Discovery BoxMatthew 22:15-40
Context22:15 Then the Pharisees 1 went out and planned together to entrap him with his own words. 2 22:16 They sent to him their disciples along with the Herodians, 3 saying, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful, and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 4 You do not court anyone’s favor because you show no partiality. 5 22:17 Tell us then, what do you think? Is it right 6 to pay taxes 7 to Caesar 8 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.” So 9 they brought him a denarius. 10 22:20 Jesus 11 said to them, “Whose image 12 is this, and whose inscription?” 22:21 They replied, 13 “Caesar’s.” He said to them, 14 “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 15 22:22 Now when they heard this they were stunned, 16 and they left him and went away.
22:23 The same day Sadducees 17 (who say there is no resurrection) 18 came to him and asked him, 19 22:24 “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and father children 20 for his brother.’ 21 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 Last 22 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.” 23 22:29 Jesus 24 answered them, “You are deceived, 25 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 angels 26 in heaven. 22:31 Now as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, 27 22:32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 28 He is not the God of the dead but of the living!” 29 22:33 When the crowds heard this, they were amazed at his teaching.
22:34 Now when the Pharisees 30 heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, 31 they assembled together. 32 22:35 And one of them, an expert in religious law, 33 asked him a question to test 34 him: 22:36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 35 22:37 Jesus 36 said to him, “‘Love 37 the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 22:38 This is the first and greatest 39 commandment. 22:39 The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 22:40 All the law and the prophets depend 41 on these two commandments.”
[22:15] 1 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[22:15] 2 tn Grk “trap him in word.”
[22:16] 3 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
[22:16] 4 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.
[22:16] 5 tn Grk “And it is not a concern to you about anyone because you do not see the face of men.”
[22:17] 6 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.
[22:17] 7 tn According to L&N 57.180 the term κῆνσος (khnso") was borrowed from Latin and referred to a poll tax, a tax paid by each adult male to the Roman government.
[22:17] 8 tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).
[22:19] 9 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate their response to Jesus’ request for a coin.
[22:19] 10 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 (dhnarion) has been translated simply as “silver coin” with an explanatory note.
[22:20] 11 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[22:20] 12 tn Or “whose likeness.”
[22:21] 13 tn Grk “they said to him.”
[22:21] 14 tn Grk “then he said to them.” τότε (tote) has not been translated to avoid redundancy.
[22:21] 15 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.
[22:22] 16 tn Grk “they were amazed; they marveled.”
[22:23] 17 sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
[22:23] 18 sn This remark is best regarded as a parenthetical note by the author.
[22:23] 19 tn Grk “and asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[22:24] 20 tn Grk “and raise up seed,” an idiom for fathering children (L&N 23.59).
[22:24] 21 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.
[22:27] 22 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[22:28] 23 tn Grk “For all had her.”
[22:29] 24 tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
[22:29] 25 tn Or “mistaken” (cf. BDAG 822 s.v. πλανάω 2.c.γ).
[22:30] 26 tc Most witnesses have “of God” after “angels,” although some
[22:31] 27 tn Grk “spoken to you by God, saying.” The participle λέγοντος (legontos) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[22:32] 28 sn A quotation from Exod 3:6.
[22:32] 29 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.
[22:34] 30 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[22:34] 31 sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
[22:34] 32 tn Grk “for the same.” That is, for the same purpose that the Sadducees had of testing Jesus.
[22:35] 33 tn Traditionally, “a lawyer.” This was an expert in the interpretation of the Mosaic law.
[22:35] 34 tn Grk “testing.” The participle, however, is telic in force.
[22:36] 35 tn Or possibly “What sort of commandment in the law is great?”
[22:37] 36 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[22:37] 37 tn Grk “You will love.” The future indicative is used here with imperatival force (see ExSyn 452 and 569).
[22:37] 38 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.
[22:38] 39 tn Grk “the great and first.”
[22:39] 40 sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.
[22:40] 41 tn Grk “hang.” The verb κρεμάννυμι (kremannumi) is used here with a figurative meaning (cf. BDAG 566 s.v. 2.b).
