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Saturday, August 2nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

Douay-Rheims Bible

Mark 11:31

But they thought with themselves, saying: If we say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did you not believe him?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Thompson Chain Reference - Reasonings;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Faith;   Holman Bible Dictionary - John;   Mark, the Gospel of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Mss;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Unbelief (2);   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Authority in Religion;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They discussed it among themselves: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’
King James Version (1611)
And they reasoned with themselues, saying, If we shall say, From heauen, he will say, Why then did ye not beleeue him?
King James Version
And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?
English Standard Version
And they discussed it with one another, saying, "If we say, ‘From heaven,' he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?'
New American Standard Bible
And they began considering the implications among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Then why did you not believe him?'
New Century Version
They argued about Jesus' question, saying, "If we answer, ‘John's baptism was from God,' Jesus will say, ‘Then why didn't you believe him?'
Amplified Bible
They began discussing it with each other, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Then why did you not believe him?'
New American Standard Bible (1995)
They began reasoning among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Then why did you not believe him?'
Legacy Standard Bible
And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, "If we say, ‘From heaven,' He will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?'
Berean Standard Bible
They deliberated among themselves what they should answer: "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will ask, 'Why then did you not believe him?'
Contemporary English Version
They thought it over and said to each other, "We can't say that God gave John this right. Jesus will ask us why we didn't believe John.
Complete Jewish Bible
They discussed it among themselves: "If we say, ‘From Heaven,' he will say, ‘Then why didn't you believe him?'
Darby Translation
And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we should say, Of heaven, he will say, Why [then] have ye not believed him?
Easy-to-Read Version
These Jewish leaders talked about Jesus' question. They said to each other, "If we answer, ‘John's baptism was from God,' then he will say, ‘Then why didn't you believe John?'
Geneva Bible (1587)
And they thought with themselues, saying, If we shall say, From heauen, he will say, Why then did ye not beleeue him?
George Lamsa Translation
And they reasoned among themselves and said, If we should say to him, from heaven, he will say to us, Why then did you not believe him?
Good News Translation
They started to argue among themselves: "What shall we say? If we answer, ‘From God,' he will say, ‘Why, then, did you not believe John?'
Lexham English Bible
And they began to discuss this with one another, saying, "What should we say? If we say ‘From heaven,' he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?'
Literal Translation
And they argued to themselves, saying, If we say, From Heaven, He will say, Why then did you not believe him?
American Standard Version
And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?
Bible in Basic English
And they gave thought to it among themselves, saying, If we say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did you not have faith in him?
Hebrew Names Version
They reasoned with themselves, saying, "If we should say, 'From heaven;' he will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'
International Standard Version
They began discussing this among themselves. "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Then why didn't you believe him?'
Etheridge Translation
And they reasoned among themselves, and said, If we say to him, that (it was) from heaven, he saith to us, And why did you not believe him ?
Murdock Translation
And they reasoned with themselves, and said: If we should say to him, From heaven; he will say to us, Why then did ye not believe him?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they reasoned with them selues, saying, yf we shall say from heauen: he wyll say, why then dyd ye not beleue hym?
English Revised Version
And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?
World English Bible
They reasoned with themselves, saying, "If we should say, 'From heaven;' he will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And they reasoned among themselves, saying, If we say, from heaven, he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?
Weymouth's New Testament
So they debated the matter with one another. "Suppose we say, `Heavenly,'" they argued, "he will ask, `Why then did you not believe him?'
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei thouyten with ynne hem silf, seiynge, If we seien of heuene, he schal seie to vs, Whi thanne bileuen ye not to him;
Update Bible Version
And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; He will say, Why then did you not believe him?
Webster's Bible Translation
And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?
New English Translation
They discussed with one another, saying, "If we say, ‘From heaven,' he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?'
New King James Version
And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, "From heaven,' He will say, "Why then did you not believe him?'
New Living Translation
They talked it over among themselves. "If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn't believe John.
New Life Bible
They talked among themselves. They said, "If we say from heaven, He will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?'
New Revised Standard
They argued with one another, "If we say, ‘From heaven,' he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?'
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And they were deliberating among themselves, saying - If we say, Of heaven, he will say, Wherefore thendid ye not believe him?
Revised Standard Version
And they argued with one another, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And they thought in them selves sayinge: yf we shall saye from heven: he will saye why then dyd ye not beleve him?
Young's Literal Translation
And they were reasoning with themselves, saying, `If we may say, From heaven, he will say, Wherefore, then, did ye not believe him?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And they thought in them selues: yf we saye, it was from heauen, then shal he saye: Why dyd ye not then beleue him?
Mace New Testament (1729)
answer me that. upon this they reasoned thus with themselves; if we should say, it was divine, he will urge, why then did you not believe him?
THE MESSAGE
They were on the spot, and knew it. They pulled back into a huddle and whispered, "If we say ‘heaven,' he'll ask us why we didn't believe John; if we say ‘humans,' we'll be up against it with the people because they all hold John up as a prophet." They decided to concede that round to Jesus. "We don't know," they said. Jesus replied, "Then I won't answer your question either."
Simplified Cowboy Version
The huddled together like squabblin' birds at a bird bath. "If we say it was from heaven, he'll ask us why didn't we believe in what John was doing.

Contextual Overview

27 And they come again to Jerusalem. And when he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests and the scribes and the ancients. 28 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? 29 And Jesus answering, said to them: I will also ask you one word. And answer you me: and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 The baptism of John, was it from heaven or from men? Answer me. 31 But they thought with themselves, saying: If we say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did you not believe him? 32 If we say, From men, we fear the people. For all men counted John that he was a prophet indeed. 33 And they answering, say to Jesus: We know not. And Jesus answering, saith to them: Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Why: Matthew 11:7-14, Matthew 21:25-27, Matthew 21:31, Matthew 21:32, John 1:15, John 1:29, John 1:34, John 1:36, John 3:29-36

Reciprocal: John 3:27 - from John 8:46 - why

Cross-References

Genesis 10:19
And the limits of Chanaan were from Sidon as one comes to Gerara even to Gaza, until thou enter Sodom and Gomorrha, and Adama, and Seboim even to Lesa.
Genesis 11:2
And when they removed from the east, they found a plain in the land of Sennaar, and dwelt in it.
Genesis 11:3
And each one said to his neighbour: Come let us make brick, and bake them with fire. And they had brick instead of stones, and slime instead of mortar:
Genesis 11:4
And they said: Come, let us make a city and a tower, the top whereof may reach to heaven; and let us make our name famous before we be scattered abroad into all lands.
Genesis 11:5
And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of Adam were building.
Genesis 11:26
And Thare lived seventy years, and begot Abram, and Nachor, and Aran.
Genesis 11:28
And Aran died before Thare his father, in the land of his nativity in Ur of the Chaldees.
Genesis 12:4
So Abram went out as the Lord had commanded him, and Lot went with him: Abram was seventy-five years old when he went forth from Haran.
Genesis 15:7
And he said to him: I am the Lord who brought thee out from Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land, and that thou mightest possess it.
Genesis 24:10
And he took ten camels of his master’s herd, and departed, carrying something of all his goods with him, and he set forward and went on to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nachor.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they reasoned with themselves saying,.... Privately; perhaps, they withdrew at a little distance for a short time, and consulted among themselves what answer to return; and the amount of their reasonings were this;

if we shall say from heaven, he will say, why then did ye not believe him? that is, should they say that John had a divine commission for what he said and did, they were aware that Christ would reply, why did not ye give credit to him? and had you done so, seeing he testified of me, you would have had no occasion to have put the above question; :-.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the notes at Matthew 20:23-27.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 31. Mark 11:27; Mark 11:27.


 
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