Luke 20:26

26 Try as they might, they couldn't trap him into saying anything incriminating. His answer caught them off guard and left them speechless.

Luke 20:26 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 20:26

And they could not take hold of his words before the
people
Which was what they wanted; that if he had dropped any seditious and treasonable expressions against the government, they might be witnesses against him; or if he had not vindicated the liberties of the people, and the rights of the Jewish nation, these might be exasperated against him, and leave him:

and they marvelled at his answer;
which was so formed, as to give them no handle against him either way:

and held their peace;
they were silenced, and had nothing to say to him, nor against him, but left him, and went their way.

Luke 20:26 In-Context

24 "Show me a coin. Now, this engraving, who does it look like and what does it say?"
25 "Caesar," they said. Jesus said, "Then give Caesar what is his and give God what is his."
26 Try as they might, they couldn't trap him into saying anything incriminating. His answer caught them off guard and left them speechless.
27 Some Sadducees came up. This is the Jewish party that denies any possibility of resurrection. They asked,
28 "Teacher, Moses wrote us that if a man dies and leaves a wife but no child, his brother is obligated to take the widow to wife and get her with child.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.