taunt by which he had been grieved in Galilee (Mat_12:39; Mat_16:4).

who is he that gave thee this authority?] Every recognised Rabbi had received his diploma; every Priest his ordination.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And spoke unto him, saying, tell us by what authority doest thou these things?.... The Arabic and Ethiopic versions read, "this thing"; as if the sanhedrim only referred to his preaching the Gospel, which is mentioned in the preceding verse, and was what he was about when they came to him: but the Persic version reads, "all these things"; not only preaching, but working miracles; and particularly driving the buyers and sellers out of the temple, which especially affected them, they losing their rents thereby:

or who is he that gave thee this authority? God or man? See Gill on Mat 21:23.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

2 And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?

Ver. 2. {See Trapp on "Mat 21:23"} See Mar 11:27.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Authority? By what authority do you make yourself a teacher of the people, a censor of the priests, a reformer of the laws and customs? If Jesus Christ had not publicly given undeniable proofs of his mission, by his miracles, the Pharisees would have had a right to demand an answer to this question; but, after what had been done in their own sight, it was no longer excusable to oppose the preaching of the Son of God. (Calmet) --- Our Saviour himself teaches, that if he had not proved the divinity of his mission by his doctrine and works, it had been no sin to disbelieve or reject him. (John v. 31. and 36. and also x. 25, 37, and xv. 22, 24.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

2. ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ. ‘By what kind of authority.’ The implication is ‘you are only called a Rabbi by courtesy;’ you are not a ‘pupil of the wise;’ you are not a priest, or a scribe, or a political functionary. Yet you usurp functions which rather belong to Caiaphas, or the President of the Sanhedrin, or the Romans, or Herod. If you act as a Prophet shew us a sign. Practically it was the old taunt by which He had been grieved in Galilee (Mat 12:39; Mat 16:4).

ὁ δούς. Every recognised Rabbi had received his diploma; every Priest his ordination.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2.] ἤ—or (to speak more definitely).

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2. ἐν ποίᾳ … ποιεῖς; So in all three. The two questions are not identical; nor is the second a mere explanation of the first. It anticipates the reply, “By the Messiah’s authority,” with another question, “Who made Thee Messiah?” They ask by what kind of authority, human or Divine, ecclesiastical or civil, assumed or conferred, He acts. They refer not merely to His teaching, but also to His cleansing the temple, as ποιεῖς shows. On the first occasion they had asked for a σημεῖον as a guarantee for the lawfulness of His ποιεῖν (Joh 2:18). They do not venture to do more than question Him, for they know that the feeling and conscience of the people are with Him for putting down their extortionate and profane traffic, for His teaching, and for His works of healing. This was the one point where He seemed to be vulnerable. “For there was no principle more firmly established by universal consent than that authoritative teaching required previous authorization,” because all such teaching was traditional (Edersh. L. & T. 2. p. 381). For ἐν ἐξουσσίᾳ see on 4:32.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.