Exegesis:

apokrithentes … legousin (cf. 3.33) ‘they answered.’

en poia exousia (cf. v. 28) ‘by what authority.’

Translation:

So is equivalent to ‘therefore,’ ‘because of this,’ or ‘accordingly.’

In Tzeltal there is an interesting idiomatic way of disclaiming knowledge, namely, ‘What shall we say!’ – an expression which fits this context perfectly, for it was not ignorance but unwillingness to answer which dictated the reply of the authorities.

Neither will I … is equivalent in some languages to ‘in that case I will not tell you…’ or ‘then I will not tell you….’

For other problems in this verse see 11.28.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of Mark. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1961. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .