King James Bible
"And they answered, that they could not tell whence it was."
The religious leaders respond to Jesus' counter-question about John's baptism. Their reply comes after deliberating among themselves, revealing their calculated approach to avoid either admitting divine authority or risking public backlash. They claim ignorance about the origin of John's baptism—whether from heaven or men. This evasive answer exposes their dishonesty, as they clearly had opinions but feared the consequences of stating them openly, ultimately forfeiting their moral authority to challenge Jesus.