Focused Passage

Luke 20:20-26

The Rejected Son, the Questioned Authority, and the Lord Who Silences His Opponents

Jesus answers the leaders’ challenge to his authority, exposes their rejection of God’s beloved Son through the tenant parable, silences attempts to trap him politically and theologically, reveals the Messiah as David’s Lord, and warns against religious teachers who use piety for status and exploitation.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

20So they watched Him closely and sent spies who pretended to be sincere. They were hoping to catch Him in His words in order to hand Him over to the rule and authority of the governor.

21“Teacher,” they inquired, “we know that You speak and teach correctly. You show no partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.

22Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

23But Jesus saw through their duplicity and said to them,

24“Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” “Caesar’s,” they answered.

25So Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

26And they were unable to trap Him in His words before the people. And amazed at His answer, they fell silent.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 20

Original words

SoΚαὶG2532Conjunctionthey watched [Him] closelyπαρατηρήσαντεςG3906Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural[and] sentἀπέστειλανG649Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralspiesἐνκαθέτουςG1455Adjective - Accusative Masculine Pluralwho pretendedὑποκρινομένουςG5271Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Masculine Plural-ἑαυτοὺςG1438Reflexive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Pluralto beεἶναιG1510Verb - Present Infinitive ActivesincereδικαίουςG1342Adjective - Accusative Masculine PluralThey were hopingἵναG2443Conjunctionto catch [Him]ἐπιλάβωνταιG1949Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Middle - 3rd Person Pluralin HisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person SingularwordsλόγουG3056Noun - Genitive Masculine Singularin orderὥστεG5620Conjunctionto hand Him overπαραδοῦναιG3860Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active. . .αὐτὸνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singularto theτῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingularruleἀρχῇG746Noun - Dative Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunction-τῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingularauthorityἐξουσίᾳG1849Noun - Dative Feminine Singularof theτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingulargovernorἡγεμόνοςG2232Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 21

Original words

TeacherΔιδάσκαλεG1320Noun - Vocative Masculine Singular-καὶG2532Conjunctionthey inquiredἐπηρώτησανG1905Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural. . .αὐτὸνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular. . .λέγοντεςG3004Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Pluralwe knowοἴδαμενG1492Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person PluralthatὅτιG3754ConjunctionYou speakλέγειςG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionteachδιδάσκειςG1321Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person SingularcorrectlyὀρθῶςG3723Adverb-καὶG2532ConjunctionYou show no partialityοὐG3756Adverb. . .λαμβάνειςG2983Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular. . .πρόσωπονG4383Noun - Accusative Neuter Singularbutἀλλ’G235ConjunctionteachδιδάσκειςG1321Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person SingulartheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularwayὁδὸνG3598Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine Singularin accordance withἐπ’G1909Prepositionthe truthἀληθείαςG225Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Verse 22

Original words

Is it lawfulἔξεστινG1832Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularfor usἡμᾶςG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Pluralto payδοῦναιG1325Verb - Aorist Infinitive ActivetaxesφόρονG5411Noun - Accusative Masculine Singularto CaesarΚαίσαριG2541Noun - Dative Masculine SingularorG2228ConjunctionnotοὔG3756Adverb
Verse 23

Original words

ButδὲG1161Conjunction[Jesus] saw throughΚατανοήσαςG2657Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingulartheirαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularduplicityπανουργίανG3834Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular[and] saidεἶπενG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulartoπρὸςG4314PrepositionthemαὐτούςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Verse 24

Original words

ShowΔείξατέG1166Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person PluralMeμοιG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singulara denariusδηνάριονG1220Noun - Accusative Neuter SingularWhoseτίνοςG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Genitive Masculine SingularimageεἰκόναG1504Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctioninscriptionἐπιγραφήνG1923Noun - Accusative Feminine Singularare on itἔχειG2192Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularCaesar’sΚαίσαροςG2541Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular-δὲG1161Conjunction-ΟἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine Pluralthey answeredεἶπανG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural

BSB notes

  • A denarius was customarily a day’s wage for a laborer; see Matthew 20:2.
Verse 25

Original words

-δὲG1161Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularSoΤοίνυνG5106Conjunction[Jesus] toldεἶπενG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. . .πρὸςG4314PrepositionthemαὐτούςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person PluralGiveἀπόδοτεG591Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Pluralto CaesarΚαίσαριG2541Noun - Dative Masculine Singularwhat [is]τὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluralCaesar’sΚαίσαροςG2541Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunction-τῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine Singularto GodΘεῷG2316Noun - Dative Masculine Singularwhat [is]τὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter Plural-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularGod’sΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 26

Original words

AndΚαὶG2532ConjunctionvvvοὐκG3756Adverbthey were unableἴσχυσανG2480Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Pluralto trap Him inἐπιλαβέσθαιG1949Verb - Aorist Infinitive MiddleHisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person SingularwordsῥήματοςG4487Noun - Genitive Neuter SingularbeforeἐναντίονG1726PrepositiontheτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularpeopleλαοῦG2992Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularAndκαὶG2532ConjunctionamazedθαυμάσαντεςG2296Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluralatἐπὶG1909PrepositionHisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular-τῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingularanswerἀποκρίσειG612Noun - Dative Feminine Singularthey fell silentἐσίγησανG4601Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.