Luke 20:5

And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not?

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

20:1-8 Men often pretend to examine the evidences of revelation, and the truth of the gospel, when only seeking excuses for their own unbelief and disobedience. Christ answered these priests and scribes with a plain question about the baptism of John, which the common people could answer. They all knew it was from heaven, nothing in it had an earthly tendency. Those that bury the knowledge they have, are justly denied further knowledge. It was just with Christ to refuse to give account of his authority, to those who knew the baptism of John to be from heaven, yet would not believe in him, nor own their knowledge.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

5. Why then believed ye him not?—that is, in his testimony to Jesus, the sum of his whole witness.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Luke 20:3"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And they reasoned with themselves,.... Or "they thought with themselves", as the Syriac version; or "within themselves", as the Vulgate Latin, though they did not express it; or "one with another", as the Arabic version; they took counsel together, and debated the matter among themselves, and reasoned after this manner:

saying, if we shall say from heaven; which was what, in their own consciences, they believed to be true,

he will say, why then believed ye him not? in what he said concerning the Messiah; which if they had, as they should, there would have been no reason for such a question they had put; See Gill on Matthew 21:25.

Geneva Study Bible

And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not?

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 20:5. συνελογίσαντο: for the more usual διαλ.; here only in N.T.—πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς may be connected either with this verb or with λέγοντες.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

5. they reasoned with themselves] They went aside to discuss together what answer they should give. This deliberation rendered their confession of ignorance more glaring and more fatal to their claims.

Why then believed ye him not?] See Luke 7:30. It never occurred to them to speak with the courage of their convictions.

Luke 20:5

Vincent's Word Studies

They reasoned (συνελογίσαντο)

Only here in New Testament. The preposition, σύν, together, and the additional with themselves, denote a very close conference.