Matthew 22 19

Matthew 22:19 kjv

Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.

Matthew 22:19 nkjv

Show Me the tax money." So they brought Him a denarius.

Matthew 22:19 niv

Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius,

Matthew 22:19 esv

Show me the coin for the tax." And they brought him a denarius.

Matthew 22:19 nlt

Here, show me the coin used for the tax." When they handed him a Roman coin,

Matthew 22 verses

Matthew 22 19 Meaning

This verse captures Jesus's direct request to His questioners, specifically the Pharisees and Herodians, to produce the very coin used for paying the Roman imperial tax. It is the crucial preliminary action to His profound teaching regarding the submission to earthly authorities and, more significantly, the ultimate allegiance owed to God. Jesus, by asking to "show" them the coin, not only reveals that His questioners possessed and thus engaged with the Roman monetary system but also strategically places the burden of revealing the nature of their own entrapment onto themselves.

Matthew 22 19 Context

Matthew 22 is situated within Jesus's final week of public ministry in Jerusalem, a period marked by escalating tension and confrontations with the religious authorities. Preceding this verse, Jesus has delivered parables condemning the leaders for their rejection of God’s invitation (e.g., the parable of the wedding feast, Mt 22:1-14). Following these parables, the religious leaders actively seek to entrap Him. The verse directly follows their conspiratorial decision: the Pharisees, known for their strict adherence to the Mosaic Law, joined by the Herodians, who were more politically aligned with Rome and Herod Antipas, sent their disciples to ensnare Jesus with a difficult question regarding the lawfulness of paying taxes to Caesar (Mt 22:15-18). Their aim was to force Jesus into a dilemma: endorse the tax and alienate patriotic Jews, or condemn it and face charges of sedition from Rome. This specific question about the imperial census tax (tribute tax), known as the census capitis, was particularly contentious in Roman-occupied Judea, as it directly symbolized submission to an pagan authority.

Matthew 22 19 Word analysis

• Show (δείξατε - deixate):
  • This is an aorist active imperative verb, directly commanding them to produce something. It’s not merely a request to describe, but an order to physically display.
  • Significance: Jesus compels them to demonstrate their own connection to the Roman monetary system. He does not ask if they have it, but "show me," implying they possess it and indicating their familiarity or involvement with the tax system they question. This subtly exposes their practical engagement with Rome, making their question a form of hypocrisy.
• me (μοι - moi):
  • The indirect object pronoun. The coin is to be shown to Jesus, as the one being questioned and the ultimate arbiter.
• the coin (τὸ νόμισμα - to nomisma):
  • Nóumisma refers to the recognized, official currency or a circulating coin. It is not just any piece of money, but specifically the one valid for public payments like the imperial tax.
  • Significance: It specifically indicates the Roman denarius, which bore the image and inscription of the reigning Caesar, often Tiberius at this time. This coin was laden with symbolic importance and controversy due to its association with idolatry (Caesar as "divine son") and Roman dominion over Jewish life.
• for the tax (τοῦ κήνσου - tou kensou):
  • Kēnsos (from Latin census) refers to the "poll-tax" or "tribute tax," the imperial census tax that was universally hated by the Jews. It was a direct payment to Rome, signaling their subservience.
  • Significance: This tax was a primary point of contention, especially for zealous Jews who believed that only God was King and should receive tribute. By specifically mentioning "the coin for the tax", Jesus narrows the scope, forcing the conversation onto the precise object of their controversy and their implied (by their possession of it) complicity with Roman rule.

Words-group analysis:

• "Show me the coin for the tax": This phrase functions as Jesus's masterful counter-move to the entrapment question. He forces his questioners, who are attempting to portray him as either rebellious or subservient, to acknowledge their own complicity and possession of the very symbol of Roman rule they are questioning. His command exposes their double standards and lays the groundwork for His unparalleled wisdom. He doesn't directly answer their theoretical question first, but turns the spotlight back on them through a practical request that reveals their real-world engagement with Roman authority.

Matthew 22 19 Bonus section

The request for "the coin for the tax" (specifically the Roman denarius) immediately brought to mind for the Jewish audience the second commandment prohibiting graven images, as the denarius bore Caesar's image and an inscription often proclaiming his divinity ("Tiberius Caesar, son of the divine Augustus"). This made the coin not just a symbol of foreign subjugation, but an idolatrous object in their eyes, deepening the dilemma for anyone handling it or paying tax with it. Jesus’s request was therefore not neutral; it forced them to reveal their comfort or compromise with what many saw as an affront to God. The very act of holding such a coin to present to Jesus underscores their internal tension.

Matthew 22 19 Commentary

In Matthew 22:19, Jesus, with divine wisdom, pivots from directly answering a leading question designed to entrap Him to requesting a visual aid: "Show me the coin for the tax." This seemingly simple demand is packed with profound implications. By asking them to produce the coin, Jesus reveals several things: first, that His questioners themselves, whether Pharisees or Herodians, were in possession of the hated Roman denarius, confirming their practical engagement with the system they outwardly opposed or questioned. Second, He shifts the burden of proof and revelation onto them. They had brought the dilemma, now they had to present its tangible representation. The very act of them pulling out the denarius with Caesar's image and inscription was a subtle but powerful indictment of their own complicity or hypocrisy. This set the stage for His brilliant teaching, separating the realm of earthly obligations from divine allegiance, effectively side-stepping the trap and offering an enduring principle. It reminds believers that practical wisdom, often involving indirect means, is key to navigating worldly dilemmas while remaining faithful to God's ultimate authority.