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

13Later, 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?”

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

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

17Then 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

LaterΚαὶG2532Conjunctionthey sentἀποστέλλουσινG649Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural-πρὸςG4314Preposition-αὐτόνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person SingularsomeτιναςG5100Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Pluralof theτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluralPhariseesΦαρισαίωνG5330Noun - Genitive Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunction-τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluralHerodiansἩρῳδιανῶνG2265Noun - Genitive Masculine PluraltoἵναG2443ConjunctioncatchἀγρεύσωσινG64Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Plural[Jesus]αὐτὸνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singularin [His] wordsλόγῳG3056Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Verse 14

Original words

TeacherΔιδάσκαλεG1320Noun - Vocative Masculine Singular-καὶG2532ConjunctionvvvἐλθόντεςG2064Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Pluralthey saidλέγουσινG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural. . .αὐτῷG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singularwe knowοἴδαμενG1492Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person PluralthatὅτιG3754ConjunctionYou areεἶG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person SingularhonestἀληθὴςG227Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunction-σοιG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person SingularvvvοὐG3756Adverbseek favorμέλειG3199Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularfromπερὶG4012Prepositionno oneοὐδενόςG3762Adjective - Genitive Masculine SingularIndeedγὰρG1063ConjunctionvvvοὐG3756AdverbYou are impartialβλέπειςG991Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular. . .εἰςG1519Preposition. . .πρόσωπονG4383Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular. . .ἀνθρώπωνG444Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural[and]ἀλλ’G235ConjunctionteachδιδάσκειςG1321Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person SingulartheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularwayὁδὸνG3598Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine Singularin accordance withἐπ’G1909Preposition[the] truthἀληθείαςG225Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularIs it lawfulἔξεστινG1832Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularto payδοῦναιG1325Verb - Aorist Infinitive ActivetaxesκῆνσονG2778Noun - Accusative Masculine Singularto CaesarΚαίσαριG2541Noun - Dative Masculine SingularorG2228ConjunctionnotοὔG3756AdverbShould we pay [them]δῶμενG1325Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 1st Person PluralorG2228ConjunctionnotμὴG3361Adverb-δῶμενG1325Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 1st Person Plural
Verse 15

Original words

ButδὲG1161Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine Singular[Jesus] saw throughεἰδὼςG1492Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingulartheirαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularhypocrisyὑπόκρισινG5272Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular[and] saidεἶπενG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-αὐτοῖςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person PluralWhyΤίG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singularare you testingπειράζετεG3985Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralMeμεG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person SingularBringφέρετέG5342Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person PluralMeμοιG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singulara denariusδηνάριονG1220Noun - Accusative Neuter SingulartoἵναG2443ConjunctioninspectἴδωG3708Verb - 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]δὲG1161Conjunction-οἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine Pluralthey brought [it]ἤνεγκανG5342Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionHe askedλέγειG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularthemαὐτοῖςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person PluralWhoseΤίνοςG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Genitive Masculine Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularimageεἰκὼνG1504Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular[is] thisαὕτηG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Feminine SingularAndκαὶG2532Conjunction[whose]G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularinscriptionἐπιγραφήG1923Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularCaesar’sΚαίσαροςG2541Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular-δὲG1161Conjunction-ΟἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine Pluralthey answeredεἶπανG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural-αὐτῷG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Verse 17

Original words

ThenδὲG1161Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularJesusἸησοῦςG2424Noun - Nominative Masculine SingulartoldεἶπενG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularthemαὐτοῖςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person PluralGiveἀπόδοτεG591Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Pluralto CaesarΚαίσαριG2541Noun - Dative Masculine Singularwhat isΤὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluralCaesar’sΚαίσαροςG2541Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunction-τῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine Singularto GodΘεῷG2316Noun - Dative Masculine Singularwhat isτὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter Plural-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularGod’sΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularAndΚαὶG2532Conjunctionthey marveledἐξεθαύμαζονG2296Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Pluralatἐπ’G1909PrepositionHimαὐτῷG846Personal / 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.