The Narrative of Luke

Chapter 20

Blaine Robison, M.A.

Published 8 November 2025 (in progress)

Chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24

Scripture Text: The Scripture text used in this commentary is prepared by Blaine Robison and based on the Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament. The essentially literal translation seeks to reflect the Jewish character of the author and writing. Scripture quotations may be taken from different Bible versions. Click here for Abbreviations of Bible Versions. Quotations marked with the initials "BR" indicate the translation of the commentary author.

Sources: Bibliographic data for works cited may be found at the end of the chapter commentary. Works without page numbers are cited ad loc. Important early Jewish sources include the following:

● DSS: the Dead Sea Scrolls, a collection of Jewish manuscripts of Scripture and sectarian documents found in the Qumran caves. Most of the Qumran MSS belong to the last three centuries B.C. and the first century A.D. Online: DSS Bible; Vermes.

● LXX: The abbreviation "LXX" ("70") stands for the Septuagint, the Jewish translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek, in use among Jews by the mid-2nd century B.C. Online. The LXX also included the Apocrypha, Jewish works produced from 400 B.C. to A.D. 1. Online.

● Josephus: The Works of Flavius Josephus (c. 75–99 A.D.), Jewish historian, trans. William Whiston (1737). Online.

● Philo: Works by Philo of Alexandria, the Jewish philosopher (20 B.C.─A.D. 50), consisting of 45 monographs. Online.

● Targums: Aramaic translation of Hebrew Scripture with commentary: Targum Onkelos (A.D. 80-120), and Targum Jonathan (A.D. 150-250). Index of Targum texts.

● Talmud: References to the Talmud are from the Soncino Babylonian Talmud (1948); found at Halakhah.com. The Talmud incorporates the Mishnah, Jewish laws (A.D. 180-220) and the Gemara, legal analysis (A.D. 220-500). Click here for Talmud Abbreviations.

Syntax: Unless otherwise noted definition of Greek words is from F.W. Danker, The Concise Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (2009), and definition of Hebrew words is from The New Brown, Driver, Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (1981), abbreviated as "BDB." See the Greek Guide for the meaning of grammar abbreviations.

Special Terms: In order to emphasize the Hebrew and Jewish nature of Scripture I use the terms Yeshua (Jesus), Messiah (Christ), ADONAI (for YHVH), Torah (Pentateuch, Law), Tanakh (Old Testament), and Besekh (New Testament).

Part Four: The Manifestation of the Messiah (19:28-24:53)

Chapter Summary

Chapter Twenty continues the narrative of Yeshua's passion week in Jerusalem. This chapter is devoted to Yeshua's presence in the temple on Tuesday, Nisan 12. He continued teaching the many pilgrims who had come to the city for Passover (cf. Luke 19:47). However, this day members of the Temple ruling council challenge him with four different questions in an effort to discredit him and undermine his popularity. The chapter concludes with Yeshua pronouncing woes on his enemies.

Chapter Outline

Authority Question, 20:1-8

Parable of the Vineyard, 20:9-19

Taxation Question, 20:20-26

Resurrection Question, 20:27-40

Messiah Question, 20:41-44

Beware the Scribes, 20:45-47

For an explanation of the date computation see my article The Final Days of Yeshua.

Date: Nisan 12 (Tuesday), April 4 Julian, A.D. 30

Authority Question, 20:1-8

1 And it came to pass on one of the days he was teaching the people in the temple and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders approached him,

Reference: Matthew 21:23; Mark 11:27.

And: Grk. kai, conj. that marks a connection or addition of words or numbers ('and, also'), as well as the introduction of clauses or sentences, sometimes with emphasis ('certainly, even, indeed, namely'). See my note on the significance of conjunctions in the Besekh. it came to pass: Grk. ginomai, aor. mid., to become, which may be expressed in one of three ways: (1) come into existence, begin to be, appear or be born; (2) to be made or performed by a person; or (3) equivalent to come to pass or come about. The third meaning applies here. In the LXX ginomai translates Heb. hayah, to fall out, come to pass, become, be (first in Gen 1:3).

Most versions don't translate this opening clause, but it is found in some versions (ASV, DRA, KJV, JUB, LSB, NKJV, OJB, YLT). The Greek construction is a peculiar characteristic of Luke's writing style, appearing in the Besekh only in his writings, 17 times in this narrative of Yeshua and 20 times in Acts. This syntax is considered a Hebraism because it imitates the frequent use of the Heb. v'hayah, "and it came to pass" in the historical narratives of the Tanakh. The verb is used here to introduce important actions by Yeshua that impact events of the passion week.

on: Grk. en, prep., with the root meaning of "within," generally marks position; among, at, in, on or with (DM 105). one: Grk. heis, adj., the number one, a primary number. of the days: pl. of Grk. ho hēmera, day, may refer to (1) the daylight hours from sunrise to sunset, (2) the civil or legal day that included the night, (3) an appointed day, or (4) an imprecise period (BAG). The first meaning applies here. The phrase implies "the next one of the days," that is, after Monday. Plummer notes that the events described in this chapter occurred on Tuesday, Nisan 12, April 4th, dubbed Holy Tuesday in Christianity.

he: Grk. autos, an intensive personal pronoun, often used to distinguish a person or thing in contrast to another, or to give him/her/it prominence. The pronoun may mean (1) self, (2) he, she, it, or (3) the same. The second meaning applies here of Yeshua. was teaching: Grk. didaskō, pres. part., to teach or instruct in order to impart knowledge. The present tense is used here to describe a past event with vividness. the people: Grk. ho laos, a group of humans, understood geographically or ethnically. In the apostolic narratives the term often corresponds to the Heb. am-ha'aretz, "people of the land," i.e., the common people of Israel viewed in contrast with the ruling class.

in: Grk. en. the temple: Grk. ho hieron, sanctuary, temple. The noun applies to the entire temple complex with all its courts. The entire Temple Mount occupied an area of about thirty-five acres. See a description and illustration of Herod's temple here. The teaching probably took place in the Court of Nations which had been cleansed, but some teaching could have occurred in the Court of the Women (cf. Luke 21:2). and: Grk. kai. proclaiming the good news: Grk. euaggelizō, pres. mid. part., to announce the good message, and may mean (1) to pass on information that provides good tidings to the recipient, or (2) to spread good tidings of God's beneficial concern. The first meaning applies here.

Ellicott notes that the Greek verb (euaggelizō) is one specially characteristic of Luke. Neither Mark nor John use it at all; and Matthew only once (11:5). Luke uses the term a total of 25 times in Luke-Acts. It's very likely that Yeshua's message was a repeat of his sermon in Nazareth (Luke 4:18-19). Yeshua's proclamation of the good news included five promises related to his mission: (1) to heal the broken in heart; (2) to proclaim release to captives, (3) to provide recovery of sight to the blind, (4) to send forth the oppressed in liberty, and (5) to proclaim the year of the favor of ADONAI. For a detailed explanation see my article The Original Gospel.

the chief priests: pl. of Grk. ho archiereus, a high or chief priest. The term refers to chief priests who were either retired high priests or active holders of the priestly offices of higher rank in the Temple, altogether some fifteen to twenty persons. From Acts 4:1; 5:17 and Josephus (Ant. XX, 9:1) we know that the chief priests were generally Sadducees (Jeremias 230). Many of the serving chief priests were ex–officio members of the Sanhedrin (Jeremias 179, 197, 230). The former high priests would presumably include Annas, Ishmael ben Phiabi, Eleazar and Simon ben Kamithos (Lane 531f). Jeremias made the following list of working chief priests based on rabbinical sources (160-163):

● The Captain of the temple (Heb. sagan or nagid). The sagan (or nagid) had permanent oversight over all Temple activities and of all officiating priests. He was next in rank to the high priest and could step in to fulfill his duties if necessary. In addition, the sagan was the chief of the Temple police. Josephus refers to him as stratēgos of the Temple ("commander" in Ant. XX, 6:2 and "captain" in Wars VI, 5:3). Luke also uses this term in Acts 4:1; 5:24.

● The director of the weekly division of ordinary priests (Heb. rosh ha-mishmar).

● The director of the daily shift (Heb. rosh beit av).

● The seven temple overseers (Heb. ammarkalim).

● The three or more temple treasurers (Heb. gizbarim).

and: Grk. kai. the scribes: pl. of Grk. Grk. ho grammateus refers to a legal specialist. They were devoted to the preservation and interpretation of Torah and application of Jewish law. Scribes served as teachers, legal experts, judges, priests and members of the ruling council. For more information on the professional development and service of scribes see the comment on Luke 5:21. with: Grk. sun ("soon"), prep. used to denote accompaniment or close identification, here the former. the elders: pl. of Grk. ho presbuteros may mean (1) ranked as superior in age; older, older one; or (2) ranked in terms of official responsibility, elder(s). The second meaning applies here.

In the Tanakh elders as a group are found in tribes (Ex 3:16), communities (Deut 19:12; 21:3) and in the body of seventy appointed by Moses (Ex 24:1; Num 11:16). In the Besekh presbuteros is used for the Jewish Sages (Matt 15:2), but here the term refers to important Judean leaders. Christian commentators as Gill, citing Sotah 44b, suggest the trio of officials comprised the Great Sanhedrin, which was the Jewish Supreme Court. However, David Flusser, a non-Messianic Jewish scholar, asserts that this "Jewish troika" was a formal designation for the temple ruling committee with the elders being elders of the temple and the scribes being temple secretaries (142).

Dr. Brad Young, President of the Gospel Research Foundation, concurs with Flusser's analysis (216). Noteworthy is that the apostolic narratives never use the formal terms "Court of Seventy-One," "Great Sanhedrin," or "Beth din" ("house of judgment"), which are used for the Supreme Court throughout the Talmud tractates concerning legal matters. approached him: Grk. ephistēmi, aor., 3p-pl., to approach, come or stand near, whether in a non-threatening or threatening mode, here the former.

2 and they spoke, saying to him, "Tell us by what authority you are doing these things, or who is the one having given to you this authority?"

Reference: Matthew 21:23; Mark 11:28.

and: Grk. kai, conj. they spoke: Grk. legō, aor., 3p-pl., to make a statement or utterance, whether oral or in written form, here the former. The focus of the verb may be declarative, interrogative or imperative; answer, ask, declare, say, speak, tell. saying: Grk. legō, pres. part. to: Grk. pros, prep., properly motion towards to "interface with" (literally, moving toward a goal or destination) (HELPS); for, to, towards, with. Here the preposition denotes speaking face to face. him: Grk. autos, an intensive personal pronoun, often used to distinguish a person or thing in contrast to another, or to give him/her/it prominence. The pronoun may mean (1) self, (2) he, she, it, or (3) the same. The second meaning applies here.

Tell: Grk. legō, aor. imp. us: Grk. hēmeis, pl. first person pronoun. The temple authorities then ask two questions that concern a single subject. by: Grk. en, prep. The preposition is used here to stress means. what: Grk. poios, interrogative pronoun used in reference to a class or kind, of what kind? of what sort? authority: Grk. exousia, having the right to speak or act in a situation without looking or waiting for approval; authority, right, jurisdiction. The question is a direct challenge ("by what right"), since Yeshua was not of the tribe of Levi and held no office in the temple hierarchy.

you are doing: Grk. poieō, pres., a verb of physical action that may mean (1) to produce something material; make, create; or (2) to bring about a state of condition; do, grant, perform, work. The second meaning applies here. these things: neut. pl. of Grk. houtos, demonstrative pronoun signifying a person, thing or action set forth in narrative; this. The critics allude to Yeshua's cleansing of the temple and teaching in the temple. From the beginning of his ministry people were amazed that Yeshua "taught as one having authority, not as the scribes" (Mark 1:27). Unlike other rabbis Yeshua taught as one possessing independent authority (Matt 7:29; John 3:2).

or: Grk. ē, conj. used to denote an alternative ("either," "or") or a comparison ("than"), here the former. who: Grk. tís, interrogative pronoun indicating interest in establishing something definite; who, which, what, why. The translation is determined by the following verbal phrase. is: Grk. eimi, pres., to be, a function word used in a wide variety of grammatical constructions, primarily to declare a state of existence, whether in the past ('was, were'), present ('are, is') or future ('will be'), often to unite a subject and predicate. the one: Grk. ho, definite article but used here as a demonstrative pronoun.

having given: Grk. didōmi, aor. part., to give, used in a wide variety of situations, often with the focus on generosity, but may be used to mean bestow, hand over, impart, entrust, yield, put, or sacrifice (BAG). The verb emphasizes a voluntary action. to you: Grk. su, second person pronoun. this: Grk. houtos. authority: Grk. exousia. In the second part of the question exousia stands for the Heb. s’mikhah (“leaning" or "laying"), a technical term for the ordination ceremony for a judge, elder or rabbi by a ceremony of laying on of hands (Stern 64). A rabbinic ordinand was granted the right to judge and to decide points of halakhah by a board of three elders, at least one of whom had also received s'mikah. So the chief priests essentially ask, "Whom do we know that ordained you?"

The question could also mean "who is the source for your teaching?" In the Talmud teaching points or rulings made by a rabbi are often given as "in the name of" a noted Sage (e.g. Avot 3:8; 6:8). This practice is based on the action of Queen Esther who spoke in the name of Mordecai (Esth 2:22) (Avot 6:6). Yeshua did not need to speak in the name of one of the Sages or one of the two prominent authorities of the day, Hillel and Shammai. Yeshua never appealed to any other authority other than his Father or the Scriptures.

3 Now answering he said to them, "I also will ask you for a statement, and you must answer me:

Reference: Matthew 21:24; Mark 11:29.

Yeshua does not give a direct answer. He could have responded by asserting the same message he gave in Nazareth, "The Spirit of ADONAI has anointed me" (Luke 4:18). This declaration was equivalent to saying that his call and thereby authority came from God. However, the Sadducean priests would not have given credence to such a claim.

Now: Grk. de, conj. used to indicate (1) a contrast to something preceding, "but;" (2) a transition in subject matter, "now, then;" or (3) a connective to continue a thought, "and, also," sometimes with emphasis, "indeed," "moreover" (Thayer). The second usage applies here. answering: Grk. apokrinomai, aor. pass. part., to answer or reply to someone, whether to a question, request, exhortation, command, etc. The verb always indicates something has preceded (either said or done) to which the remarks refer. he said: Grk. legō, aor. See the previous verse. to: Grk. pros, prep. See the previous verse. them: pl. of Grk. autos, personal pronoun. See the previous verse. Yeshua directs his response to the group mentioned in verse 1 above.

I also: Grk. kagō (from kai, "and" and egō, "I"), personal pronoun, lit. "and I." The pronoun is emphatic. will ask: Grk. erōtaō, fut., to ask, with the focus on (1) seeking information; or (2) making a request for action. The first meaning applies here. you: Grk. humeis, pl. second person pronoun. for a statement: Grk. logos (from legō) is used primarily for a vocalized expression of the mind, as communication ranging broadly in extent of content and variety of form; discourse, message, teaching or word. Logos is a broad term meaning "reasoning expressed by words" (HELPS).

Plummer insists that logos refers to the expected answer, not Yeshua's question. Thus, the query should not be translated as "ask you a question" (as in many versions), nor, "ask you one thing" (KJV, NKJV). The chief priests only recognized authority by virtue of birth or formal ordination. So Yeshua challenges their basic assumption regarding the nature and origin of authority. and: Grk. kai, conj. you must answer: Grk. legō, aor. imp., 2p-pl. me: Grk. egō, first person pronoun. The imperative mood of the verb stresses an entreaty rather than a command. Asking and answering questions was an important part of rabbinic debate. The chief priests had asked for an explanation, so Yeshua insists on a reasonable response from them.

Works Cited

BAG: Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. trans. W.F. Arndt & F.W. Gingrich. The University of Chicago Press, 1957.

Barnes: Albert Barnes (1798-1870), Notes on the New Testament: Explanatory and Practical (1884). Online.

BDB: The New Brown, Driver, Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. London: Oxford University Press, 1907. Reprinted by Associated Publishers and Authors, Inc., 1981. Online.

Bengel: Johann Albrecht Bengel (1687-1752), Gnomon of the New Testament (1742). 5 vols. Trans. by Marvin Vincent. T&T Clark, 1860. Online.

Bivin: David Bivin, New Light on the Difficult Words of Jesus: Insights from His Jewish Context. En–Gedi Resource Center, 2007.

Brown: David Brown (1803-1897), The Gospel According to Luke, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown, 1871. Online.

Bruce: F.F. Bruce, The Hard Sayings of Jesus. InterVarsity Press, 1983.

Clarke: Adam Clarke (1762-1832), Commentary on the Holy Bible: Luke (1826). Online.

Danker: F.W. Danker, The Concise Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. The University of Chicago Press, 2009.

DM: H.E. Dana & Julius R. Mantey, A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament. The Macmillan Co., 1955.

DNTT: Dictionary of New Testament Theology, 3 Vols. Colin Brown, ed. Zondervan Publishing House, 1975.

DSB: The Defenders Study Bible. World Publishing Co., 1995. [KJV with annotations by Dr. Henry M. Morris.]

Edersheim: Alfred Edersheim (1825-1889), The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (3rd ed. 1886). Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1993. Online.

Ellicott: Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905), Commentary for English Readers (1878). Online.

Exell: Joseph S. Exell (d. 1910), Luke, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 16. eds. Joseph Exell and H.DM. Spence. Hendrickson Pub., 1985. Online.

Farrar: Frederic W. Farrar (1831–1903), The Gospel According to Luke, The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. Cambridge University Press, 1891. Online.

Flusser: David Flusser, The Sage from Galilee: Rediscovering Jesus' Genius. 4th ed. William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 2007.

Geldenhuys: Norval Geldenhuys, Commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke. William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1951. (NICNT)

Gill: John Gill (1697-1771), Exposition of the Entire Bible. Online.

HBD: Trent C. Butler, ed., Holman Bible Dictionary. Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1991. Online.

HELPS: The Discovery Bible New Testament: HELPS Word Studies. eds. Gleason L. Archer and Gary Hill. Moody Press, 1987, 2011. (Online at BibleHub.com)

Jeremias: Joachim Jeremias (1900-1979), Parables of Jesus, 2nd ed. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1972.

Kasdan: Barney Kasdan, Matthew Presents Yeshua, King Messiah: A Messianic Commentary. Lederer Books, 2011.

Levine: Amy-Jill Levine, Annotations on "The Gospel According to Luke," Jewish Annotated New Testament, eds. Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Brettler. Oxford University Press, 2011.

Liefeld: Walter L. Liefeld, Luke, Expositor's Bible Commentary, Vol. 8. Software version 2.6. Zondervan Corp, 1989-1999.

Lightfoot: John Lightfoot (1602-1675), A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica (1859 ed.), 4 Vols. Hendrickson Pub., 1989. Online.

LSJ: Henry George Liddell and Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon. Revised and augmented by Sir Henry Stuart Jones. Clarendon Press, 1940. Online.

Meyer: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer (1800-1873), Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (1859). 21 vols. T&T Clark, 1880. Online.

Morris: Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John. William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1971. (New International Commentary on the New Testament)

Mounce: William D. Mounce, Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament. 2011. Online.

Nicoll: W. Robertson Nicoll (1851–1923), The Expositor's Greek Testament (1897), 5 vols. Online.

Parsons: John Parsons, Hebrew for Christians, 2003-2024. Online.

Plummer: Alfred Plummer (1841-1926), A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on The Gospel According to S. Luke. 5th edition. T&T Clark, 1922. Online.

Pryor: Dwight A. Pryor, Behold the Man: Discovering our Hebrew Lord, the Historical Jesus of Nazareth. Center for Judaic-Christian Studies, 2005.

Rienecker: Fritz Rienecker (1897-1965), A Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament. 2 vol. Zondervan Pub. House, 1980.

Robertson: Archibald Thomas Robertson (1863-1934), Word Pictures in the New Testament, 6 Vols. Broadman Press, 1933. Online.

Santala: Risto Santala, The Messiah in the New Testament in the Light of Rabbinical Writings. Keren Ahvah Meshihit, 1984, 1992. Online.

Setterfield: Barry Setterfield, The Genealogy Differences in the Masoretic, Alexandrian LXX and Samaritan Pentateuch. Genesis Science Research, 2010. Online.

Shapira: Itzhak Shapira, The Return of the Kosher Pig: The Divine Messiah in Jewish Thought. Lederer Books, 2013.

Stern: David Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary, Jewish New Testament Publications, 1996.

TDSS: The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation. Rev. ed. Trans. Michael Wise, Martin Abegg Jr. and Edward Cook. HarperOne, 2005.

Thayer: Joseph Henry Thayer, Greek–English Lexicon of the New Testament. Harper Brothers, 1889. Online.

Ussher: Archbishop James Ussher (1581-1656), The Annals of the World. Rev. ed. Larry & Marion Pierce. Master Books, 2003. Online. See the summary chart.

Vincent: Marvin R. Vincent (1834-1922), Word Studies in the New Testament. Charles Scribner and Sons, 1887. Online.

Vine: William E. Vine (1873-1949), Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (1940). Online.

Wright: N.T. Wright, Luke for Everyone. 2nd ed. Westminster John Knox Press, 2004.

Young: Brad Young, Jesus the Jewish Theologian. Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1995.

Zodhiates: Spiros Zodhiates (1922-2009), ed. The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament. AMG Publishers, 1992, 1993.