Mateo 17:26

26 —Se los cobran a los que han conquistado —contestó Pedro.
—dijo Jesús—,

Mateo 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.

Mateo 17:26 In-Context

24 El pago del impuesto del templo
Cuando llegaron a Capernaúm, los cobradores del impuesto
del templo se acercaron a Pedro y le preguntaron:
—¿Tu maestro no paga el impuesto del templo?

25 —Sí, lo paga —contestó Pedro.
Luego entró en la casa, pero antes de tener oportunidad de hablar, Jesús le preguntó:

26 —Se los cobran a los que han conquistado —contestó Pedro.
—dijo Jesús—,

27 Sin embargo, no queremos que se ofendan, así que desciende al lago y echa el anzuelo. Abre la boca del primer pez que saques y allí encontrarás una gran moneda de plata.
Tómala y paga mi impuesto y el tuyo.