John 2:18

So then the Jewish leaders ¹  responded, ²  “What sign can you show us, since you are doing these things?” ³ 

Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?"

The Jews then said to Him, "What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?"

"What right do you have to do these things?" the Jewish leaders demanded. "If you have this authority from God, show us a miraculous sign to prove it."

But the Jews were upset. They asked, "What credentials can you present to justify this?"

Then the Jews put this question to him: What sign of authority have you to give us, seeing that you do these things?

The Jews then said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?"

So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?"

So then the Jewish leaders ¹  responded, ²  “What sign can you show us, since you are doing these things?” ³ 

¹ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. Here the author refers to the authorities or leaders in Jerusalem. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.)

² tn Grk “answered and said to him.”

³ sn The request “What sign can you show us” by Jesus’ adversaries was a request for a defense of his actions – a mark of divine authentication. Whether this was a request for a miracle is not entirely clear. Jesus never obliged such a request. Yet, ironically, the only sign the Jewish leadership will get is that predicted by Jesus in 2:19 – his crucifixion and resurrection. Cf. the “sign of Jonah” in the synoptics (Matt 12:39, 40; Luke 11:29-32).