Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 20:22

Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?

22. is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Cesar, or no? ] The question was devised with so superlative a craft that it seemed impossible for our Lord to escape. If He said ‘It is lawful,’ the Pharisees hoped at once to undermine His popularity with the multitude. If He said ‘It is not lawful’ (Deu 17:15), the Herodians could at once hand Him over, as a traitor, to the secular power. For ‘ tribute’ each Evangelist uses a different word epikephalaion, ‘poll-tax’ (Mark in D); the Latin kenson ‘census’ (Matt.); and the classical phoron here and Luk 23:2. It was a capitation-tax, the legality of which was indignantly disputed by scrupulous legalists.

craftiness ] panourgian, a classical word only found in St Paul and St Luke, 2Co 4:2 ; 2Co 11:3, &c.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Verse 22. Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar] See this insidious but important question considered at large on Mt 22:16-22.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

22. tribute(See on Mt17:24).

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?] The Syriac and Persic versions here, as in the other evangelists, render it, “head money”. The phrase, “for us”, is here added, and on it lies the emphasis, and stress of the question; for the doubt pretended, was not whether it was lawful for the Romans to pay tribute to Caesar, but whether it was lawful for them who were Jews, were Abraham’s seed, and, as they boasted, were never in bondage, but were the Lord’s free people, to pay tribute to an Heathen emperor, or no.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Tribute (). Old word for the annual tax on land, houses, etc. Mark and Matthew have , which see for this Latin word in Greek letters. The picture on the coin may have been that of Tiberius.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

Tribute [] . From ferw, to bring. Something, therefore, which is brought in by way of payment. Luke uses the Greek word instead of the Latin khnson, census, in Matthew and Mark.

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

1) “Is It lawful,” (eksestin) “Is it legal,” in harmony with the law, referring to the law of the Lord, expressed then, in the Law of Moses, Mat 22:17; Deu 18:15.

2) “For us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?” (hemas kaisari phoron dounai he ou’) “For us to give (dole out) tribute to Caesar or not?” Mar 12:14. The poll tax was an issue among the Jews and had formerly caused an insurrection and violence led by Theudas and Judas of Galilee, with whom they sought to get Jesus to identify Himself, Act 5:36-37; Luk 13:1-2.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

“Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?”

Their question was as to whether it was ‘lawful’ or not to give tribute to Caesar. That is whether it was in line with the teaching of Moses. Now strictly speaking the Law does not deal with that question. But the Law does make it clear that the people of Israel were God’s people, God’s holy nation, and thus that for them to be ruled over by anyone else was contrary to God’s intention. It was something that would only happen to them as a result of disobedience. So to every Jew the answer as to whether tribute should be paid to Caesar would have been a resounding ‘No!’ For while they reluctantly did on the whole give such tribute, they certainly did not see it as ‘lawful’. In their view the Law required rather that they directed their gifts towards God, His Sanctuary and His people, and the Roman poll tax was highly and deeply resented as an imposition, and as an evidence of their submission to Rome.

Thus if Jesus answered the question by declaring that it was lawful He would instantly have been denounced by the whole nation as a false prophet. On the other hand if He said that it was not lawful, (and that was the answer towards which they were working), then they could immediately denounce him to the Roman governor for stirring up the people to avoid paying their taxes, a crime subject to the most serious punishment.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

22. ] = , see on Matt.: differs from , ‘ vectigal ,’ customs duties.

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament