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Tell us therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"
Verse Takeaways
1
A Carefully Laid Trap
Commentators unanimously agree this was not a sincere question but a carefully designed trap. If Jesus said 'yes' to the tax, the Pharisees would brand him a traitor to his people. If he said 'no,' the Herodians would report him to Rome for sedition. His enemies believed any answer would destroy him.
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Matthew
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7
18th Century
Presbyterian
Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar? Tribute was the tax paid to the Roman government.
Caesar. The Roman emperor. The na…
19th Century
Anglican
Is it lawful to give tribute ...? — The question was obviously framed as a dilemma. If He answered yes, the Pharisees would be abl…
Baptist
"Tell us therefore," "because you are true, because you teach the way of God in truth, because you care not for any man’s opinion when you are your…
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(15–16a) After Jesus spoke the three parables of warning to the Jewish leaders, the Pharisees went out from the temple courts where Jesus was preac…
17th Century
Reformed Baptist
Ver. 17 Tell us therefore what do you think , &c:] Since, as they suggested he was a person of great understanding a…
The Pharisees sent their disciples with the Herodians, a party among the Jews who favored full subjection to the Roman emperor. Though opposed to e…
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13th Century
Catholic
Above, the Lord refuted the Pharisees by a parable; here, He manifests His wisdom in a second way by disputing with them. He does so in two ways:
