And they were unable to catch Him in a statement in the presence of the people; and they were amazed at His answer, and said nothing.
Parallel translations
- WEB They weren’t able to trap him in his words before the people. They marveled at his answer, and were silent.
- KJV And they could not take hold of his words before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace.
- BSB And they were unable to trap Him in His words before the people; and amazed at His answer, they fell silent.
- NKJV But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.
- NLT So they failed to trap him by what he said in front of the people. Instead, they were amazed by his answer, and they became silent.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus' opponents failed to catch Him in His words about taxes, and were left silent and amazed at His wisdom.
Overview
After the trap about paying tribute to Caesar, the spies could find nothing to use against Jesus before the crowd. His answer silenced them and provoked wonder rather than accusation. This shows the perfect wisdom of the One in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Luke 20:20They watched him, and sent out spies, who pretended to be righteous, that they might trap him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the power and authority of the governor.
- Matt 22:22When they heard it, they marveled, and left him, and went away.
- Rom 3:19Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God.
- Job 5:12–13He frustrates the devices of the crafty, So that their hands can’t perform their enterprise.
- Luke 20:39–40Some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you speak well.”
- Matt 22:12and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here not wearing wedding clothing?’ He was speechless.
- Matt 22:34But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, gathered themselves together.
- Prov 26:4–5Don’t answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.
- 2 Tim 3:8–9Even as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so do these also oppose the truth; men corrupted in mind, who concerning the faith, are rejected.
- Luke 13:17As he said these things, all his adversaries were disappointed, and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.
- Titus 1:10For there are also many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 20:26 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.