Matthew 21:23

When 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?”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Jesus returns to the temple courts to teach, and the chief priests and elders approach Him to demand the source of His authority. They directly question Him about the legitimacy of His actions and the one who granted Him that power.

The words — The Greek προσῆλθον (prosēlthon) literally means "came up to" or "approached," describing the religious leaders' deliberate movement toward Jesus. The participle ἐλθόντος (elthontos) denotes "when He was coming," marking the temporal trigger for the confrontation.

The thread — This challenge to religious authority recurs in Mark 11:27, where the same leaders question Jesus in the temple, and in Acts 4:7, where officials demand to know by what power Peter and John acted. The temple's priestly divisions are outlined in 1 Chronicles 24:1, providing background for the chief priests' institutional role.

Why it lands — The text forces a direct evaluation of Jesus' legitimacy against established religious structures. It requires the reader to decide whether to accept the source of His authority or reject it based on institutional approval.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?

Cross-references

Acts 4:7 They had Peter and John brought in and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
Mark 11:27 After their return to Jerusalem, Jesus was walking in the temple courts, and the chief priests, scribes, and elders came up to Him.
1 Chronicles 24:1 These were the divisions of the descendants of Aaron. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
Exodus 2:14 But the man replied, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “This thing I have done has surely become known.”
Matthew 26:55 At that time Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would an outlaw? Every day I sat teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest Me.
Luke 19:47 Jesus was teaching at the temple every day, but the chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people were intent on killing Him.
Acts 7:27 But the man who was abusing his neighbor pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us?