Abinadi does not begin with the answer, but rather than with an attack. He uses the fact that they have asked a question to pretend that they have asked because they want an answer. Thus, it says, “Are you priests, and pretend to teach this people, and to understand the spirit of prophesying, and yet desire to know of me what these things mean?”
Of course, Abinadi surely knew that they were not asking for the explanation. The priests already had an explanation in mind, and chose that question to entrap, not to be enlightened. Nevertheless, Abinadi attempts to turn the tables on them. Abinadi had preached against King Noah, and now he declares that the priests of Noah are “perverting the ways of the Lord.”
After declaring that the priests clearly don’t understand the scriptures, Abinadi asks, in essence, “What are you teaching this people anyways?” If they are not teaching true principles, what are they teaching?