LUKE 20:4 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=minor/spelling Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) “When Yohan immersed people, was he instructed from heaven or was it just some person’s idea?”

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, pink:genitive/possessor.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

UST about John baptizing people: Did God command him to baptize or did humans command him?”

AICNT Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?”

OEB It is about John’s baptism – was it of divine or of human origin?’

WEBBE the baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?”

WMBB the immersion of Yochanan, was it from heaven, or from men?”

NET John’s baptism – was it from heaven or from people?”

LSV the immersion of John, was it from Heaven, or from men?”

FBV the baptism of John—was it from heaven, or was it just human?”

TCNT Did John's authority to baptize come from heaven or from men?”

T4T where did John the Baptizer get his authority to baptize those who came to him? Did he get it from God [MTY/EUP] or from people?”

LEB The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?

BBE The baptism of John, was it from heaven or of men?

Moff did the baptism of John come from heaven or from men?"

Wymth "was John's baptism of Heavenly or of human origin?"

ASV The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?

DRA The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?

YLT the baptism of John, from heaven was it, or from men?'

Drby The baptism of John, was it of heaven or of men?

RV The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?

SLT Was the immersion of John of heaven, or of men.

Wbstr The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?

KJB-1769 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?

KJB-1611 The Baptisme of Iohn, was it from heauen, or of men?
(The Baptisme of Yohn, was it from heaven, or of men?)

Bshps The baptisme of Iohn, was it from heauen, or of men?
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Gnva The baptisme of Iohn, was it from heauen, or of men?
(The baptism of Yohn, was it from heaven, or of men? )

Cvdl The baptyme of Iho was it from heauen, or of men?
(The baptism of Iho was it from heaven, or of men?)

TNT The baptyme of Iohn: was it from heaven or of men?
(The baptism of Yohn: was it from heaven or of men? )

Wycl Was the baptym of Joon of heuene, or of men?
(Was the baptism of Yohn of heaven, or of men?)

Luth Die Taufe des Johannes, war sie vom Himmel oder von Menschen?
(The Taufe the Yohannes, what/which they/she/them from_the heaven or from people?)

ClVg baptismus Joannis de cælo erat, an ex hominibus?[fn]
(baptismus Yoannis from/about the_sky was, an from to_humans? )

20.4 Baptismus Joannis, etc. Quem confitemini de cœlo habuisse prophetiam mihi perhibuit testimonium, et ab illo audistis in qua potestate ego faciam. Quod illi intelligentes, dubitant quid debeant respondere. Neque ego, etc. Propter duas causas veritas quærentibus est abscondenda. Vel, quia minus capaces sunt ad audiendum; unde dicitur: Multa habeo vobis dicere, sed non potestis portare modo Joan. 16.. Vel quia ex odio et contemptu quærunt; unde dicitur: Nolite sanctum dare canibus Matth. 7..

20.4 Baptismus Yoannis, etc. Which confess from/about sky to_have_had prophecy to_me perhibuit testimony, and away that/there you_heard in/into/on which power I I_will_do. That them intelligent, dubitant what they_should to_answer. Neither I, etc. Because two causes the_truth to_the_seekerbus it_is abscondenda. Or, because minus capaces are to to_be_heard; from_where/who it_is_said: Many I_have to_you(pl) to_say, but not/no can_you to_carry just/only Yohan 16.. Or because from hate and contemptu they_seek; from_where/who it_is_said: Don't holy dare dogs Matth. 7..

UGNT τὸ βάπτισμα Ἰωάννου, ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἦν ἢ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων?
(to baptisma Yōannou, ex ouranou aʸn aʸ ex anthrōpōn?)

SBL-GNT Τὸ βάπτισμα Ἰωάννου ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἦν ἢ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων;
(To baptisma Yōannou ex ouranou aʸn aʸ ex anthrōpōn;)

RP-GNT Τὸ βάπτισμα Ἰωάννου ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἦν, ἢ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων;
(To baptisma Yōannou ex ouranou aʸn, aʸ ex anthrōpōn;)

TC-GNT Τὸ βάπτισμα [fn]Ἰωάννου ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἦν, ἢ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων;
(To baptisma Yōannou ex ouranou aʸn, aʸ ex anthrōpōn; )

20:4 ιωαννου ¦ ιωανου WH

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 20:1–8: The Jewish leaders challenged Jesus’ authority

In this paragraph the Jewish leaders asked Jesus what authority he had to do the things that he had been doing. They implied by their question in 20:2 that God had not authorized Jesus to do and say what he did.

Jesus replied by asking the leaders who gave John the Baptizer his authority. His question implied that both he and John got their authority from God. The leaders did not want to admit that God had given John his authority, because they did not believe John’s teaching. But they did not want to say that his authority was only from human beings, because they were afraid that the people would stone them. So they said that they did not know where John’s authority came from.

Because the leaders refused to say what they believed about John, Jesus also said that he would not tell them about his own authority. He knew that they would not accept his answer, because they were questioning him with evil motives. However, in Section 20:9–19, he revealed the answer in a parable.

Examples of headings for this section are:

The Authority of Jesus Questioned (NIV)

The Jewish leaders did not believe that Jesus came with God’s authority

Jewish Leaders Question Jesus (NCV)

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 21:23–27 and Mark 11:27–33.

20:4

John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or from men?”

Did John get the authority to baptize from heaven or from people?”
John’s right to baptize people. Did John get that right from God in heaven or from people?”
He asked them if God had sent John to baptize people or if a human being sent him.

John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or from men?: This question means, “Who gave John the authority to baptize people? Did God give it to him or did men give it to him?” The question or from men expresses a general meaning like “was it a human idea (in contrast to an idea from God)?”Nolland (p. 944) says, “Did John’s baptism come from God or was it merely a human matter? If it was from God, then questions of authorization rather lose their point; if it was only a human matter, then authorization through even the best channels of religious authorization could not legitimate what presented itself falsely as a decisive prophetic act.” The answer could be that John himself decided to baptize or that other people sent him to do it. Here is another way to translate this:

Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin? (NRSV)

The BSB, like the Greek text, has placed the phrase John’s baptism at the beginning of the question. This emphasizes it as the new topic.

Some other ways to translate this question are:

…did John’s right to baptize come from God or from human beings? (GNT)

Who gave John the right to baptize? Was it God in heaven or merely some human being? (CEV)

Notice that the CEV example uses two questions. Translate this verse in a natural way in your language.

John’s baptism: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as John’s baptism refers to John’s practice of baptizing people. In this context baptism refers to a ceremonial washing to purify people from sin. It was an initiation that marked the beginning of the baptized person’s life as one of God’s purified people.

Some ways to translate the phrase John’s baptism are:

As a descriptive term. For example:
ritual washing that John gave people
John purified/initiated people
Use a term for a similar ritual that is already used in your culture. You may need to indicate that in this context it has a special connection with God. For example:
When John purified people with God’s ceremonial bath
John’s washing people in God’s initiation water
Use a term that is already accepted by the local churches. In some areas this term may have been borrowed from the national language or transliterated from Greek or English. For example:
John baptized people

See how you translated baptism in 3:3. See also baptize, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.

from heaven: In this context the phrase from heaven means “from God.” The Jews often referred indirectly to God in order to show their great respect for his name.

See heaven, Meaning 3, in the Glossary.

from men: The phrase from men means “from people” or “from a human source.” In this context it is in contrast to “from heaven/God.”

General Comment on 20:3–4

The Greek words that the BSB translates as “Tell me” occur at the end of 20:3. In some languages it may be more natural to place them at the end of 20:4. For example:

³He replied, “I will also ask you a question, ⁴‘Was John’s baptism from heaven, or from men?’ ³Tell me.”

In other languages it may be more natural to leave these words implied. For example:

³Jesus replied, “I want to ask you a question. ⁴Who gave John the right to baptize? Was it God in heaven or merely some human being?” (CEV)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

τὸ βάπτισμα Ἰωάννου, ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἦν ἢ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων?

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: τό βάπτισμα Ἰωάννου ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἦν ἤ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων)

Jesus knows that John’s authority came from God, so he is not asking the Jewish leaders for information. However, this is not a rhetorical question that could be translated as a statement, for example, “Surely you must admit that God, not people, gave John the authority to baptize.” This is an actual question that Jesus wants the Jewish leaders to try to answer, because he knows that either way they answer, they will have a problem. So his words should be translated as a question. Alternate translation: [Was it God who told John to baptize people, or did people tell him to do it?]

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / euphemism

ἐξ οὐρανοῦ

from heaven

In order to honor the commandment not to misuse God’s name, Jewish people often avoided saying the word “God” and used the word heaven instead. That seems to be what Jesus is doing here. Alternate translation: [from God]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

ἀνθρώπων

humans

Here Jesus is using the term men in a generic sense that includes all people. Alternate translation: [people]

Parallel LUKE 20:4

Section 20:1–8: The Jewish leaders challenged Jesus’ authority

20:4

General Comment on 20:3–4