Mark 12:13-15 New English Translation

Paying Taxes to Caesar

¹³Then^[a] they sent some of the Pharisees^[b] and Herodians^[c] to trap him with his own words.^[d] ¹⁴When they came they said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and do not court anyone’s favor, because you show no partiality^[e] but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.^[f] Is it right^[g] to pay taxes^[h] to Caesar^[i] or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?” ¹⁵But he saw through their hypocrisy and said^[j] to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius^[k] and let me look at it.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Mark 12:13 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Mark 12:13 sn See the note on Pharisees in 2:16.
Mark 12:13 sn Pharisees and Herodians made a very interesting alliance. W. W. Wessel (“Mark,” EBC 8:733) comments: “The Herodians were as obnoxious to the Pharisees on political grounds as the Sadducees were on theological grounds. Yet the two groups united in their opposition to Jesus. Collaboration in wickedness, as well as goodness, has great power. Their purpose was to trip Jesus up in his words so that he would lose the support of the people, leaving the way open for them to destroy him.” See also the note on “Herodians” in Mark 3:6.
Mark 12:13 tn Grk “trap him in word.”
Mark 12:14 tn Grk “and it is not a concern to you about anyone because you do not see the face of men.”
Mark 12:14 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.
Mark 12:14 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.
Mark 12:14 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.
Mark 12:14 tn Or “the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).
Mark 12:15 tn Grk “Aware of their hypocrisy he said.”
Mark 12:15 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 stamped with the image of the emperor and worth approximately one day’s wage for a laborer.

New English Translation (NET)