Luke 20:22

20:22 is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not? If Jesus said yes, he would make the people angry, because they hated the burden of Roman taxation. If he said no, he would be accused of rebellion against the Roman authorities.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Luk 20:22 f. The question . φόρον = κῆνσον , a Latinism, in the parallels.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

tribute--(See on Mat 17:24).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 22. Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar] See this insidious but important question considered at large on Mt 22:16-22.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

22. is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Cesar, or no?] The question was devised with so superlative a craft that it seemed impossible for our Lord to escape. If He said ‘It is lawful,’ the Pharisees hoped at once to undermine His popularity with the multitude. If He said ‘It is not lawful’ (Deu_17:15), the Herodians could at once hand Him over, as a traitor, to the secular power. For ‘tribute’ each Evangelist uses a different word—epikephalaion, ‘poll-tax’ (Mark in D); the Latin kenson ‘census’ (Matt.); and the classical phoron here and Luk_23:2. It was a capitation-tax, the legality of which was indignantly disputed by scrupulous legalists.

craftiness] panourgian, a classical word only found in St Paul and St Luke, 2Co_4:2; 2Co_11:3, &c.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he said unto them, render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's,.... The Arabic version renders it, "give to the king what is the king's"; the tribute that was due to him; since they were under his government, and were protected by him, and traded with his money; the currency of which among them was an acknowledgment of him as their sovereign:

and unto God the things which be God's; which relate to his worship, honour, interest, and kingdom; See Gill on Mat 22:21.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

If our divine Saviour had returned them for answer, that they ought to give tribute to Cæsar, they would have accused him of being an enemy to the law; but if, on the contrary, he said it was not lawful, they would have accused him to Pilate as an enemy of the state. (Theophylactus) --- For there was then a great misunderstanding among the Jews: some, who wished to keep peace with the Romans, said that it was lawful; but the Pharisees denied it, and said: "The people of God ought to be exempt from such a tax. They were bound by the law to give tithes and first-fruits to God; therefore they ought not to be bound by human laws to give likewise tax to men who were heathens." (St. Jerome)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

22. ἔξεστιν ἡμᾶς Καίσαρι φόρον δοῦναι ἢ οὔ; The question was devised with so superlative a craft that it seemed impossible for our Lord to escape. If He said ‘It is lawful,’ the Pharisees hoped at once to undermine His popularity with the multitude. If He said ‘It is not lawful’ (Deu 17:15), the Herodians could at once hand Him over, as a traitor, to the secular power. For ‘tribute’ each Evangelist uses a different word—ἐπικεφάλαιον, ‘poll-tax’ (Mark in D); the Latin κῆνσον ‘census’ (Matt.); and the classical φόρον here and Luk 23:2. It was a capitation-tax, the legality of which was indignantly disputed by scrupulous legalists.

πανουργίαν. A classical word only found in St Paul and St Luke, 2Co 4:2; 2Co 11:3, &c.

[τί με πειράζετε; κ.τ.λ.] Our Lord saw at once that it was a cunning test-question meant only to entrap Him. Not for a moment did these fawning spies deceive Him though

“Neither man nor angel can discern

Hypocrisy, the only evil that walks

Invisible, except to God alone.”

These Pharisees were illustrating the truth that “no form of self-deceit is more hateful than that which veils spite and falsehood under the guise of frankness, and behind the profession of religion.”

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

22.] φόρον = κῆνσον, see on Matt.:—differs from τέλος, ‘vectigal,’ customs duties.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

22. The φόρος (classical and in LXX) or capitation-tax must be distinguished from τέλη, which are indirect taxes. Mt. and Mk. here have κῆνσον, but in Mk. ἐπικεφάλαιον is a notable v. l.

For ἡμᾶς (א A B L) TR. has ἡμῖν (C D P Γ Δ A Π). Only here and 6:4 does ἔξεστιν c. acc. et infin. occur in N.T. Καίσαρι stands first with emphasis. Usually both dat, and acc. follow δοῦναι: 1:74, 77, 12:32, 17:18; Act 5:31, Act 5:7:5; Mat 14:7, Mat 20:4, etc.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Tribute [φορον] . From ferw, to bring. Something, therefore, which is brought in by way of payment. Luke uses the Greek word instead of the Latin khnson, census, in Matthew and Mark.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.