Focused Passage

Matthew 22:15-22

The Wedding Banquet, the King’s Invitation, and the Messiah Who Is David’s Lord

Matthew moves from parabolic judgment against those who refuse the King’s Son, to warning against presumptuous attendance without proper response, to political testing over Caesar, to theological testing over resurrection, to legal testing over the greatest commandment, and finally to Jesus’ own question revealing that the Messiah is not merely David’s son but David’s Lord.

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

15 Then the Pharisees went out and conspired to trap Jesus in His words.

16 They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and that You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You seek favor from no one, because You pay no attention to external appearance.

17 So tell us what You think: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

18 But Jesus knew their evil intent and said, “You hypocrites, why are you testing Me?

19 Show Me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought Him a denarius.

20 “Whose image is this,” He asked, “and whose inscription?”

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

22 And when they heard this, they were amazed. So they left Him and went away.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 15

Original words

Then Τότε G5119 Adverb the οἱ G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Plural Pharisees Φαρισαῖοι G5330 Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural went out πορευθέντες G4198 Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural [and] conspired ἔλαβον G2983 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural . . . συμβούλιον G4824 Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular . . . ὅπως G3704 Conjunction to trap παγιδεύσωσιν G3802 Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Plural [Jesus] αὐτὸν G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular in ἐν G1722 Preposition His words λόγῳ G3056 Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Verse 16

Original words

- καὶ G2532 Conjunction They sent ἀποστέλλουσιν G649 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural their αὐτῶν G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural - τοὺς G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Plural disciples μαθητὰς G3101 Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural to Him αὐτῷ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular along with μετὰ G3326 Preposition the τῶν G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Plural Herodians Ἡρῳδιανῶν G2265 Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural Teacher Διδάσκαλε G1320 Noun - Vocative Masculine Singular they said λέγοντες* G3004 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural 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 [that] καὶ G2532 Conjunction You 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 ἐν G1722 Preposition the truth ἀληθείᾳ G225 Noun - Dative Feminine Singular - καὶ G2532 Conjunction You σοι G4771 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Singular seek favor μέλει G3199 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular from περὶ G4012 Preposition vvv οὐ G3756 Adverb no one οὐδενός G3762 Adjective - Genitive Masculine Singular because γὰρ G1063 Conjunction vvv οὐ G3756 Adverb You pay no attention βλέπεις G991 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular to εἰς G1519 Preposition external appearance πρόσωπον G4383 Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular . . . ἀνθρώπων G444 Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Verse 17

Original words

So οὖν G3767 Conjunction tell εἰπὸν G2036 Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular us ἡμῖν G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Plural what τί G5101 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Singular You σοι G4771 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Singular think δοκεῖ G1380 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person 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
Verse 18

Original words

But δὲ G1161 Conjunction - G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular Jesus Ἰησοῦς G2424 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular knew Γνοὺς G1097 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular their αὐτῶν G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural - τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular evil intent πονηρίαν G4189 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular [and] said εἶπεν G2036 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular You hypocrites ὑποκριταί G5273 Noun - Vocative Masculine 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
Verse 19

Original words

Show ἐπιδείξατέ G1925 Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural Me μοι G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singular the τὸ G3588 Article - Accusative Neuter Singular coin νόμισμα G3546 Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular used for τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Singular the tax κήνσου G2778 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular And δὲ G1161 Conjunction - Οἱ G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Plural they brought προσήνεγκαν G4374 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural Him αὐτῷ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular a denarius δηνάριον G1220 Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular

BSB notes

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

Original words

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 - Καὶ G2532 Conjunction He asked λέγει G3004 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular . . . αὐτοῖς G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural and καὶ G2532 Conjunction whose G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Singular inscription ἐπιγραφή G1923 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Verse 21

Original words

Caesar’s Καίσαρος G2541 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular they answered Λέγουσιν G3004 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural . . . αὐτῷ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular So οὖν G3767 Conjunction - Τότε G5119 Adverb [Jesus] told λέγει G3004 Verb - Present 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
Verse 22

Original words

And Καὶ G2532 Conjunction when they heard [this] ἀκούσαντες G191 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural they were amazed ἐθαύμασαν G2296 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural So καὶ G2532 Conjunction they left ἀφέντες G863 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural Him αὐτὸν G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular [and] went away ἀπῆλθαν G565 Verb - 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.