John Calvin Commentary Matthew 17:27

"But, lest we cause them to stumble, go thou to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a shekel: that take, and give unto them for me and thee." — Matthew 17:27 (ASV)

Throw a hook. Though I acknowledge that Christ did not always have full coffers, yet I think that he was not compelled by poverty to give this order to Peter. He did so, rather, in order to prove by a miracle that he had a more extensive dominion than all earthly kings, since he even had fishes for his tributaries. And we do not read that this was done more than once, because one proof was enough for his whole life.

You will find a stater. A stater was of the same value as a shekel, namely, four drachms or two didrachma.⁵⁸³

⁵⁸³ The didrachmon weighed weighed two drachms, and the , and the stater, which weighed , which weighed two didrachma, or , or four drachms, was worth about two shillings and sixpence of our money. — Ed., was worth about two shillings and sixpence of our money. — Ed.