Matthieu 17:26

26 Pierre dit: Des étrangers. Jésus lui répondit: Les enfants en sont donc exempts.

Matthieu 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.

Matthieu 17:26 In-Context

24 Et quand ils furent arrivés à Capernaüm, ceux qui recevaient les didrachmes s'adressèrent à Pierre et lui dirent: Votre maître ne paye-t-il pas les didrachmes?

25 Il dit: Oui. Et quand il fut entré dans la maison, Jésus le prévint et lui dit: Que t'en semble, Simon? Les rois de la terre, de qui tirent-ils des impôts ou des tributs? Est-ce de leurs enfants, ou des étrangers?

26 Pierre dit: Des étrangers. Jésus lui répondit: Les enfants en sont donc exempts.

27 Mais afin que nous ne les scandalisions point, va-t'en à la mer, jette l'hameçon et tire le premier poisson qui se prendra; et quand tu lui auras ouvert la bouche, tu trouveras un statère; prends-le, et le leur donne pour moi et pour toi.