Mark 12 16

Mark 12:16 kjv

And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar's.

Mark 12:16 nkjv

So they brought it. And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" They said to Him, "Caesar's."

Mark 12:16 niv

They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose image is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied.

Mark 12:16 esv

And they brought one. And he said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They said to him, "Caesar's."

Mark 12:16 nlt

When they handed it to him, he asked, "Whose picture and title are stamped on it?" "Caesar's," they replied.

Mark 12 verses

Mark 12 16 Meaning

Mark 12:16 is part of the "Render to Caesar" narrative where opponents try to trap Jesus with a question about paying taxes to the Roman Emperor. In this verse, Jesus asks to see a Roman coin (a denarius), and upon inspecting its features, asks the critical question: "Whose is this image and inscription?" Their immediate and uncoerced answer, "Caesar's," confirms the coin's ownership by the secular authority. This sets the stage for Jesus' profound teaching on the distinction between earthly and divine obligations, recognizing Caesar's legitimate domain over his coinage while implying God's claim over what bears His image.

Mark 12 16 Context

Mark 12:16 is nestled within a series of confrontations between Jesus and various Jewish leadership groups in Jerusalem, just days before His crucifixion. Following the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, which clearly indicts the chief priests and scribes, these leaders seek to trap Jesus in His words. The immediate context of verses 13-17 describes Pharisees and Herodians joining forces – a rare alliance given their opposing views on Roman rule (Pharisees generally resented it; Herodians supported it due to their connection to Herod Antipas, a client king of Rome). Their goal was to either force Jesus to endorse the Roman tax, thereby alienating His Jewish followers and appearing unpatriotic, or to forbid it, leading to charges of sedition against Rome. The question "Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" (Mk 12:14) was a carefully crafted political and religious dilemma. Jesus' request to "Bring me a denarius" in verse 15, and subsequent inquiry in verse 16, pivot the entire confrontation, shifting the focus from His answer to the coin itself and its implications for the questioners. Historically, a denarius featured the head of Tiberius Caesar (the reigning emperor), often with an inscription claiming his divine lineage and title as "Pontifex Maximus" (chief priest), which Jewish people considered blasphemous and idolatrous.

Mark 12 16 Word analysis

• And they brought it: Indicates a direct, immediate response to Jesus' request. The act of bringing the coin shows their complicity with, and common usage of, Roman currency, highlighting their engagement with the very authority they were asking Jesus to defy or support.
• And he said to them: Jesus takes the initiative, shifting from being questioned to questioning His inquisitors, masterfully redirecting the trap.
• "Whose": (Greek: Tinos / τίνoς). This is a pronoun signifying ownership, possession, or source. Jesus focuses on provenance and belonging, leading the questioners to state the obvious truth of the coin's origin and authority.
• "is this": Refers specifically to the physical coin in their possession. It points to a tangible object representing imperial power.
• "image": (Greek: eikōn / εἰκὼν). This word is highly significant. An eikōn is more than just a picture; it signifies a representation that bears the likeness and authority of its original. On a Roman denarius, it was typically the head of the emperor (e.g., Tiberius Caesar), a visual symbol of imperial power. For the Jewish audience, such images were controversial due to the Second Commandment against graven images (Exod 20:4), and Caesar's image further exacerbated this as he was often seen as deified, conflicting with monotheistic belief. The deeper theological echo is that humans are created in God's eikōn (Gen 1:26-27).
• "and inscription": (Greek: epigraphē / ἐπιγραφή). This refers to the writing on the coin. On a denarius of Tiberius, it would likely include phrases like "Tiberius Caesar Augustus, Son of the Divine Augustus," and "Pontifex Maximus" (Chief Priest). This inscription openly asserted Roman imperial dominion and blasphemous divine claims, further highlighting the tension for devout Jews using such currency. The inscription reinforces the identity and claims associated with the eikōn.
• "Caesar's": (Greek: Kaisaros / Καίσαρος). This direct answer from the questioners themselves acknowledges Roman ownership and authority over the coin. It's an admission that the physical coin, with its problematic image and inscription, belongs to the Roman Emperor. This immediate and undeniable truth then becomes the pivot for Jesus' famous teaching. It's a pragmatic recognition of worldly fact.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Whose is this image and inscription?": This composite question precisely identifies the two defining characteristics of the Roman coin—its visual representation (image) and its textual claim (inscription). By focusing on these, Jesus highlights that the coin fundamentally embodies and represents Caesar's authority and domain. It forces the accusers to confront the implications of the coin they readily use. The question also subtly prepares for Jesus' following statement, contrasting what belongs to Caesar with what belongs to God by drawing an analogy between "image/inscription" on the coin and God's "image" on humanity.

Mark 12 16 Bonus section

• The fact that the Pharisees, who were deeply opposed to idolatry, possessed and readily produced a coin with Caesar's deified image and inscription highlighted their hypocrisy and willingness to compromise with Roman authority when it suited their agenda.
• The "denarius" was a common silver Roman coin, equivalent to a day's wage for a laborer, signifying its widespread use and the pervasive nature of Roman authority in daily life, even in religious centers.
• Jesus' counter-question about the image and inscription foreshadows His next teaching in Mark 12:17, where the true implication of bearing an image (God's image) comes into play. If the coin belongs to Caesar because it bears his image, then what about humanity, created in the image of God?
• This verse underscores Jesus' unwillingness to be drawn into partisan political debates, instead elevating the discourse to one of eternal spiritual principles.

Mark 12 16 Commentary

Mark 12:16 marks a pivotal moment where Jesus cleverly disarms His opponents by redirecting their trap. Instead of directly answering the loaded question about paying taxes, Jesus elicits the truth from them regarding the Roman coin. By simply asking about the coin's "image and inscription," Jesus forces His questioners to acknowledge Caesar's undeniable ownership and authority over that which bears his mark. Their reluctant confession, "Caesar's," provides the very premise for Jesus' subsequent, profound pronouncement: "Render to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." This masterful reply distinguishes between the temporal authority of earthly rulers and the supreme authority of God, while simultaneously exposing the hypocrisy of those who both used Caesar's currency and sought to trap Jesus by it. It demonstrates Jesus' divine wisdom in navigating a political minefield, prioritizing divine obligation without rejecting legitimate civic duty.