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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Mark 12:13 - 12:17
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mar_12:13-17
13Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement. 14They came and said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not? 15Shall we pay or shall we not pay?" But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at." 16They brought one. And He said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" And they said to Him, "Caesar's." 17And Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they were amazed at Him.
Mar_12:13 "they sent" This refers to the Sanhedrin, which was the Jewish religious authority (cf. Mar_11:27).
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▣ "Pharisees" This was the religious group that developed during the Maccabean period. They were very committed to the Oral Traditions (i.e., Talmud). See hyperlink at Mar_2:16.
▣ "Herodians" This was a political group that supported the reign of the Idumean Herods. They were also in favor of the Roman status quo. Normally Pharisees and Herodians were enemies. The fact that they were cooperating shows how serious they perceived Jesus' teachings to be. See hyperlink at Mar_1:14.
▣ "in order to trap Him" This is literally "to catch." It was used of capturing wild animals. It had become a metaphor for acquiring information so as to show a fault or error (cf. Luk_11:54). They thought that by asking Him this question they had Him trapped between two opposing groups: the Roman authorities and the people.
Mar_12:14 "'Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for you are not partial, but teach the way of God in truth'" These leaders were flattering Jesus in order to find fault, but in reality, they were speaking correctly about Him. Jesus handled truth exactly like YHWH handles truth. This is supreme irony! Their tricky statements were in reality the greatest compliment.
▣ "'You are not partial'" The literal Hebrew idiom is "for You do not look at the face of men." This historically referred to the Judges of Israel. When they tried a case, the defendants kept their heads bowed so that their identity could not be seen. If a judge put his hand under the chin and lifted the face so as to see the person's identity, the chances for bias increased. Therefore, justice was to be blind!
▣ "'Is it lawful to pay'" This is a legal question related to the Mosaic legislation, but also relating to Israel's current domination by Rome. This is the type of question that scribes dealt with daily. There were two ways to answer the question, one based on the Mosaic texts and one related to the reality of Roman law and occupation. These leaders wanted legal grounds to bring the Roman government into their religious dilemma (cf. Luk_20:20). By answering "yes" He would offend the zealots; by answering "no" He would be arrested by the Roman government.
▣ "poll-tax" This was a transliteration of the Latin term "census." It was a head tax which Rome placed on all conquered peoples. This empire-wide tax (i.e., a.d. 6-20) on males fourteen years through sixty-five years and on women twelve to sixty-five, who lived in imperial provinces went directly to the Emperor. It was the reason why Joseph had to leave Nazareth and go to Bethlehem with the pregnant Mary (cf. Luk_2:1-6).
Mar_12:15 "He, knowing their hypocrisy. . .why are you testing Me" The term hypocrisy (hupokrisis) originally referred to actors playing a part behind a mask. They pretended to be someone they were not (cf. Mat_23:28; Luk_12:1; Luk_20:20; 1Ti_4:2; 1Pe_2:1). It came to be used of manipulative people who tried to trick others into thinking that which was untrue. Everything these leaders said (ironically) to Jesus in Mar_12:14 was contradicted in their actions of Mar_12:15. The term testing (peirazô) had the added connotation of testing with a view towards destruction or failure. See Special Topic: Terms for Testing at Mar_1:13.
▣ "a denarius" This silver coin was the only way this tax could be paid. It was a day's wage for a common laborer or soldier. It was a symbol of Rome's control. See Special Topic at Mar_12:42.
Mar_12:16 "'Whose likeness and inscription is this'" Tiberius (a.d. 14-37) was the current Emperor. On this coin was a claim of the deity of the Emperor. On the front of the coin it said "Tiberius Caesar Augustus, son of the Divine Augustus." On the back of the coin was a picture of Tiberius seated on a throne and the inscription "Highest Priest."
Mar_12:17 "'Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's'" Believers are to obey civil authority because God has ordained it (cf. Rom_13:1-7; Tit_3:1; 1Pe_2:13-14). The Greek term "render" may imply "give back to someone that which belongs to him."
▣ "'and to God the things that are God's'" Although the state has divine sanction, it does not have divine status. If the state claims ultimate authority, this is to be rejected by the followers of the one true God. Many have tried to promote and support the modern political doctrine of the separation of church and state from this verse. In a very limited sense this verse does address the issue, but it is surely not a Scriptural support for this modern political theory. This theory is a truth seen from history, not primarily from Scripture.