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Monday, September 22nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
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Updated Bible Version

Luke 20:4

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

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Baptism;   Instruction;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Heal, Health;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Capital Punishment;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Consciousness;   Liberty (2);   Organization (2);   Questions and Answers;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
was the baptism of John from heaven or of human origin?”
King James Version (1611)
The Baptisme of Iohn, was it from heauen, or of men?
King James Version
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?
English Standard Version
was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?"
New American Standard Bible
"Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?"
New Century Version
When John baptized people, was that authority from God or just from other people?"
Amplified Bible
"The baptism of John [the Baptist]—was it from heaven [that is, ordained by God] or from men?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?"
Legacy Standard Bible
Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?"
Berean Standard Bible
John's baptism-was it from heaven, or from men?"
Contemporary English Version
Who gave John the right to baptize? Was it God in heaven or merely some human being?"
Complete Jewish Bible
the immersion of Yochanan — was it from Heaven or from a human source?"
Darby Translation
The baptism of John, was it of heaven or of men?
Easy-to-Read Version
When John baptized people, did his authority come from God or was it only from other people?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
The baptisme of Iohn, was it from heauen, or of men?
George Lamsa Translation
The baptism of John, was it from heaven or from men?
Good News Translation
did John's right to baptize come from God or from human beings?"
Lexham English Bible
The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?
Literal Translation
The baptism of John, was it from Heaven, or from men?
American Standard Version
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?
Bible in Basic English
The baptism of John, was it from heaven or of men?
Hebrew Names Version
the immersion of Yochanan, was it from heaven, or from men?"
International Standard Version
Was John's authority to baptizeJohn's baptism
">[fn] from heaven or from humans?"
Etheridge Translation
the baptism of Juchanon, from heaven was it, or from the sons of men ?
Murdock Translation
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The baptisme of Iohn, was it from heauen, or of men?
English Revised Version
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?
World English Bible
the baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?"
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And they reasoned among themselves,
Weymouth's New Testament
"was John's baptism of Heavenly or of human origin?"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Was the baptym of Joon of heuene, or of men?
Webster's Bible Translation
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?
New English Translation
John's baptism—was it from heaven or from people?"
New King James Version
The baptism of John--was it from heaven or from men?"
New Living Translation
"Did John's authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?"
New Life Bible
Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?"
New Revised Standard
Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The immersion of John, Of heaven, was it, or of men?
Douay-Rheims Bible
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?
Revised Standard Version
Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?"
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
The baptyme of Iohn: was it from heaven or of men?
Young's Literal Translation
the baptism of John, from heaven was it, or from men?'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The baptyme of Iho was it from heauen, or of men?
Mace New Testament (1729)
tell me, the baptism of John, was it a divine or a human institution?
Simplified Cowboy Version
did John baptize because the Boss told him to or was it just something he came up with on his own?"

Contextual Overview

1 And it came to pass, on one of the days, as he was teaching the people in the temple, and preaching the gospel, there came on him the chief priests and the scribes with the elders; 2 and they spoke, saying to him, Tell us: By what authority do you do these things? or who is he that gave you this authority? 3 And he answered and said to them, I also will ask you a question; and tell me: 4 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men? 5 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why didn't you believe him? 6 But if we shall say, From men; all the people will stone us: for they are persuaded that John was a prophet. 7 And they answered, that they didn't know from where [it was]. 8 And Jesus said to them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

baptism: Luke 7:28-35, Matthew 11:7-19, Matthew 17:11, Matthew 17:12, Matthew 21:25-32, John 1:6, John 1:19-28

from: Luke 15:18, Daniel 4:25, Daniel 4:26

Reciprocal: Luke 14:18 - all

Cross-References

Genesis 19:24
Then Yahweh rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Yahweh out of heaven;
Genesis 20:6
And God said to him in the dream, Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also withheld you from sinning against me. Therefore I didn't allow you to touch her.
Genesis 20:17
And Abraham prayed to God. And God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his female slaves. And they gave birth.
Genesis 20:18
For Yahweh had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
2 Samuel 4:11
How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?
1 Chronicles 21:17
And David said to God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? it is I that have sinned and done very wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? let your hand, I pray you, O Yahweh my God, be against me, and against my father's house; but not against your people, that they should be plagued.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?] This was a new ordinance, and John must have his authority for administering it either from God, or from men; and Christ is desirous to know from which he derived it in their opinion; suggesting, that by the same authority John, his forerunner, came baptizing, he himself came preaching and working miracles;

:-.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See this passage explained in the notes at Matthew 21:23-27.


 
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