Show me the tax money.” They brought to him a denarius.
Parallel translations
- KJV Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.
- BSB Show Me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought Him a denarius.
- NKJV Show Me the tax money.” So they brought Him a denarius.
- NASB Show Me the coin used for the poll-tax.” And they brought Him a denarius.
- NLT Here, show me the coin used for the tax.” When they handed him a Roman coin,
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 asks to see the coin used for the tax, and they bring a denarius. He turns their own coin into a teaching tool.
Overview
By requesting the tax coin, Jesus draws attention to the denarius bearing Caesar's image and inscription. That His questioners possess and use such coinage already implies their participation in the Roman economic order. This sets up His memorable principle about what is owed to Caesar and to God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Matt 20:2When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
- Matt 18:28“But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him one hundred denarii, and he grabbed him, and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’
- Rev 6:6I heard a voice in the middle of the four living creatures saying, “A choenix of wheat for a denarius, and three choenix of barley for a denarius! Don’t damage the oil and the wine!”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 22:19 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.