Luke 20:20-26
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
20 [a]They watched him closely and sent agents pretending to be righteous who were to trap him in speech,(A) in order to hand him over to the authority and power of the governor. 21 They posed this question to him, “Teacher, we know that what you say and teach is correct, and you show no partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.(B) 22 Is it lawful for us to pay tribute to Caesar or not?”[b] 23 Recognizing their craftiness he said to them, 24 “Show me a denarius;[c] whose image and name does it bear?” They replied, “Caesar’s.” 25 So he said to them, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”(C) 26 They were unable to trap him by something he might say before the people, and so amazed were they at his reply that they fell silent.
The Question About the Resurrection.(D)
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- 20:20 The governor: i.e., Pontius Pilate, the Roman administrator responsible for the collection of taxes and maintenance of order in Palestine.
- 20:22 Through their question the agents of the Jerusalem religious leadership hope to force Jesus to take sides on one of the sensitive political issues of first-century Palestine. The issue of nonpayment of taxes to Rome becomes one of the focal points of the First Jewish Revolt (A.D. 66–70) that resulted in the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. See also note on Mt 22:15–22.
- 20:24 Denarius: a Roman silver coin (see note on Lk 7:41).
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