Matthäus 17:26

26 Da sprach zu ihm Petrus: Von den Fremden. Jesus sprach zu ihm: So sind die Kinder frei.

Matthäus 17:26 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 17:26

Peter saith unto him
The Vulgate Latin reads, "and he said": and so the Ethiopic, and Munster's Hebrew Gospel; but without doubt Peter is meant, and rightly expressed; whose answer to Christ's question is,

of strangers:
meaning not foreigners, or such who formerly belonged to other nations, but were now taken captive, and brought into subjection; but their own native subjects, so called, in distinction from their domestics, their children, and those of their own family:

Jesus saith unto him, then are the children free;
from paying custom, tribute, and taxes, and leaves Peter to make the application; and which he suggested might be made, either thus: supposing it was a civil tax, that since he was the son of David, king of Israel, was of his house and family, and heir apparent to his throne and kingdom; according to this rule, he must be exempt from such tribute: or, thus; taking it to have respect to the half shekel, paid on a religious account, for the service of the temple worship; that since he was the Son of the King of kings, for the support of whose worship and service that money was collected; and was also the Lord and proprietor of the temple, and greater than that, he might well be excused the payment of it.

Matthäus 17:26 In-Context

24 Da sie nun gen Kapernaum kamen, gingen zu Petrus, die den Zinsgroschen einnahmen, und sprachen: Pflegt euer Meister nicht den Zinsgroschen zu geben?

25 Er sprach: Ja. Und als er heimkam, kam ihm Jesus zuvor und sprach: Was dünkt dich, Simon? Von wem nehmen die Könige auf Erden den Zoll oder Zins? Von Ihren Kindern oder von den Fremden?

26 Da sprach zu ihm Petrus: Von den Fremden. Jesus sprach zu ihm: So sind die Kinder frei.

27 Auf daß aber wir sie nicht ärgern, so gehe hin an das Meer und wirf die Angel, und den ersten Fisch, der herauffährt, den nimm; und wenn du seinen Mund auftust, wirst du einen Stater finden; den nimm und gib ihnen für mich und dich.