Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 22:18
But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, [ye] hypocrites?
Mark hath the same, Mar 12:15-17. So hath Luke, Luk 20:23-26. Our Saviour, saith Luke, perceived their craftiness, how subtlety they went about to entrap him. He calls them to show him the tribute money. The Jews had two sorts of money, shekels and half shekels, which was money proper to them, and Roman coin, pence and sesterces. Their tribute was paid in this coin. Accordingly they bring unto him a penny, a Roman penny, as much in value as seven pence halfpenny in our coin; which it seems was the poll money, which the Romans exacted of every head. The coining of money was always looked upon as an act of sovereign power, hence the usurpation of it is made so criminal. Most princes use to have their effigies stamped upon their coin, and some inscription about it, with their names, and some words expressive of their dominion over such places where their coin is current; so as the admission of a princes coin as current amongst a people was a testimony of their owning and subjection to such a prince. Such an image and superscription this piece of money had; upon which our Saviour concludes,
Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesars; and unto God the things that are Gods. Although Caesar be a usurper, yet God hath given you into his hands, you have owned him by accepting his coin as current amongst you. His right and Gods right are two distinct things. Religion doth not exempt you from your civil duties, and obedience to princes, in things wherein they have a power to command. Princes have power to impose tributes upon their subjects, for the maintenance and upholding of the civil government. Let Caesar have his due, and let God have his right. You are a company of hypocrites, who by this question would make me believe you have a great zeal for God and his rights, and that you would not pay taxes that you might assert Gods right over you; this is your preference, but indeed your design is to try me, if you can persuade me, by any words of mine, to encourage you to any sedition, or acts of disloyalty to your civil governors. I see no reason for it; Caesar hath his right, and God hath his rights; you may give them both their rights, and so you ought to do. Gods kingdom is of another nature than the kingdoms of the world. His law forbiddeth no civil rights. Thus our Saviour answers their question so as he maketh them to condemn themselves, if, owning the civil magistrates power, they did not give him his rights, and so as neither Caesar nor yet the people had any just cause of exception against him for his words. This answer surprises them, they marvel and go their way, having played their game and got nothing.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
But Jesus perceived their wickedness,…. Luke says, “their craftiness”; and Mark says, “knowing their hypocrisy”; for there was, a mixture of malice, hypocrisy, and artfulness, in the scheme they had formed; but Christ being the omniscient God, saw the wickedness of their hearts, knew their hypocritical designs, and was well acquainted with all their artifice: he judged not according to the outward appearance of their affection for him, and opinion of him, of religion, righteousness, and holiness in themselves, and of a sincere desire to have their conscience satisfied about this matter; the snare they laid was visible to him, the mask they put on could not screen them from him, nor impose upon him:
and said, why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? as he might well call them, who feigned themselves just persons, pretended a great deal of respect for him, call him master, compliment him with the characters of a faithful, sincere, and disinterested preacher; yet by putting the above question, designed no other than to ensnare him, and bring him into disgrace or trouble.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
18. Knowing their malice. They had opened the conversation in such a manner that they did not appear to differ at all from excellent scholars. Whence then had Christ this knowledge, but because his Spirit was a discerner of hearts? It was not by human conjecture that he perceived their cunning, but because he was God he penetrated into their hearts, and therefore they gained nothing by attempting the concealment of flattery and of pretended righteousness Accordingly, before giving a reply, he exhibited a proof of his Divinity by laying open their concealed malice. Now since wicked men every day employ snares of the same kind, while their inward malice is concealed from us, we ought to pray to Christ to bestow upon us the spirit of discernment, and that what he had by nature and by his own right he may grant to us by a free gift. How much we need this prudence, is evident from the consideration that, if we do not guard against the snares of the wicked, we shall constantly expose the doctrine of God to their calumnies.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(18) Ye hypocrites.The special form of the hypocrisy was that the questioners had come, not avowedly as disputants, but as just men (Luk. 20:20) perplexed in conscience and seeking guidance as from One whom they really honoured.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you put me to the test, you hypocrites?”
Jesus was not for one moment deceived by their seeming innocence, nor moved by their flattery. He saw straight through them to the wickedness that lay at the heart of their question. And He made this quite plain in His reply. “Why do you put me to the test, you hypocrites?’ or in other words, ‘why are you trying to out Me on the spot in this hypocritical way? Have you no conscience? Do you not realise how wicked you are being?’
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Mat 22:18-21. Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Our Saviour called them hypocrites, to signify, that though they made conscience, and a regard to the divine will, their pretence for asking the question, he saw through their design, and knew that they were come to ensnare him. The Jews were so tenacious of the customs of their country, and had so high an opinion of their own holiness, that they were extremely reluctant to make use of heathen money, as appears from the business of the money-changers mentioned in the Gospels. Probably it was for this reason that the Romans insisted on having the taxes paid in their own coin, because, by making it current, they taught the Jews that they were their masters. Hence the force of our Lord’s argument appears: “Since this money bears Caesar’s image, it is his; and, by making use of it, ye acknowledge his authority. If so, I leave it to yourselves to judge, whether tribute ought to be paid toward the support of that government which ye have acknowledged, which ye cannot shake off, and by which your tranquillity is preserved.” That this was our Lord’s meaning, appears from the illative particle therefore, by which his answer is connected with the Pharisees’ opinion; They say unto him, Caesar’s: Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar, &c. Having thus declared the lawfulness of paying taxes to the civil powers, he ordered them at the same time to be careful to pay to God what was his due, as their Maker and Preserver: Render therefore to Caesarand unto God the things that are God’s. “In discharging your duty to the civil magistrate, you should never depart from the duty which you owe to God; but should remember, that as you bear the image of the great God omnipotent, you are his subjects, and ought to pay him the tribute of yourselves; that is, ought to yield yourselves to him, soul and body, serving him with both to the utmost of your power.” The Pharisees and their adherents, under pretence ofreligion,oftenjustifiedsedition;but the Herodians, in order to ingratiate themselves with the reigning powers, made them a compliment of their consciences, complying with whatever they enjoined, though directly contraryto the divine law. Our Lord, therefore, when he returned this answer, had both in his view; exhorting them in their regards to God and the magistrate to give each his due; because there is no inconsistency between their rights, when nothing but their rights are insisted on. Dr. Lightfoot tells us, that the Jews have a tradition among them, that, to admit of the title of any prince on their current coin, was an acknowledgment of subjection to him. It is certain that their not daring to refuse this coin, when offered them in payment, was in effect a confession that they were conquered by the Romans, and consequently that the emperor had a right to their tribute.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Mat 22:18 . ] for they concealed malicious designs (the reverse of ) behind their seemingly candid, nay, flatteringly put question, in which their object was to try ( ) whether He might not be betrayed into returning such an answer as might be used in further proceedings against Him. Apropos of , Bengel appropriately observes: “ verum se eis ostendit, ut dixerant, Mat 22:16 ;” but in the interrogative , why , is involved the idea of: what is your design in putting such a question?
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
Ver. 18. Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites ] Hypocrites pretend Nathaniel in the skin of a Nicodemus, saith one; of a Demas rather, who made fair weather for a while, but at length forsook Paul, and became an idolatrous priest at Thessalonica, if Dorotheus may be believed. Jesus perceived these men’s wickedness, and detected it. So dealt Peter with Simon Magus, whom Philip took for a very honest man, and baptized him. All will out at length; Quod sis esse velis, nihilque malis. Martial.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
18 22. ] Our Lord not only detects their plot, but answers their question; and in answering it, teaches them each a deep lesson.
The was a denarius. It was a saying of the Rabbis, quoted by Lightfoot and Wetstein, that ‘wherever any king’s money is current, there that king is lord.’ The Lord’s answer convicts them, by the matter of fact that this money was current among them, of subjection to (Tiberius) Csar, and recognition of that subjection: Pay therefore, He says, that which is Csar’s to Csar, and (not perhaps without reference to the Herodians, but with much deeper reference) that which is God’s, to God. These weighty words, so much misunderstood, bind together, instead of separating, the political and religious duties of the followers of Christ. See Jer 27:4-18 ; Rom 13:1 ; 1Pe 2:13-14 ; Joh 19:11 . The second clause comprehends the first, and gives its true foundation: q. d. ‘this obedience to Csar is but an application of the general principle of obedience to God, of Whom is all power.’ The latter clause thus reaches infinitely deeper than the former: just as our Lord in Luk 10:41-42 declares a truth reaching far beyond the occasion of the meal. Man is the coinage , and bears the image , of God ( Gen 1:27 ): and this image is not lost by the fall (Gen 9:6 ; Act 17:29 ; Jas 3:9 . See also notes on Luk 15:8-9 ; and compare Tertull. contr. Marc. iv. 38, vol. ii. p. 453, “Qu erunt Dei? qu similia sunt denario Csaris, imago scilicet et similitudo ejus. Hominem igitur reddi jubet Creatori, in cujus imagine et similitudine et nomine et materia expressus est”). We owe then ourselves to God: and this solemn duty is implied, of giving ourselves to Him, with all that we have and are. The answer also gives them the real reason why they were now under subjection to Csar : viz. because they had fallen from their allegiance to God . ‘The question was as if an adulterer were to ask, whether it were lawful for him to pay the penalty of his adultery.’ (Claudius, cited by Stier ii. 388.) They had again and again rejected their theocratic inheritance; they refused it in the wilderness; they would not have God to reign over them, but a king; therefore were they subjected to foreigners (see 2Ch 12:8 ).
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 22:18-22 . Christ’s reply and its effect .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Mat 22:18 . , , wickedness, hypocrites; the former the evangelist’s word, the latter Christ’s, both thoroughly deserved. It was a wicked plot against His life veiled under apparently sincere compliments of young inquirers, and men of the world who posed as admirers of straightforwardness.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
perceived. Greek. ginosko. App-132.
wickedness. Greek. poneria. App-128.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
18-22.] Our Lord not only detects their plot, but answers their question; and in answering it, teaches them each a deep lesson.
The was a denarius. It was a saying of the Rabbis, quoted by Lightfoot and Wetstein, that wherever any kings money is current, there that king is lord. The Lords answer convicts them, by the matter of fact that this money was current among them, of subjection to (Tiberius) Csar, and recognition of that subjection: Pay therefore, He says, that which is Csars to Csar, and (not perhaps without reference to the Herodians, but with much deeper reference) that which is Gods, to God. These weighty words, so much misunderstood, bind together, instead of separating, the political and religious duties of the followers of Christ. See Jer 27:4-18; Rom 13:1; 1Pe 2:13-14; Joh 19:11. The second clause comprehends the first, and gives its true foundation: q. d. this obedience to Csar is but an application of the general principle of obedience to God, of Whom is all power. The latter clause thus reaches infinitely deeper than the former: just as our Lord in Luk 10:41-42 declares a truth reaching far beyond the occasion of the meal. Man is the coinage, and bears the image, of God (Gen 1:27): and this image is not lost by the fall (Gen 9:6; Act 17:29; Jam 3:9. See also notes on Luk 15:8-9; and compare Tertull. contr. Marc. iv. 38, vol. ii. p. 453, Qu erunt Dei? qu similia sunt denario Csaris, imago scilicet et similitudo ejus. Hominem igitur reddi jubet Creatori, in cujus imagine et similitudine et nomine et materia expressus est). We owe then ourselves to God: and this solemn duty is implied, of giving ourselves to Him, with all that we have and are. The answer also gives them the real reason why they were now under subjection to Csar: viz. because they had fallen from their allegiance to God. The question was as if an adulterer were to ask, whether it were lawful for him to pay the penalty of his adultery. (Claudius, cited by Stier ii. 388.) They had again and again rejected their theocratic inheritance;-they refused it in the wilderness;-they would not have God to reign over them, but a king;-therefore were they subjected to foreigners (see 2Ch 12:8).
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 22:18. , knowing) sc. without delay, or instruction from any one.-! hypocrites!) Our Lord shows Himself to them true, as they had said; Mat 22:16.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
perceived: Mar 2:8, Luk 5:22, Luk 9:47, Luk 20:23, Joh 2:25, Rev 2:23
Why: Mat 16:1-4, Mat 19:3, Mar 12:5, Luk 10:25, Joh 8:6, Act 5:9
Reciprocal: Mat 6:2 – as Mat 7:5 – Thou hypocrite Mat 12:10 – Is it Mat 16:3 – O ye Mat 22:35 – tempting Mar 8:11 – Pharisees Mar 12:15 – knowing Luk 11:54 – seeking Luk 20:20 – they watched
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2:18
Jesus called these men hypocrites because they pretended they wanted information, when they knew that was not the case as verse 15 plainly indicates.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 22:18. Their wickedness. As just explained.
Hypocrites. They were such, both in their flattering address (Mat 22:16) and in their cunning question (Mat 22:17). Men may rightly carry their religious convictions into politics, and religious questions may become political ones; but when this is the case hypocrisy flourishes.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Mat 22:18-22. But Jesus perceived their wickedness, (and craftiness, Luke,) in this their address, however pious and respectful it appeared; and said, Why tempt ye me? That is, Why do ye try me by such an insnaring question, and seek to draw me into danger by it? Ye hypocrites Making conscience and a pure regard to the divine will your pretence for asking the question, while your design is to bring about my destruction. Show me the tribute-money Which is demanded of you. It seems the Romans chose to receive this tribute in their own coin. And they brought unto him a penny A denarius, stamped with the head of Cesar. He saith, Whose is this image Which is struck upon the coin? They say unto him, Cesars Plainly acknowledging, by their having received his coin, that they were under his government. And indeed this is a standing rule. The current coin of every nation shows who is the supreme governor of it. Render therefore, ye Pharisees, to Cesar, the things which ye yourselves acknowledge to be Cesars: and, ye Herodians, while ye are zealous for Cesar, see that ye render to God the things that are Gods. When they had heard, &c., they marvelled and left him So unexpected an answer, in which Jesus clearly confuted them on their own principles, and showed that the rights of God and the magistrate do not interfere in the least, (because magistrates are Gods deputies, and rule by his authority,) quite disconcerted and silenced those crafty enemies. They were astonished at his having perceived their design, as well as at the wisdom by which he avoided the snare, and went off inwardly vexed and not a little ashamed. Macknight.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Verse 18
Their wickedness. Had he decided against paying tribute, the would have accused him of treason.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
Jesus refused to give the yes or no answer they wanted. Instead He initially pointed out, for the benefit of the crowd standing around, that they were testing Him (Gr. peirazo, to demonstrate intrinsic quality by testing, cf. Mat 4:1; Mat 16:1). This was a more gracious word than the one Matthew used to describe their real intent (Mat 22:15). Their question did not intimidate Jesus even though He perceived their malice, but He saw it as an opportunity to reveal His identity. They were hypocrites in that they came under a pretense of great respect, but they really had little respect for Him.
Jesus chose to answer on His own terms, not theirs. The coin that most people used to pay their Roman poll tax was a denarius, the value of which was one day’s wage for a workingman or soldier. This coin bore the image of the emperor and the inscription "Tiberius Caesar, son of the divine Augustus" on one side and "pontifex maximus" on the other. The Jews understood "pontifex maximus" (lit. chief bridge-builder) in the sense of high priest. Both inscriptions were offensive to the Jews. [Note: Carson, "Matthew," p. 459.]
The fact that Jesus asked someone to give Him a denarius has led some readers to conclude that He was extremely poor. Others believe He did this because He and His disciples shared a common purse. Still others believe He was using a pedagogical technique. Whatever His reason may have been, we should probably not make much of it since Matthew did not.