MARK 11:28 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=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) They asked Yeshua, “Do you have any authority to do what you did? If so, who gave it to you?”

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, cyan:dative/indirect object.
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).

ULT And they were saying to him, “By what authority do you do these things, or who gave you this authority, so that you might do these things?”

UST They asked him, “In what way did someone authorize you to do what you have done? Who was it that authorized you to do those things?”

BSB “By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “[And] who gave You the authority to do [them]?”

MSB “By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And[fn] who gave You the authority to do [them]?”

BLB And they were saying to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things? Or who gave You this authority, that You should do these things?"

AICNT And they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do them?”

OEB ‘What authority have you to do these things?’ they said. ‘Who gave you the authority to do them?’

WEBBE and they began saying to him, “By what authority do you do these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?”

WMBB (Same as above)

NET and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?”

LSV and they say to Him, “By what authority do You do these things? And who gave You this authority that You may do these things?”

FBV “By what authority are you doing all this?” they demanded. “Who gave you the right?”

TCNT and said to him, “By what authority are yoʋ doing these things? [fn]And who gave yoʋ this authority to do them?”

11:28 And ¦ Or ANT CT

T4T “By what authority are you doing these things? Who authorized you to do things like those you did here yesterday?”

LEB and said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority that you do these things?”

BBE And they said to him, By what authority do you do these things? or who gave you authority to do these things?

Moff and asked him, "What authority have you for acting in this way? Who gave you authority to act in this way?"

Wymth and asked, "By what authority are you doing these things? and who gave you authority to do them?"

ASV and they said unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? or who gave thee this authority to do these things?

DRA And they say to him: By what authority dost thou these things? and who hath given thee this authority that thou shouldst do these things?

YLT and they say to him, 'By what authority dost thou these things? and who gave thee this authority that these things thou mayest do?'

Drby and they say to him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority, that thou shouldest do these things?

RV and they said unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? or who gave thee this authority to do these things?
(and they said unto him, By what authority dost/do thou/you these things? or who gave thee/you this authority to do these things? )

SLT And say to him, By what power doest thou these things? and who gave thee this power that thou doest these things?

Wbstr And say to him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?

KJB-1769 And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?
(And say unto him, By what authority dost/do thou/you these things? and who gave thee/you this authority to do these things? )

KJB-1611 And say vnto him, By what authoritie doest thou these things? and who gaue thee this authority to doe these things?
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps And say vnto him: By what auctoritie doest thou these thynges? & who gaue thee this auctoritie, to do these thynges?
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Gnva And said vnto him, By what authoritie doest thou these things? and who gaue thee this authoritie, that thou shouldest doe these things?
(And said unto him, By what authority dost/do thou/you these things? and who gave thee/you this authority, that thou/you shouldest/should do these things? )

Cvdl and sayde vnto him: By what auctorite dost thou these thinges? and who gaue the this auctorite to do soch?
(and said unto him: By what authority dost/do thou/you these things? and who gave the this authority to do soch?)

TNT and sayd vnto him: by what auctorite doest thou these thinges? and who gave the this auctorite to do these thinges?
(and said unto him: by what authority dost/do thou/you these things? and who gave the this authority to do these things? )

Wycl and seyn to hym, In what power doist thou these thingis? or who yaf to thee this power, that thou do these thingis?
(and seen to him, In what power dost/do thou/you these things? or who gave to thee/you this power, that thou/you do these things?)

Luth und sprachen zu ihm: Aus was für Macht tust du das, und wer hat dir die Macht gegeben, daß du solches tust?
(and said to/for him: Out_of what/which for/in_favour_of power(n) do/act you(sg) this/that, and who has you/to_you(sg) the power(n) given, that you(sg) such do/act?)

ClVg et dicunt ei: In qua potestate hæc facis? et quis dedit tibi hanc potestatem ut ista facias?[fn]
(and they_say to_him: In which power these_things you_do? and who/any he_gave to_you this power as these_(ones) do? )

11.28 In qua potestate. De Dei dubitant potestate, et volunt subintelligi diaboli esse quod facit.

11.28 In which power. From/About of_God dubitant power, and they_want subintelligi devils to_be that he_does.

UGNT καὶ ἔλεγον αὐτῷ, ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιεῖς? ἢ, τίς σοι ἔδωκεν τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην, ἵνα ταῦτα ποιῇς?
(kai elegon autōi, en poia exousia tauta poieis? aʸ, tis soi edōken taʸn exousian tautaʸn, hina tauta poiaʸs?)

SBL-GNT καὶ ⸀ἔλεγον αὐτῷ· Ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιεῖς; ⸀ἢ τίς σοι ⸂ἔδωκεν τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην⸃ ἵνα ταῦτα ποιῇς;
(kai ⸀elegon autōi; En poia exousia tauta poieis; ⸀aʸ tis soi ⸂edōken taʸn exousian tautaʸn⸃ hina tauta poiaʸs;)

RP-GNT καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ, Ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιεῖς; Καὶ τίς σοι τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην ἔδωκεν ἵνα ταῦτα ποιῇς;
(kai legousin autōi, En poia exousia tauta poieis; Kai tis soi taʸn exousian tautaʸn edōken hina tauta poiaʸs;)

TC-GNT καὶ [fn]λέγουσιν αὐτῷ, Ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιεῖς; [fn]Καὶ τίς σοι [fn]τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην ἔδωκεν ἵνα ταῦτα ποιῇς;
(kai legousin autōi, En poia exousia tauta poieis; Kai tis soi taʸn exousian tautaʸn edōken hina tauta poiaʸs; )

11:28 λεγουσιν ¦ ελεγον CT

11:28 και ¦ η ANT CT

11:28 την εξουσιαν ταυτην εδωκεν ¦ εδωκε την εξουσιαν ταυτην ANT CT

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

SOTN SIL Open Translation Notes:

Section 11:27–33: The Jewish leaders challenged Jesus’ authority

Jesus and his disciples arrived in Jerusalem for the third time in three days. This time the Jewish leaders confronted him directly. They questioned Jesus about his right to do the things he had been doing. They did not believe that God had authorized Jesus to do and say what he did.

Jesus responded by asking the Jewish leaders a question. He asked them who gave John the Baptist his authority. The Jewish leaders did not want to answer Jesus’ question. If they answered, they would either appear to agree that God had sent John the Baptist or show that they did not believe that God sent him. So they refused to answer. Jesus then refused to answer their question, because he knew that they would not accept his answer.

It is good to translate this section before you decide on a heading for it.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

The Authority of Jesus (NET)

A Question about Jesus’ Authority (CEV)

Leaders Doubt Jesus’ Authority (NCV)

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

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 21:23–27 and Luke 20:1–8.

11:28a–b

“By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You the authority to do them?”: These two questions have almost the same meaning. The Jewish leaders asked Jesus these questions in order to challenge his authority. They did not believe that God had authorized him to do what he was doing. So by their questions they were implying that God had not sent him. They used two questions to emphasize this challenge.

If it is not natural in your language to ask about Jesus’ authority in two different ways, you may want to combine these questions. For example:

Who told you that you could do these things?

Who authorized you to speak and act like this? (the Message version)

11:28a

“By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked.

“What right/permission do you have to do the things you have done?” they asked.
They said to him, “What authority do you have to do these things? (NCV)
They demanded that he tell them what authority he had for doing the things he had done,

By what authority: The phrase By what authority means “What right/permission do you have to…?” This question suggests that Jesus needed to have permission to do what he did. It implies that he needed permission from someone who was more important than he was.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

What gives you the right…? (GW)

What right do you have…? (CEV)

authority: The word authority refers to the moral or legal right to do something. This word also occurs in 1:22b and 10:42b–c.

doing these things: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as doing these things refers to the things that Jesus had been saying and doing. It may refer specifically to what Jesus said and did when he chased the customers, merchants and people who exchanged money out of the temple courtyard. It may refer to everything that Jesus had done and taught in the preceding few days. Or it may refer to everything Jesus had said and done throughout his ministry. Try to translate in a way that allows for all these possibilities. For example:

the things that you have said and done

Be careful that your translation of this question does not refer to what Jesus was doing when they approached him (11:27b). They were not asking him what authority he had to walk in the temple area.

they asked: The BSB places the words they asked in the middle of the two questions. In Greek, these words occur at the beginning of 11:28. Place the words they asked where it is natural in your language.

11:28b

“And who gave You the authority to do them?”

“Who gave you the authority to say and do all this?”
Who sent you with this kind of authority?”
and who had given him the right to do it.

And: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as And connects the two questions in 11:28a and 11:28b. These questions have almost the same meaning. Some versions, including the GNT, do not use a conjunction here. Connect the questions in a natural way in your language.

who gave You the authority to do them?: This question is similar to the question in 11:28a. They wanted Jesus to say whether God or some human authority had given him the right to speak and act as he had been doing. The leaders themselves did not actually believe that anyone had given Jesus such a right.

Here is another possible way to translate this question:

Who sent you with this kind of authority?

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιεῖς? ἢ, τίς σοι ἔδωκεν τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην, ἵνα ταῦτα ποιῇς

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἔλεγον αὐτῷ Ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιεῖς Ἤ τίς σοί ἔδωκεν τήν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην ἵνα ταῦτα ποιῇς)

The question By what authority do you do these things and the question who gave you this authority, so that you might do these things could: (1) be two separate questions, the first asking about the nature of the authority and the second about who gave it to Jesus. Alternate translation: [By what kind of authority do you do these things, or who is the one who gave you this authority, so that you might do these things] (2) both have the same meaning and be asked together to strongly question Jesus’ authority. If you choose this option, and if it would be helpful in your language, you could combine these two questions into one question. Alternate translation: [Who was it who gave you the authority to do these things]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιεῖς? ἢ, τίς σοι ἔδωκεν τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of authority, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [How are you empowered to do these things, and who empowered you in this way]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular

ποιεῖς & σοι & ποιῇς

˱you˲_˓are˒_doing & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἔλεγον αὐτῷ Ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιεῖς Ἤ τίς σοί ἔδωκεν τήν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην ἵνα ταῦτα ποιῇς)

Because the Jewish leaders are speaking to Jesus, the word you throughout this verse is singular.

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ταῦτα ποιεῖς & ταῦτα ποιῇς

these_‹things› ˱you˲_˓are˒_doing & these_‹things› ˱you˲_˓may_be˒_doing

In both places, the phrase these things refers to what Jesus has done since he arrived in Jerusalem, including driving people out of the temple, healing people, and teaching. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make that idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [do you teach, heal, and drive people out of the temple … you teach, heal, and drive people out of the temple]

Note 5 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

ἢ

Here, the word or introduces another similar question. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces a related question, or you could leave or untranslated. Alternate translation: [and] or [or again,]

Parallel MARK 11:28

Section 11:27–33: The Jewish leaders challenged Jesus’ authority

11:28a–b

11:28a

11:28b