18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
18 The Jews then responded to him, "What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?"
18 So the Jews said to him, "What sign do you show us for doing these things?"
18 But the Jews were upset. They asked, "What credentials can you present to justify this?"
18 So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?"
18 But the Jewish leaders demanded, "What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on John 2:18
Commentary on John 2:12-22
(Read John 2:12-22)
The first public work in which we find Christ engaged, was driving from the temple the traders whom the covetous priests and rulers encouraged to make a market-place of its courts. Those now make God's house a house of merchandise, whose minds are filled with cares about worldly business when attending religious exercises, or who perform Divine offices for love of gain. Christ, having thus cleansed the temple, gave a sign to those who demanded it, to prove his authority for so doing. He foretells his death by the Jews' malice, Destroy ye this temple; I will permit you to destroy it. He foretells his resurrection by his own power; In three days I will raise it up. Christ took again his own life. Men mistake by understanding that according to the letter, which the Scripture speaks by way of figure. When Jesus was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered he has said this. It helps much in understanding the Divine word, to observe the fulfilling of the Scriptures.