Luke 20:24

24 Show ye to me a penny; whose image and superscription hath it? They answered, and said to him, The emperor's [They answering said to him, Caesar's].

Luke 20:24 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 20:24

Show me a penny
A Roman denarius, value seven pence halfpenny of our money. The Persic version adds, "they showed it, he asked of them"; and the Ethiopic version, "and they brought it, and he said unto them", as follows;

whose image and superscription hath it?
for the penny had an head upon it, with something written, as the name of the emperor, whose image it was, his titles, the date of the coin, or some motto on it:

they answered and said, Caesar's;
very likely Tiberius Caesar's, who was at that time emperor of Rome; (See Gill on Matthew 22:20) and (See Gill on Matthew 22:21).

Luke 20:24 In-Context

22 Is it leaveful to us to give tribute to the emperor, or nay? [Is it leaveful to us for to give tribute to Caesar, or nay?]
23 And he beheld the deceit of them, and said to them, What tempt ye me?
24 Show ye to me a penny; whose image and superscription hath it? They answered, and said to him, The emperor's [They answering said to him, Caesar's].
25 And he said to them, Yield ye therefore to the emperor those things that be the emperor's [Yield ye therefore to Caesar those things that be Caesar's], and those things that be of God, to God.
26 And they might not reprove his word before the people; and they wondered in his answer, and held peace.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.