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15 Then the Pharisees went and consulted and plotted together how they might entangle Jesus in His talk.

16 And they sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians, saying, Teacher, we know that You are [a]sincere and what You profess to be and that You teach the way of God truthfully, regardless of consequences and being afraid of no man; for You are impartial and do not regard either the person or the position of anyone.

17 Tell us then what You think about this: Is it lawful to pay tribute [levied on individuals and to be paid yearly] to Caesar or not?

18 But Jesus, aware of their malicious plot, asked, Why do you put Me to the test and try to entrap Me, you pretenders (hypocrites)?

19 Show me the money used for the tribute. And they brought Him a denarius.

20 And Jesus said to them, Whose likeness and title are these?

21 They said, Caesar’s. Then He said to them, Pay therefore to Caesar the things that are due to Caesar, and pay to God the things that are due to God.

22 When they heard it they were amazed and marveled; and they left Him and departed.

23 The same day some Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection [of the dead], came to Him and they asked Him a question,

24 Saying, Teacher, Moses said, If a man dies, leaving no children, his brother shall marry the widow and raise up a family for his brother.(A)

25 Now there were seven brothers among us; the first married and died, and, having no children, left his wife to his brother.

26 The second also died childless, and the third, down to the seventh.

27 Last of all, the woman died also.

28 Now, in the resurrection, to which of the seven will she be wife? For they all had her.

29 But Jesus replied to them, You are wrong because you know neither the Scriptures nor God’s power.

30 For in the resurrected state neither do [men] marry nor are [women] given in marriage, but they are like the angels in heaven.

31 But as to the resurrection of the dead—have you never read what was said to you by God,

32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead but of the living!(B)

33 And when the throng heard it, they were astonished and filled with [[b]glad] amazement at His teaching.

34 Now when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced ([c]muzzled) the Sadducees, they gathered together.

35 And one of their number, a lawyer, asked Him a question to test Him.

36 Teacher, which [d]kind of commandment is great and important (the principal kind) in the Law? [Some commandments are light—which are heavy?]

37 And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect).(C)

38 This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment.

39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.(D)

40 These two commandments [e]sum up and upon them depend all the Law and the Prophets.

41 Now while the Pharisees were still assembled there, Jesus asked them a question,

42 Saying, What do you think of the Christ? Whose Son is He? They said to Him, The Son of David.

43 He said to them, How is it then that David, under the influence of the [Holy] Spirit, calls Him Lord, saying,

44 The Lord said to My Lord, Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet?(E)

45 If then David thus calls Him Lord, how is He his Son?

46 And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day did anyone venture or dare to question Him.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 22:16 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
  2. Matthew 22:33 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
  3. Matthew 22:34 Literal translation.
  4. Matthew 22:36 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
  5. Matthew 22:40 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.

Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar(A)

15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians.(B) “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax[a](C) to Caesar or not?”

18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

21 “Caesar’s,” they replied.

Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s,(D) and to God what is God’s.”

22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.(E)

Marriage at the Resurrection(F)

23 That same day the Sadducees,(G) who say there is no resurrection,(H) came to him with a question. 24 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him.(I) 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26 The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. 27 Finally, the woman died. 28 Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?”

29 Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures(J) or the power of God. 30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage;(K) they will be like the angels in heaven. 31 But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’[b]?(L) He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”

33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.(M)

The Greatest Commandment(N)

34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,(O) the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law,(P) tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[c](Q) 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d](R) 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”(S)

Whose Son Is the Messiah?(T)

41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

“The son of David,”(U) they replied.

43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,

44 “‘The Lord said to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
    under your feet.”’[e](V)

45 If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” 46 No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.(W)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 22:17 A special tax levied on subject peoples, not on Roman citizens
  2. Matthew 22:32 Exodus 3:6
  3. Matthew 22:37 Deut. 6:5
  4. Matthew 22:39 Lev. 19:18
  5. Matthew 22:44 Psalm 110:1

22 If a man steals an ox or sheep and kills or sells it, he shall pay five oxen for an ox, or four sheep for a sheep.

If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no blood shed for him.

But if the sun has risen [so he can be seen], blood must be shed for slaying him. The thief [if he lives] must make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.

If the beast which he stole is found in his possession alive, whether it is ox or ass or sheep, he shall restore double.

If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man’s field, he shall make restitution of the best of his own field or his own vineyard.

If fire breaks out and catches so that the stacked grain or standing grain or the field be consumed, he who kindled the fire shall make full restitution.

If a man delivers to his neighbor money or goods to keep and it is stolen out of the neighbor’s house, then, if the thief is found, he shall pay double.

But if the thief is not found, the house owner shall appear before God [the judges as His agents] to find whether he stole his neighbor’s goods.

For every unlawful deed, whether it concerns ox, donkey, sheep, clothing, or any lost thing at all, which another identifies as his, the cause of both parties shall come before God [the judges]. Whomever [they] shall condemn shall pay his neighbor double.

10 If a man delivers to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep and it dies or is hurt or driven away, no man seeing it,

11 Then an oath before the Lord shall be required between the two that the man has not taken his neighbor’s property; and the owner of it shall accept his word and not require him to make good the loss.

12 But if it is stolen when in his care, he shall make restitution to its owner.

13 If it be torn in pieces [by some wild beast or by accident], let him bring [the mangled carcass] for witness; he shall not make good what was torn.

14 And if a man borrows anything of his neighbor and it gets hurt or dies without its owner being with it, the borrower shall make full restitution.

15 But if the owner is with it [when the damage is done], the borrower shall not make it good. If it is a hired thing, the damage is included in its hire.

16 If a man seduces a virgin not betrothed and lies with her, he shall surely pay a dowry for her to become his wife.

17 If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equivalent to the dowry of virgins.

18 You shall not allow a woman to live who practices sorcery.

19 Whoever lies carnally with a beast shall surely be put to death.

20 He who sacrifices to any god but the Lord only shall be utterly destroyed.

21 You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

22 You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child.

23 If you afflict them in any way and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry;

24 And My wrath shall burn; I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall be widows and your children fatherless.

25 If you lend money to any of My people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor, neither shall you require interest from him.

26 If you ever take your neighbor’s garment in pledge, you shall give it back to him before the sun goes down;

27 For that is his only covering, his clothing for his body. In what shall he sleep? When he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious and merciful.

28 You shall not revile God [the judges as His agents] or esteem lightly or curse a ruler of your people.

29 You shall not delay to bring to Me from the fullness [of your harvested grain] and the outflow [of your grape juice and olive oil]; give Me the firstborn of your sons [or redeem them].(A)

30 Likewise shall you do with your oxen and your sheep. Seven days the firstborn [beast] shall be with its mother; on the eighth day you shall give it to Me.

31 And you shall be holy men [consecrated] to Me; therefore you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.

23 You shall not repeat or raise a false report; you shall not join with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you bear witness at a trial so as to side with a multitude to pervert justice.

Neither shall you be partial to a poor man in his trial [just because he is poor].

If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again.

If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying [helpless] under his load, you shall refrain from leaving the man to cope with it alone; you shall help him to release the animal.

You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his cause.

Keep far from a false matter and [be very careful] not to condemn to death the innocent and the righteous, for I will not justify and acquit the wicked.

You shall take no bribe, for the bribe blinds those who have sight and perverts the testimony and the cause of the righteous.

Also you shall not oppress a temporary resident, for you know the heart of a stranger and sojourner, seeing you were strangers and sojourners in Egypt.

10 Six years you shall sow your land and reap its yield.

11 But the seventh year you shall release it and let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat [what the land voluntarily yields], and what they leave the wild beasts shall eat. In like manner you shall deal with your vineyard and olive grove.

12 Six days you shall do your work, but the seventh day you shall rest and keep Sabbath, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your bondwoman, and the alien, may be refreshed.

13 In all I have said to you take heed; do not mention the name of other gods [either in blessing or cursing]; do not let such speech be heard from your mouth.

14 Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to Me.

15 You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. None shall appear before Me empty-handed.

16 Also you shall keep the Feast of Harvest [Pentecost], [acknowledging] the firstfruits of your toil, of what you sow in the field. And [third] you shall keep the Feast of Ingathering [Booths or Tabernacles] at the end of the year, when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the field.

17 Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord God.

18 You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread [but keep it unmixed], neither shall the fat of My feast remain all night until morning.

19 The first of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.

20 Behold, I send an [a]Angel before you to keep and guard you on the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.

21 Give heed to Him, listen to and obey His voice; be not rebellious before Him or provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgression; for My [b]Name is in Him.(B)

22 But if you will indeed listen to and obey His voice and all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.

23 When My Angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, and I reject them and blot them out,

24 You shall not bow down to their gods or serve them or do after their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and break down their pillars and images.

25 You shall serve the Lord your God; He shall bless your bread and water, and I will take sickness from your midst.

26 None shall lose her young by miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.

27 I will send My terror before you and will throw into confusion all the people to whom you shall come, and I will make all your foes turn from you [in flight].

28 And I will send hornets before you which shall drive out the Hivite, Canaanite, and Hittite from before you.

29 I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate [for lack of attention] and the wild beasts multiply against you.

30 Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and are numerous enough to take possession of the land.

31 I will set your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the river [Euphrates]; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand and you shall drive them out before you.

32 You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods.

33 They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against Me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 23:20 See footnote on Gen. 16:7.
  2. Exodus 23:21 Representing God’s presence.

Protection of Property

22 [a]“Whoever steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it must pay back(A) five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.

“If a thief is caught breaking in(B) at night and is struck a fatal blow, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed;(C) but if it happens after sunrise, the defender is guilty of bloodshed.

“Anyone who steals must certainly make restitution,(D) but if they have nothing, they must be sold(E) to pay for their theft. If the stolen animal is found alive in their possession(F)—whether ox or donkey or sheep—they must pay back double.(G)

“If anyone grazes their livestock in a field or vineyard and lets them stray and they graze in someone else’s field, the offender must make restitution(H) from the best of their own field or vineyard.

“If a fire breaks out and spreads into thornbushes so that it burns shocks(I) of grain or standing grain or the whole field, the one who started the fire must make restitution.(J)

“If anyone gives a neighbor silver or goods for safekeeping(K) and they are stolen from the neighbor’s house, the thief, if caught, must pay back double.(L) But if the thief is not found, the owner of the house must appear before the judges,(M) and they must[b] determine whether the owner of the house has laid hands on the other person’s property. In all cases of illegal possession of an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any other lost property about which somebody says, ‘This is mine,’ both parties are to bring their cases before the judges.[c](N) The one whom the judges declare[d] guilty must pay back double to the other.

10 “If anyone gives a donkey, an ox, a sheep or any other animal to their neighbor for safekeeping(O) and it dies or is injured or is taken away while no one is looking, 11 the issue between them will be settled by the taking of an oath(P) before the Lord that the neighbor did not lay hands on the other person’s property. The owner is to accept this, and no restitution is required. 12 But if the animal was stolen from the neighbor, restitution(Q) must be made to the owner. 13 If it was torn to pieces by a wild animal, the neighbor shall bring in the remains as evidence and shall not be required to pay for the torn animal.(R)

14 “If anyone borrows an animal from their neighbor and it is injured or dies while the owner is not present, they must make restitution.(S) 15 But if the owner is with the animal, the borrower will not have to pay. If the animal was hired, the money paid for the hire covers the loss.(T)

Social Responsibility

16 “If a man seduces a virgin(U) who is not pledged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price,(V) and she shall be his wife. 17 If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must still pay the bride-price for virgins.

18 “Do not allow a sorceress(W) to live.

19 “Anyone who has sexual relations with an animal(X) is to be put to death.

20 “Whoever sacrifices to any god(Y) other than the Lord must be destroyed.[e](Z)

21 “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner,(AA) for you were foreigners(AB) in Egypt.

22 “Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless.(AC) 23 If you do and they cry out(AD) to me, I will certainly hear their cry.(AE) 24 My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.(AF)

25 “If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest.(AG) 26 If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge,(AH) return it by sunset, 27 because that cloak is the only covering your neighbor has. What else can they sleep in?(AI) When they cry out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.(AJ)

28 “Do not blaspheme God[f](AK) or curse(AL) the ruler of your people.(AM)

29 “Do not hold back offerings(AN) from your granaries or your vats.[g]

“You must give me the firstborn of your sons.(AO) 30 Do the same with your cattle and your sheep.(AP) Let them stay with their mothers for seven days, but give them to me on the eighth day.(AQ)

31 “You are to be my holy people.(AR) So do not eat the meat of an animal torn by wild beasts;(AS) throw it to the dogs.

Laws of Justice and Mercy

23 “Do not spread false reports.(AT) Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.(AU)

“Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice(AV) by siding with the crowd,(AW) and do not show favoritism(AX) to a poor person in a lawsuit.

“If you come across your enemy’s(AY) ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it.(AZ) If you see the donkey(BA) of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it.

“Do not deny justice(BB) to your poor people in their lawsuits. Have nothing to do with a false charge(BC) and do not put an innocent(BD) or honest person to death,(BE) for I will not acquit the guilty.(BF)

“Do not accept a bribe,(BG) for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the innocent.

“Do not oppress a foreigner;(BH) you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt.

Sabbath Laws

10 “For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, 11 but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused.(BI) Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what is left. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.

12 “Six days do your work,(BJ) but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed.(BK)

13 “Be careful(BL) to do everything I have said to you. Do not invoke the names of other gods;(BM) do not let them be heard on your lips.(BN)

The Three Annual Festivals

14 “Three times(BO) a year you are to celebrate a festival to me.

15 “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread;(BP) for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv,(BQ) for in that month you came out of Egypt.

“No one is to appear before me empty-handed.(BR)

16 “Celebrate the Festival of Harvest(BS) with the firstfruits(BT) of the crops you sow in your field.

“Celebrate the Festival of Ingathering(BU) at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field.(BV)

17 “Three times(BW) a year all the men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord.

18 “Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me along with anything containing yeast.(BX)

“The fat of my festival offerings must not be kept until morning.(BY)

19 “Bring the best of the firstfruits(BZ) of your soil to the house of the Lord your God.

“Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.(CA)

God’s Angel to Prepare the Way

20 “See, I am sending an angel(CB) ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.(CC) 21 Pay attention to him and listen(CD) to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive(CE) your rebellion,(CF) since my Name(CG) is in him. 22 If you listen carefully to what he says and do(CH) all that I say, I will be an enemy(CI) to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. 23 My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites,(CJ) and I will wipe them out. 24 Do not bow down before their gods or worship(CK) them or follow their practices.(CL) You must demolish(CM) them and break their sacred stones(CN) to pieces. 25 Worship the Lord your God,(CO) and his blessing(CP) will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness(CQ) from among you, 26 and none will miscarry or be barren(CR) in your land. I will give you a full life span.(CS)

27 “I will send my terror(CT) ahead of you and throw into confusion(CU) every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run.(CV) 28 I will send the hornet(CW) ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites(CX) out of your way. 29 But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals(CY) too numerous for you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession(CZ) of the land.

31 “I will establish your borders from the Red Sea[h] to the Mediterranean Sea,[i] and from the desert to the Euphrates River.(DA) I will give into your hands the people who live in the land, and you will drive them out(DB) before you. 32 Do not make a covenant(DC) with them or with their gods. 33 Do not let them live in your land or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare(DD) to you.”

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 22:1 In Hebrew texts 22:1 is numbered 21:37, and 22:2-31 is numbered 22:1-30.
  2. Exodus 22:8 Or before God, and he will
  3. Exodus 22:9 Or before God
  4. Exodus 22:9 Or whom God declares
  5. Exodus 22:20 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
  6. Exodus 22:28 Or Do not revile the judges
  7. Exodus 22:29 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  8. Exodus 23:31 Or the Sea of Reeds
  9. Exodus 23:31 Hebrew to the Sea of the Philistines