Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Mark 12:14-16

"And when they were come, they say unto him, Teacher, we know that thou art true, and carest not for any one; for thou regardest not the person of men, but of a truth teachest the way of God: Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why make ye trial of me? bring me a denarius, that I may see it. And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar`s." — Mark 12:14-16 (ASV)

(14–15a) The question was prefaced with an obvious and, indeed, obnoxious piece of flattery (v.14). Moreover, it was thoroughly insincere. Jews were required by the Romans to pay tribute money into the fiscus, the emperor’s treasury. Some Jews (e.g., the Zealots) flatly refused to pay it, because it was for them an admission of the Roman right to rule. The Pharisees disliked paying it but did not actively oppose it, whereas the Herodians had no objections to it. The intent of this question was to force Jesus to a direct answer, identifying himself either with the Zealots or with the Herodians.

(15b–16) Jesus was not about to fall into their trap; he called their question “hypocrisy.” So he asked them for a Roman denarius. In showing one to Jesus, they had already answered their own question. By using Caesar’s coinage they were tacitly acknowledging Caesar’s authority and thus their obligation to pay the tax.