Matthew 22:15–23:36

Paying Taxes to Caesar

22:15 Then the Pharisees9 went out and planned together to entrap him with his own words.10 22:16 They sent to him their disciples along with the Herodians,11 saying, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful, and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.12 You do not court anyone’s favor because you show no partiality.13 22:17 Tell us then, what do you think? Is it right14 to pay taxes15 to Caesar16 or not?”

22:18 But Jesus realized their evil intentions and said, “Hypocrites! Why are you testing me? 22:19 Show me the coin used for the tax.” So17 they brought him a denarius.18 22:20 Jesus19 said to them, “Whose image20 is this, and whose inscription?” 22:21 They replied,21 “Caesar’s.” He said to them,22 “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”23 22:22 Now when they heard this they were stunned,24 and they left him and went away.

Marriage and the Resurrection

22:23 The same day Sadducees25 (who say there is no resurrection)26 came to him and asked him,27 22:24 “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and father children28 for his brother.’29 22:25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children he left his wife to his brother. 22:26 The second did the same, and the third, down to the seventh. 22:27 Last30 of all, the woman died. 22:28 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her.”31 22:29 Jesus32 answered them, “You are deceived,33 because you don’t know the scriptures or the power of God. 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels34 in heaven. 22:31 Now as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God,35 22:32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?36 He is not the God of the dead but of the living!”37 22:33 When the crowds heard this, they were amazed at his teaching.

The Greatest Commandment

22:34 Now when the Pharisees38 heard that he had silenced the Sadducees,39 they assembled together.40 22:35 And one of them, an expert in religious law,41 asked him a question to test42 him: 22:36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”43 22:37 Jesus44 said to him, “ ‘Love45 the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’46 22:38 This is the first and greatest47 commandment. 22:39 The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’48 22:40 All the law and the prophets depend49 on these two commandments.”

The Messiah: David’s Son and Lord

22:41 While50 the Pharisees51 were assembled, Jesus asked them a question:52 22:42 “What do you think about the Christ?53 Whose son is he?” They said, “The son of David.”54 22:43 He said to them, “How then does David by the Spirit call him ‘Lord,’ saying,

22:44 ‘The Lord said to my lord,55

“Sit at my right hand,

until I put your enemies under your feet” ’?56

22:45 If David then calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”57 22:46 No one58 was able to answer him a word, and from that day on no one dared to question him any longer.

Seven Woes

23:1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 23:2 “The1 experts in the law2 and the Pharisees3 sit on Moses’ seat. 23:3 Therefore pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach.4 23:4 They5 tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them. 23:5 They6 do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries7 wide and their tassels8 long. 23:6 They9 love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues10 23:7 and elaborate greetings11 in the marketplaces, and to have people call them ‘Rabbi.’ 23:8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers. 23:9 And call no one your ‘father’ on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 23:10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one teacher, the Christ.12 23:11 The13 greatest among you will be your servant. 23:12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

23:13 “But woe to you, experts in the law14 and you Pharisees, hypocrites!15 You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven!16 For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in.17

23:15 “Woe to you, experts in the law18 and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert,19 and when you get one,20 you make him twice as much a child of hell21 as yourselves!

23:16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple is bound by nothing.22 But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by the oath.’ 23:17 Blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 23:18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing.23 But if anyone swears by the gift on it he is bound by the oath.’ 23:19 You are blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 23:20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 23:21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and the one who dwells in it. 23:22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and the one who sits on it.

23:23 “Woe to you, experts in the law24 and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth25 of mint, dill, and cumin,26 yet you neglect what is more important in the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You27 should have done these things without neglecting the others. 23:24 Blind guides! You strain out a gnat yet swallow a camel!28

23:25 “Woe to you, experts in the law29 and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 23:26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup,30 so that the outside may become clean too!

23:27 “Woe to you, experts in the law31 and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean.32 23:28 In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

23:29 “Woe to you, experts in the law33 and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You34 build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves35 of the righteous. 23:30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors,36 we would not have participated with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 23:31 By saying this you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 23:32 Fill up then the measure of your ancestors! 23:33 You snakes, you offspring of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?37

23:34 “For this reason I38 am sending you prophets and wise men and experts in the law,39 some of whom you will kill and crucify,40 and some you will flog41 in your synagogues42 and pursue from town to town, 23:35 so that on you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah,43 whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 23:36 I tell you the truth,44 this generation will be held responsible for all these things!45

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9	sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
10	tn Grk “trap him in word.”
11	sn The Herodians are mentioned in the NT only once in Matt (22:16 = Mark 12:13) and twice in Mark (3:6; 12:13; some mss also read “Herodians” instead of “Herod” in Mark 8:15). It is generally assumed that as a group the Herodians were Jewish supporters of the Herodian dynasty (or of Herod Antipas in particular). In every instance they are linked with the Pharisees. This probably reflects agreement regarding political objectives (nationalism as opposed to submission to the yoke of Roman oppression) rather than philosophy or religious beliefs.
12	sn Teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Very few comments are as deceitful as this one; they did not really believe this at all. The question of the Pharisees and Herodians was specifically designed to trap Jesus.
13	tn Grk “And it is not a concern to you about anyone because you do not see the face of men.”
14	tn Or “lawful,” that is, in accordance with God’s divine law. On the syntax of ἔξεστιν (exestin) with an infinitive and accusative, see BDF §409.3.
15	tn According to L&N 57.180 the term κῆνσος (kēnsos) was borrowed from Latin and referred to a poll tax, a tax paid by each adult male to the Roman government. sn This question concerning taxes was specifically designed to trap Jesus. If he answered yes, then his opponents could publicly discredit him as a sympathizer with Rome. If he answered no, then they could go to the Roman governor and accuse Jesus of rebellion.
16	tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).
17	tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate their response to Jesus’ request for a coin.
18	tn Here the specific name of the coin was retained in the translation, because not all coins in circulation in Palestine at the time carried the image of Caesar. In other places δηνάριον (dēnarion) has been translated simply as “silver coin” with an explanatory note. sn A denarius was a silver coin worth approximately one day’s wage for a laborer. The fact that they had such a coin showed that they already operated in the economic world of Rome. The denarius would have had a picture of Tiberius Caesar stamped on it.
19	tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
20	tn Or “whose likeness.” sn In this passage Jesus points to the image (Grk εἰκών, eikōn) of Caesar on the coin. This same Greek word is used in Gen 1:26 (LXX) to state that humanity is made in the “image” of God. Jesus is making a subtle yet powerful contrast: Caesar’s image is on the denarius, so he can lay claim to money through taxation, but God’s image is on humanity, so he can lay claim to each individual life.
21	tn Grk “they said to him.”
22	tn Grk “then he said to them.” τότε (tote) has not been translated to avoid redundancy.
23	sn Jesus’ answer to give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s was a both/and, not the questioners’ either/or. So he slipped out of their trap.
24	tn Grk “they were amazed; they marveled.”
25	sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
26	sn This remark is best regarded as a parenthetical note by the author.
27	tn Grk “and asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
28	tn Grk “and raise up seed,” an idiom for fathering children (L&N 23.59).
29	sn A quotation from Deut 25:5. This practice is called levirate marriage (see also Ruth 4:1–12; Mishnah, m. Yevamot; Josephus, Ant. 4.8.23 [4.254–256]). The levirate law is described in Deut 25:5–10. The brother of a man who died without a son had an obligation to marry his brother’s widow. This served several purposes: It provided for the widow in a society where a widow with no children to care for her would be reduced to begging, and it preserved the name of the deceased, who would be regarded as the legal father of the first son produced from that marriage.
30	tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
31	tn Grk “For all had her.”
32	tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
33	tn Or “mistaken” (cf. BDAG 822 s.v. πλανάω 2.c.γ).
34	tc Most witnesses have “of God” after “angels,” although some mss read ἄγγελοι θεοῦ (angeloi theou; א L f13 {28} 33 892 1241 1424 al) while others have ἄγγελοι τοῦ θεοῦ (angeloi tou theou; W 0102 0161 𝔐). Whether with or without the article, the reading “of God” appears to be motivated as a natural expansion. A few important witnesses lack the adjunct (B D Θ {0233} f1 700 {sa}); this coupled with strong internal evidence argues for the shorter reading. sn Angels do not die, nor do they eat according to Jewish tradition (1 En. 15:6; 51:4; Wis 5:5; 2 Bar. 51:10; 1QH 3.21–23).
35	tn Grk “spoken to you by God, saying.” The participle λέγοντος (legontos) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
36	sn A quotation from Exod 3:6.
37	sn He is not God of the dead but of the living. Jesus’ point was that if God could identify himself as God of the three old patriarchs, then they must still be alive when God spoke to Moses; and so they must be raised.
38	sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
39	sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
40	tn Grk “for the same.” That is, for the same purpose that the Sadducees had of testing Jesus.
41	tn Traditionally, “a lawyer.” This was an expert in the interpretation of the Mosaic law.
42	tn Grk “testing.” The participle, however, is telic in force.
43	tn Or possibly “What sort of commandment in the law is great?”
44	tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
45	tn Grk “You will love.” The future indicative is used here with imperatival force (see ExSyn 452 and 569).
46	sn A quotation from Deut 6:5. The threefold reference to different parts of the person says, in effect, that one should love God with all one’s being.
47	tn Grk “the great and first.”
48	sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.
49	tn Grk “hang.” The verb κρεμάννυμι (kremannumi) is used here with a figurative meaning (cf. BDAG 566 s.v. 2.b).
50	tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
51	sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
52	tn Grk “asked them a question, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is somewhat redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
53	tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
54	sn It was a common belief in Judaism that Messiah would be the son of David in that he would come from the lineage of David. On this point the Pharisees agreed and were correct. But their understanding was nonetheless incomplete, for Messiah is also David’s Lord. With this statement Jesus was affirming that, as the Messiah, he is both God and man.
55	sn The Lord said to my Lord. With David being the speaker, this indicates his respect for his descendant (referred to as my Lord). Jesus was arguing, as the ancient exposition assumed, that the passage is about the Lord’s anointed. The passage looks at an enthronement of this figure and a declaration of honor for him as he takes his place at the side of God. In Jerusalem, the king’s palace was located to the right of the temple to indicate this kind of relationship. Jesus was pressing the language here to get his opponents to reflect on how great Messiah is.
56	sn A quotation from Ps 110:1.
57	tn Grk “how is he his son?”
58	tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
1	tn Grk “saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
2	tn Or “The scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
3	sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
4	tn Grk “for they say and do not do.”
5	tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
6	tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
7	sn Phylacteries were small leather cases containing OT scripture verses, worn on the arm and forehead by Jews, especially when praying. The custom was derived from such OT passages as Exod 13:9; 16; Deut 6:8; 11:18.
8	tn The term κράσπεδον (kraspedon) in some contexts could refer to the outer fringe of the garment (possibly in Mark 6:56). This edge could have been plain or decorated. L&N 6.180 states, “In Mt 23:5 κράσπεδον denotes the tassels worn at the four corners of the outer garment (see 6.194).” sn Tassels refer to the tassels that a male Israelite was obligated to wear on the four corners of his outer garment according to the Mosaic law (Num 15:38; Deut 22:12).
9	tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
10	sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
11	sn There is later Jewish material in the Talmud that spells out such greetings in detail. See H. Windisch, TDNT 1:498.
12	tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
13	tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
14	tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
15	tn Grk “Woe to you … because you …” The causal particle ὄτι (hoti) has not been translated here for rhetorical effect (and so throughout this chapter).
16	tn Grk “because you are closing the kingdom of heaven before people.”
17	tc The most important mss (א B D L Z Θ f1 33 892* pc and several versional witnesses) do not have 23:14 “Woe to you experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You devour widows’ property, and as a show you pray long prayers! Therefore you will receive a more severe punishment.” Part or all of the verse is contained (either after v. 12 or after v. 13) in W 0102 0107 f13 𝔐 and several versions, but it is almost certainly not original. The present translation follows NA 27 in omitting the verse number as well, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations. Note also that Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47 are very similar in wording and are not disputed textually.
18	tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
19	tn Or “one proselyte.”
20	tn Grk “when he becomes [one].”
21	tn Grk “a son of Gehenna.” Expressions constructed with υἱός (huios) followed by a genitive of class or kind denote a person belonging to the class or kind specified by the following genitive (L&N 9.4). Thus the phrase here means “a person who belongs to hell.” sn See the note on the word hell in 5:22.
22	tn Grk “Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing.”
23	tn Grk “Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing.”
24	tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
25	tn Or “you tithe mint.”
26	sn Cumin (alternately spelled cummin) was an aromatic herb native to the Mediterranean region. Its seeds were used for seasoning.
27	tc ‡ Many witnesses (B C K L W Δ 0102 33 565 892 pm) have δέ (de, “but”) after ταῦτα (tauta, “these things”), while many others lack it (א D Γ Θ f1, 13 579 700 1241 1424 pm). Since asyndeton was relatively rare in Koine Greek, the conjunction may be an intentional alteration, and is thus omitted from the present translation. NA 27 includes the word in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
28	tn Grk “Blind guides who strain out a gnat yet who swallow a camel!”
29	tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
30	tc A very difficult textual problem is found here. The most important Alexandrian and Byzantine, as well as significant Western, witnesses (א B C L W 0102 0281 f13 33 𝔐 lat co) have “and the dish” (καὶ τῆς παροψίδος, kai tēs paropsidos) after “cup,” while few important witnesses (D Θ f1 700 and some versional and patristic authorities) omit the phrase. On the one hand, scribes sometimes tended to eliminate redundancy; since “and the dish” is already present in v. 25, it may have been deleted in v. 26 by well-meaning scribes. On the other hand, as B. M. Metzger notes, the singular pronoun αὐτοῦ (autou, “its”) with τὸ ἐκτός (to ektos, “the outside”) in some of the same witnesses that have the longer reading (viz., B* f13 al) hints that their archetype lacked the words (TCGNT 50). Further, scribes would be motivated both to add the phrase from v. 25 and to change αὐτοῦ to the plural pronoun αὐτῶν (aujtōn, “their”). Although the external evidence for the shorter reading is not compelling in itself, combined with these two prongs of internal evidence, it is to be slightly preferred.
31	tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
32	sn This was an idiom for hypocrisy—just as the wall was painted on the outside but something different on the inside, so this person was not what he appeared or pretended to be (for discussion of a similar metaphor, see L&N 88.234; BDAG 1010 s.v. τοῖχος). See Deut 28:22; Ezek 13:10–16; Acts 23:3.
33	tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
34	tn Grk “Because you.” Here ὄτι (hoti) has not been translated.
35	tn Or perhaps “the monuments” (see L&N 7.75–76).
36	tn Grk “fathers” (so also in v. 32).
37	tn Grk “the judgment of Gehenna.” sn See the note on the word hell in 5:22.
38	tn Grk “behold I am sending.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
39	tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
40	sn See the note on crucified in 20:19.
41	tn BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1.a states, “of flogging as a punishment decreed by the synagogue (Dt 25:2f; s. the Mishna Tractate Sanhedrin-Makkoth, edited w. notes by SKrauss ’33) w. acc. of pers. Mt 10:17; 23:34.”
42	sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
43	sn Spelling of this name (Βαραχίου, Barachiou) varies among the English versions: “Barachiah” (RSV, NRSV); “Berechiah” (NASB); “Berachiah” (NIV).
44	tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
45	tn Grk “all these things will come on this generation.”

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