A.T. Robertson Commentary Matthew 17:25

"He saith, Yea. And when he came into the house, Jesus spake first to him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? the kings of the earth, from whom do they receive toll or tribute? from their sons, or from strangers?" — Matthew 17:25 (ASV)

Jesus spake first to him (προεφθασεν αυτον ο Ιησους λεγων). Here only in the N.T. One example in a papyrus B.C. 161 (Moulton and Milligan, Vocabulary). The old idiomatic use of φθανω with the participle survives in this example of προφθανω in Mt 17:25, meaning to anticipate, to get before one in doing a thing. The Koine uses the infinitive thus with φθανω which has come to mean simply to arrive. Here the anticipation is made plain by the use of προ-. See Robertson's Grammar, p. 1120. The "prevent" of the Authorized Version was the original idea of praevenire, to go before, to anticipate. Peter felt obliged to take the matter up with Jesus. But the Master had observed what was going on and spoke to Peter first.

Toll or tribute (τελη η κηνσον). Customs or wares collected by the publicans (like φορος, Romans 13:7) and also the capitation tax on persons, indirect and direct taxation. Κηνσος is the Latin census, a registration for the purpose of the appraisement of property like η απογραφη in Lu 2:2; Acts 5:37. By this parable Jesus as the Son of God claims exemption from the temple tax as the temple of his Father just as royal families do not pay taxes, but get tribute from the foreigners or aliens, subjects in reality.