Focused Passage

Mark 12:13-17

The Rejected Son, the Greatest Commandment, the Lord of David, and the Widow’s Offering

Mark 12 moves from the parable of the murderous tenants to hostile questions about taxes, resurrection, and the greatest commandment, then to Jesus' question about the Messiah as David's Lord, his warning against scribal hypocrisy, and his commendation of the poor widow's whole-life offering.

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

13 Later, they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to catch Jesus in His words.

14 “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and seek favor from no one. Indeed, You are impartial and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them or not?”

15 But Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to inspect.”

16 So they brought it, and He asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they answered.

17 Then Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” And they marveled at Him.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 13

Original words

Later Καὶ G2532 Conjunction they sent ἀποστέλλουσιν G649 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural - πρὸς G4314 Preposition - αὐτόν G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular some τινας G5100 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Plural of the τῶν G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Plural Pharisees Φαρισαίων G5330 Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural and καὶ G2532 Conjunction - τῶν G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Plural Herodians Ἡρῳδιανῶν G2265 Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural to ἵνα G2443 Conjunction catch ἀγρεύσωσιν G64 Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Plural [Jesus] αὐτὸν G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular in [His] words λόγῳ G3056 Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Verse 14

Original words

Teacher Διδάσκαλε G1320 Noun - Vocative Masculine Singular - καὶ G2532 Conjunction vvv ἐλθόντες G2064 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural they said λέγουσιν G3004 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural . . . αὐτῷ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular we know οἴδαμεν G1492 Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural that ὅτι G3754 Conjunction You are εἶ G1510 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular honest ἀληθὴς G227 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction - σοι G4771 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Singular vvv οὐ G3756 Adverb seek favor μέλει G3199 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular from περὶ G4012 Preposition no one οὐδενός G3762 Adjective - Genitive Masculine Singular Indeed γὰρ G1063 Conjunction vvv οὐ G3756 Adverb You are impartial βλέπεις G991 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular . . . εἰς G1519 Preposition . . . πρόσωπον G4383 Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular . . . ἀνθρώπων G444 Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural [and] ἀλλ’ G235 Conjunction teach διδάσκεις G1321 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular the τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular way ὁδὸν G3598 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular - τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Singular of God Θεοῦ G2316 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular in accordance with ἐπ’ G1909 Preposition [the] truth ἀληθείας G225 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Is it lawful ἔξεστιν G1832 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular to pay δοῦναι G1325 Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active taxes κῆνσον G2778 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular to Caesar Καίσαρι G2541 Noun - Dative Masculine Singular or G2228 Conjunction not οὔ G3756 Adverb Should we pay [them] δῶμεν G1325 Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 1st Person Plural or G2228 Conjunction not μὴ G3361 Adverb - δῶμεν G1325 Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 1st Person Plural
Verse 15

Original words

But δὲ G1161 Conjunction - G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular [Jesus] saw through εἰδὼς G1492 Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular their αὐτῶν G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural - τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular hypocrisy ὑπόκρισιν G5272 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular [and] said εἶπεν G2036 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular - αὐτοῖς G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural Why Τί G5101 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular are you testing πειράζετε G3985 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural Me με G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Singular Bring φέρετέ G5342 Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural Me μοι G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singular a denarius δηνάριον G1220 Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular to ἵνα G2443 Conjunction inspect ἴδω G3708 Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 1st Person Singular

BSB notes

  • A denarius was customarily a day’s wage for a laborer; see Matthew 20:2.
Verse 16

Original words

[So] δὲ G1161 Conjunction - οἱ G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Plural they brought [it] ἤνεγκαν G5342 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural and καὶ G2532 Conjunction He asked λέγει G3004 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular them αὐτοῖς G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural Whose Τίνος G5101 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Genitive Masculine Singular - G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Singular image εἰκὼν G1504 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular [is] this αὕτη G3778 Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Singular And καὶ G2532 Conjunction [whose] G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Singular inscription ἐπιγραφή G1923 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular Caesar’s Καίσαρος G2541 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular - δὲ G1161 Conjunction - Οἱ G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Plural they answered εἶπαν G2036 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural - αὐτῷ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Verse 17

Original words

Then δὲ G1161 Conjunction - G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular Jesus Ἰησοῦς G2424 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular told εἶπεν G2036 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular them αὐτοῖς G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural Give ἀπόδοτε G591 Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural to Caesar Καίσαρι G2541 Noun - Dative Masculine Singular what is Τὰ G3588 Article - Accusative Neuter Plural Caesar’s Καίσαρος G2541 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction - τῷ G3588 Article - Dative Masculine Singular to God Θεῷ G2316 Noun - Dative Masculine Singular what is τὰ G3588 Article - Accusative Neuter Plural - τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Singular God’s Θεοῦ G2316 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular And Καὶ G2532 Conjunction they marveled ἐξεθαύμαζον G2296 Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural at ἐπ’ G1909 Preposition Him αὐτῷ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular

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.