Luke 20:22

22 Is it permitted [for] us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

Luke 20:22 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 20:22

Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?
] The Syriac and Persic versions here, as in the other evangelists, render it, "head money". The phrase, "for us", is here added, and on it lies the emphasis, and stress of the question; for the doubt pretended, was not whether it was lawful for the Romans to pay tribute to Caesar, but whether it was lawful for them who were Jews, were Abraham's seed, and, as they boasted, were never in bondage, but were the Lord's free people, to pay tribute to an Heathen emperor, or no.

Luke 20:22 In-Context

20 And they watched [him] closely [and] sent spies who pretended they were upright, in order that they could catch him in a statement, so that they could hand him over to the authority and the jurisdiction of the governor.

21 And they asked him, saying, "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and do not {show partiality}, but teach the way of God in truth.

22 Is it permitted [for] us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

23 But seeing through their craftiness, he said to them,

24 "Show me a denarius! Whose image and inscription does it have?" And they answered [and] said, "Caesar's."

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "the tribute tax"