Mark 12:14

14 When they came, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know You are truthful and defer to no one, for You don't show partiality^[a] but teach truthfully the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?

Mark 12:14 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 12:14

And when they were come
Unto Jesus in the temple:

they said unto him, master;
they saluted him in like manner, as they did their doctors and Rabbins, calling him "Rabbi", though they were not his disciples; but one part of them were the disciples of the Pharisees, and the other had Herod for their master;

we know that thou art true;
an honest, sincere, and upright man,

and carest for no man, for thou regardest not the person of men;
no, not Caesar himself;

but teachest the way of God in truth;
instructest men in the word, will, and worship of God, with all integrity and faithfulness; answer therefore this question,

is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not?
The Syriac and Persic versions read, "head money"; and so it is read in Beza's most ancient copy; a tax that was levied on the heads of families; or on every particular head in a family; (See Gill on Matthew 22:16), (See Gill on Matthew 22:17).

Mark 12:14 In-Context

12 Because they knew He had said this parable against them, they were looking for a way to arrest Him, but they were afraid of the crowd. So they left Him and went away.

13 Then they sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to Him to trap Him by what He said.

14 When they came, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know You are truthful and defer to no one, for You don't show partiality but teach truthfully the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?

15 Should we pay, or should we not pay?" But knowing their hypocrisy, He said to them, "Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at."

16 So they brought one. "Whose image and inscription is this?" He asked them. "Caesar's," they said.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit don't look on the face of men; that is, on the outward appearance