Luke 20:7 Meaning and Explanation
“And they answered, that they could not tell whence it was.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Cornered, the leaders answer that they cannot tell where John's baptism came from.
What Does Luke 20:7 Mean?
The appointed teachers of Israel — men whose office was to discern true prophets from false — profess ignorance about the greatest prophetic voice of their generation. It is not ignorance; it is refusal wearing ignorance as a disguise.
'We cannot tell' was the only safe answer left, and it cost them their standing to demand answers of anyone. There is a counterfeit humility that says 'no one can know' precisely when knowing would oblige us to obey. Honest uncertainty is no sin — Scripture welcomes the seeker — but cultivated uncertainty, maintained to avoid accountability, is unbelief in scholar's robes. God reads the difference perfectly.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 20:7
What does Luke 20:7 mean?
Cornered, the leaders answer that they cannot tell where John's baptism came from.