Open Bible Data Home About News OET Key
OET OET-RV OET-LV ULT UST BSB MSB BLB AICNT OEB WEBBE WMBB NET LSV FBV TCNT T4T LEB BBE Moff JPS Wymth ASV DRA YLT Drby RV SLT Wbstr KJB-1769 KJB-1611 Bshps Gnva Cvdl TNT Wycl SR-GNT UHB BrLXX BrTr Related Topics Parallel Interlinear Reference Dictionary Search
InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Mark C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16
Mark 12 V1 V3 V5 V7 V9 V11 V13 V15 V17 V19 V21 V23 V25 V27 V29 V31 V33 V35 V37 V39 V41 V43
OET (OET-LV) And having_come, they_are_saying to_him:
Teacher, we_have_known that you_are true, and is_ not _caring to_you about no_one, because/for you_are_ not _looking on appearance of_people, but you_are_teaching the way of_ the _god with the_truth.
Is_it_permitting to_give a_poll_tax to_Kaisar or not?
May_we_give or we_may_ not _give?
OET (OET-RV) So they flattered him, “Teacher, we know that you are honest even if it upsets others, and that you teach the truth about God without caring about people’s opinions. Is it legal for us Jews to pay the poll tax to the Roman emperor or not? How should we handle this?”
The chief priests, the scribes, and the elders mentioned in 11:27 sent men to trick Jesus. They tried to trap him into saying something that they could use to cause trouble for him. The leaders sent men from two different groups, the Pharisees and the Herodians. These groups had plotted together against Jesus before in 3:6.
The men asked Jesus, “Should the Jews pay taxes to the Roman Emperor Caesar or not?” The word “Caesar” was the title that the Roman people gave to their highest ruler, the emperor.The Romans worshipped their emperor as a god. The Romans ruled the Jews and forced them to pay taxes. Although the Herodians and the Pharisees agreed to oppose Jesus, they disagreed about whether a person should pay taxes to the Roman emperor. The Herodians wanted the Romans to continue to rule the Jews, so they supported paying taxes. The Pharisees did not want the Romans to rule, and they were against paying taxes to them.
The men’s question was difficult because either a “yes” or a “no” answer would cause problems for Jesus. If Jesus answered, “Yes, the Jews should pay taxes to the Romans,” he would displease the Jews. If he answered, “No, they should not pay,” he would displease the Roman government. But Jesus answered wisely and avoided the trap that the Jewish leaders had set for him.
It is good to translate this section before you decide on a heading for it.
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
Paying Taxes to Caesar (ESV)
The Question about Paying Taxes (GNT)
Jewish leaders ask Jesus about paying taxes
There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 22:15–22 and Luke 20:20–26.
“Teacher,” they said,
So they went to him and said, “Teacher,
When the Pharisees and the supporters of Herod came to Jesus, they said to him, “Sir Teacher,
Teacher: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Teacher was a polite title for a Jewish religious leader. It was a title of respect for a Jewish man who had authority to teach the things about God. In some languages the appropriate way to address a religious teacher may be:
Sir Teacher
Sir
Master
Be careful not to use a term that can refer only to a school teacher.
they said: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as they said is more literally “and having come, they said to him.” This phrase connects the introduction to the section in 12:13 with what the men said to Jesus in 12:14. Also, in Greek this phrase occurs at the beginning of this verse. Place it where it is natural in your language.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
When the men came to Jesus, they said to him…
So the men went to Jesus and said…
Connect 12:13 and 12:14 in a natural way in your language.
they: The word they refers to the men from the Pharisee group and the Herodian group.
“we know that You are honest
we know that you are an honest man. (NCV)
we(excl) know that you(sing) tell the truth.
we know that You are honest: Here the people who came to Jesus expressed their confidence that Jesus was an honest person.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
we know that you tell the truth (GW)
we know that you are honest (CEV)
honest: The Greek word that the BSB translates as honest literally means “truthful.” So the word honest refers to a person who tells the truth.
and seek favor from no one.
You(sing) do not let people affect what you do or say,
You(sing) do not allow people to influence you,
seek favor from no one: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as seek favor from no one is literally “it is not a concern to you about anyone.” This phrase is closely connected here to the word “honest” in 12:14b. It indicates that Jesus did not allow people to affect his decisions about what was right or wrong. He did and taught what was right, even if he knew that some people would accuse him of doing something wrong.
In some languages there may be an idiom to express this. Do not use an expression that implies that Jesus did not love people or have mercy on them. See the General Comment on 12:14b–e at the end of 12:14e for translation examples.
Indeed, You are impartial
because you(sing) do not care about anyone’s status.
and you(sing) view/treat everyone the same way.
Indeed: The BSB uses the word Indeed to connect 12:14c and 12:14d. The way you connect these clauses in your language will depend on how you translate the whole verse. See the General Comment on 12:14b–e at the end of 12:14e for translation suggestions.
You are impartial: In Greek this phrase is literally “for you do not look at the face of men.” This is an idiom. It means that Jesus treated people fairly. He did not favor the rich or powerful people more than other people.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
You pay no attention to anyone’s status (GNT)
You ignore their position/greatness.
You pay no attention to who they are (NIV)
Be careful not to imply that Jesus was impolite or disrespectful. The CEV avoids this implication as follows:
You treat everyone with the same respect, no matter who they are.
In your language it may be easier to reverse the order of 12:14c–d. For example:
14dYou do not care whether others consider men/people as important, 14cso you do not let them influence you.
and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
Instead, you(sing) teach the truth about the way God wants people to live.
When you(sing) teach people about God, you tell the truth about what he wants them to do.
and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth: The Greek word that the BSB translates as and connects this part of the verse with 12:14c–d. In Greek it indicates a contrast. Jesus did not consider people’s status and favor some of them more than others. Instead, he taught the way of God by telling the truth. Express this contrast in a natural way in your language. See the General Comment on 12:14b–e for translation suggestions.
the way of God: In the context of the question about paying taxes, the phrase the way of God refers primarily to what God wants people to do.
in accordance with the truth: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as in accordance with the truth means “truthfully.” This statement indicates that Jesus taught the truth about how people should live to please God. The people who said this had been sent to trick Jesus, so they did not speak truthfully themselves.
There is a contrast between 12:14c–d and 12:14e. For example, the GNT shows the contrast by using the word “but”:
14bTeacher, we know that you tell the truth, 14cwithout worrying about what people think. 14dYou pay no attention to anyone’s status, 14ebut teach the truth about God’s will for people.
In some languages it may not be necessary to make the contrast explicit, because the context implies it.
Notice that 12:14b and 12:14e have similar meanings, and 12:14c and 12:14d have similar meanings. In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of these verse parts. For example:
14bWe know that you are a man of integrity 14eand sincerely teach the ways of God. 14dYou are impartial 14cand do not consider anyone’s status.
Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?
Does our law permit us(incl) Jews to pay taxes to the Caesar/Emperor in Rome or not?
Is it against the law of us(incl) Jews to pay tax money to the Roman government?
After the men praised Jesus insincerely in 12:14a–e, they asked him a question. They implied that because he was an honest man, he would give them a true answer. In some languages this implied connection may need to be made explicit. In other languages a conjunction will not be needed.
Here are some other ways to translate the connection:
So we ask you, does our(incl) law permit us to pay taxes…
Tell us whether our(incl) law permits us to pay taxes…
Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?: The question in this verse asks for a choice between two alternatives. The men who asked the question expected Jesus to say either that it was right to pay taxes to Caesar, or that it was not right.
Is it lawful…?: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as Is it lawful…? indicates that the men who asked this question were thinking of what the Jewish law allowed. They were not thinking of the Roman law, which clearly required Jewish people to pay the Roman tax. In some languages it may be necessary to make some of this information explicit. For example:
Is it against our Law to pay taxes…? (GNT)
Does the Law of Moses permit us(incl) to pay taxes…?
Will we break the law of us(incl) Jews if we pay tax…?
taxes: The word taxes refers to money that a person had to pay to the government. The Roman government required each adult male in their conquered countries to pay taxes to them. Judea, where Jesus was staying, was one of the places that the Romans had conquered.
Caesar: The word Caesar was a title for the supreme ruler over the city of Rome. He also ruled over all the countries that the people of Rome had conquered, including the country of the Jews.The word “Caesar” was borrowed from the Latin language. At this time the Caesar’s name was Tiberius. At the time of Jesus’ birth, Caesar Augustus was the ruler. The word Caesar is equivalent to the title “Emperor.” It is not a personal name.
Here are some other ways to translate the title Caesar:
Use an equivalent title. For example:
the Emperor/King in Rome
the Roman Emperor (GNT)
the high chief
Use a more general term. For example:
the government of the Romans that rules us
the ruler in the city of Rome
Use a transliterated term. For example:
the Caesar If you use this option, you may want to add a footnote. For example:
“Caesar” was the title for the ruler of the people in the city of Rome. He also ruled over all the countries that Rome had conquered, including the country of the Jews.
Should we pay them or not?”
Should we(incl) pay the taxes or should we not pay them?”
Should we(incl) give them the money? Or should we refuse to give it to them?”
Notice that some English versions, including the NIV, put this part of the verse at the beginning of 12:15. You may want to check the major language version in your area before you decide where to begin 12:15.
Should we pay them or not?: This question has the same meaning as the one in 12:14f. The men repeated the question to try to make sure that Jesus would give a clear and direct answer.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / go
ἐλθόντες
˓having˒_come
In a context such as this, your language might say “gone” instead of come. Alternate translation: [having gone]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / exclusive
οἴδαμεν & δῶμεν & δῶμεν
˱we˲_˓have˒_known & ˱we˲_˓may˒_give (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἐλθόντες λέγουσιν αὐτῷ Διδάσκαλε οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀληθής εἶ καί οὒ μέλει σοί περί οὐδενός οὒ γάρ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπων ἀλλʼ ἐπʼ ἀληθείας τήν ὁδόν τοῦ Θεοῦ διδάσκεις Ἔξεστιν δοῦναι κῆνσον Καίσαρι ἤ οὒ Δῶμεν ἤ μή δῶμεν)
The spies are speaking only of themselves, so we would be exclusive, if your language marks that distinction.
Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result
οὐ μέλει σοι περὶ οὐδενός; οὐ γὰρ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπων
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἐλθόντες λέγουσιν αὐτῷ Διδάσκαλε οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀληθής εἶ καί οὒ μέλει σοί περί οὐδενός οὒ γάρ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπων ἀλλʼ ἐπʼ ἀληθείας τήν ὁδόν τοῦ Θεοῦ διδάσκεις Ἔξεστιν δοῦναι κῆνσον Καίσαρι ἤ οὒ Δῶμεν ἤ μή δῶμεν)
If it would be more natural in your language, you could reverse the order of these clauses, since the second clause gives the reason for the result that the first clause describes. Alternate translation: [since you do not look at the face of men, it is not a concern to you about anyone]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom
οὐ μέλει σοι περὶ οὐδενός
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἐλθόντες λέγουσιν αὐτῷ Διδάσκαλε οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀληθής εἶ καί οὒ μέλει σοί περί οὐδενός οὒ γάρ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπων ἀλλʼ ἐπʼ ἀληθείας τήν ὁδόν τοῦ Θεοῦ διδάσκεις Ἔξεστιν δοῦναι κῆνσον Καίσαρι ἤ οὒ Δῶμεν ἤ μή δῶμεν)
The Herodians and the Pharisees use this clause to say that Jesus does not care what others think and say about him. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable phrase or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [you do not concern yourself with the opinions of others] or [you are not influenced by what others think of you]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / doublenegatives
οὐ μέλει σοι περὶ οὐδενός
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἐλθόντες λέγουσιν αὐτῷ Διδάσκαλε οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀληθής εἶ καί οὒ μέλει σοί περί οὐδενός οὒ γάρ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπων ἀλλʼ ἐπʼ ἀληθείας τήν ὁδόν τοῦ Θεοῦ διδάσκεις Ἔξεστιν δοῦναι κῆνσον Καίσαρι ἤ οὒ Δῶμεν ἤ μή δῶμεν)
The words translated not and anyone are two negative words. In this construction, the second negative does not cancel the first to create a positive meaning. Instead, it gives greater emphasis to the negative. If your language can use two negatives that do not cancel one another to create a positive meaning, you could use a double negative here. If your language does not use two negatives in that way, you could translate with one negative, as the ULT does. Alternate translation: [it is a concern to you about no one]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
οὐ μέλει σοι
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἐλθόντες λέγουσιν αὐτῷ Διδάσκαλε οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀληθής εἶ καί οὒ μέλει σοί περί οὐδενός οὒ γάρ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπων ἀλλʼ ἐπʼ ἀληθείας τήν ὁδόν τοῦ Θεοῦ διδάσκεις Ἔξεστιν δοῦναι κῆνσον Καίσαρι ἤ οὒ Δῶμεν ἤ μή δῶμεν)
If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of concern, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [nothing concerns you]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom
οὐ γὰρ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπων
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἐλθόντες λέγουσιν αὐτῷ Διδάσκαλε οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀληθής εἶ καί οὒ μέλει σοί περί οὐδενός οὒ γάρ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπων ἀλλʼ ἐπʼ ἀληθείας τήν ὁδόν τοῦ Θεοῦ διδάσκεις Ἔξεστιν δοῦναι κῆνσον Καίσαρι ἤ οὒ Δῶμεν ἤ μή δῶμεν)
Here, to look at the face of men refers to making decisions about how to treat people based on how they appear. People who look at the face of men treat wealthy and important people differently than they treat poor and unimportant people. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable phrase or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [for you do not judge men by appearances] or [for you do not treat people based on what they look like]
Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations
ἀνθρώπων
˱of˲_people
Although the term men is masculine, the Herodians and the Pharisees are using the word in a generic sense that includes both men and women. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a phrase that makes this clear. Alternate translation: [of humans]
Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / possession
τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἐλθόντες λέγουσιν αὐτῷ Διδάσκαλε οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀληθής εἶ καί οὒ μέλει σοί περί οὐδενός οὒ γάρ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπων ἀλλʼ ἐπʼ ἀληθείας τήν ὁδόν τοῦ Θεοῦ διδάσκεις Ἔξεστιν δοῦναι κῆνσον Καίσαρι ἤ οὒ Δῶμεν ἤ μή δῶμεν)
Here, the Herodians and the Pharisees are using the possessive form to describe a way that God desires or approves of. If this is not clear in your language, you could express the idea in another way. Alternate translation: [the way that pleases God]
Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἐλθόντες λέγουσιν αὐτῷ Διδάσκαλε οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀληθής εἶ καί οὒ μέλει σοί περί οὐδενός οὒ γάρ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπων ἀλλʼ ἐπʼ ἀληθείας τήν ὁδόν τοῦ Θεοῦ διδάσκεις Ἔξεστιν δοῦναι κῆνσον Καίσαρι ἤ οὒ Δῶμεν ἤ μή δῶμεν)
Here the Pharisees and Herodians use the word way to refer to behavior in life. More specifically, they mean that this behavior pleases God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable figure of speech or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [behavior that pleases God]
Note 11 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
ἐπ’ ἀληθείας
with ˓the˒_truth
If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of truth, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [based on what is true]
Note 12 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἔξεστιν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἐλθόντες λέγουσιν αὐτῷ Διδάσκαλε οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀληθής εἶ καί οὒ μέλει σοί περί οὐδενός οὒ γάρ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπων ἀλλʼ ἐπʼ ἀληθείας τήν ὁδόν τοῦ Θεοῦ διδάσκεις Ἔξεστιν δοῦναι κῆνσον Καίσαρι ἤ οὒ Δῶμεν ἤ μή δῶμεν)
Here, the word lawful could be referring to: (1) whether something is permitted by the Jewish law that God gave to Moses. Alternate translation: [Does the law that God gave to Moses permit us] (2) whether something is generally right or wrong. Alternate translation: [Is it right] or [Is it appropriate]
Note 13 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy
Καίσαρι
˱to˲_Caesar
Here, Caesar represents the Roman leaders and government in general. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [to the Roman leaders] or [to the Roman empire]
Note 14 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis
οὔ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἐλθόντες λέγουσιν αὐτῷ Διδάσκαλε οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀληθής εἶ καί οὒ μέλει σοί περί οὐδενός οὒ γάρ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπων ἀλλʼ ἐπʼ ἀληθείας τήν ὁδόν τοῦ Θεοῦ διδάσκεις Ἔξεστιν δοῦναι κῆνσον Καίσαρι ἤ οὒ Δῶμεν ἤ μή δῶμεν)
The Herodians and the Pharisees are leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You could supply these words from earlier in the sentence if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: [is it not lawful to do so]
Note 15 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
δῶμεν ἢ μὴ δῶμεν
˱we˲_˓may˒_give (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἐλθόντες λέγουσιν αὐτῷ Διδάσκαλε οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀληθής εἶ καί οὒ μέλει σοί περί οὐδενός οὒ γάρ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπων ἀλλʼ ἐπʼ ἀληθείας τήν ὁδόν τοῦ Θεοῦ διδάσκεις Ἔξεστιν δοῦναι κῆνσον Καίσαρι ἤ οὒ Δῶμεν ἤ μή δῶμεν)
Here the Pharisees and the Herodians are asking about whether they should give or not give poll taxes to Caesar. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make that idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [Should we give the poll tax, or should we not give it]
12:14 taxes: The Greek word refers to a poll tax or head tax; cp. Luke 2:1-2; Acts 5:37.
OET (OET-LV) And having_come, they_are_saying to_him:
Teacher, we_have_known that you_are true, and is_ not _caring to_you about no_one, because/for you_are_ not _looking on appearance of_people, but you_are_teaching the way of_ the _god with the_truth.
Is_it_permitting to_give a_poll_tax to_Kaisar or not?
May_we_give or we_may_ not _give?
OET (OET-RV) So they flattered him, “Teacher, we know that you are honest even if it upsets others, and that you teach the truth about God without caring about people’s opinions. Is it legal for us Jews to pay the poll tax to the Roman emperor or not? How should we handle this?”
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.