MARK 12:15 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. ὁ
2. ho
3. he
4. -
5. 35880
6. R···3NMS
7. he
8. he
9. -
10. Y33; R32405; Person=Jesus
11. 32727
1. Δέ
2. de
3. And
4. But
5. 11610
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. S
10. Y33
11. 32728
1. Ἰησοῦς
2. iēsous
3. -
4. -
5. 24240
6. N····NMS
7. Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa)
8. Jesus
9. UN
10. -
11. 32729
1. ἰδών
2. horaō
3. -
4. -
5. 37080
6. VPAA·NMS
7. ˓having˒ seen
8. ˓having˒ seen
9. -
10. -
11. 32730
1. εἰδώς
2. eidō
3. having known
4. knowing
5. 14920
6. VPEA·NMS
7. ˓having˒ known
8. ˓having˒ known
9. -
10. Y33
11. 32731
1. αὐτῶν
2. autos
3. of them
4. their
5. 8460
6. R···3GMP
7. ˱of˲ them
8. ˱of˲ them
9. -
10. Y33; R32658
11. 32732
1. τήν
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AFS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y33
11. 32733
1. ὑπόκρισιν
2. hupokrisis
3. hypocrisy
4. hypocrisy
5. 52720
6. N····AFS
7. hypocrisy
8. hypocrisy
9. -
10. Y33
11. 32734
1. εἶπεν
2. legō
3. said
4. responded
5. 30040
6. VIAA3··S
7. said
8. said
9. -
10. Y33
11. 32735
1. αὐτοῖς
2. autos
3. to them
4. -
5. 8460
6. R···3DMP
7. ˱to˲ them
8. ˱to˲ them
9. -
10. Y33; R32658
11. 32736
1. Τί
2. ti
3. Why
4. -
5. 50845
6. D·······
7. why
8. why
9. D
10. Y33
11. 32737
1. μέ
2. egō
3. me
4. -
5. 14730
6. R···1A·S
7. me
8. me
9. -
10. Y33
11. 32738
1. πειράζετε
2. peirazō
3. are you all testing
4. you
5. 39850
6. VIPA2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ testing
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ testing
9. -
10. Y33; R32658
11. 32739
1. ὑποκριταί
2. hupokritēs
3. -
4. -
5. 52730
6. N····NMP
7. hypocrites
8. hypocrites
9. -
10. -
11. 32740
1. Φέρετε
2. ferō
3. Be bringing
4. -
5. 53420
6. VMPA2··P
7. ˓be˒ bringing
8. ˓be˒ bringing
9. S
10. Y33
11. 32741
1. μοί
2. egō
3. to me
4. -
5. 14730
6. R···1D·S
7. ˱to˲ me
8. ˱to˲ me
9. -
10. Y33
11. 32742
1. δηνάριον
2. dēnarion
3. +a daʸnarion coin
4. -
5. 12200
6. N····ANS
7. ˓a˒ daʸnarion_\add coin\add*
8. ˓a˒ denarius
9. -
10. Y33
11. 32743
1. ὧδε
2. hōde
3. -
4. -
5. 56020
6. D·······
7. here
8. here
9. -
10. -
11. 32744
1. ἵνα
2. hina
3. in order that
4. -
5. 24430
6. C·······
7. in_order_that
8. in_order_that
9. -
10. Y33
11. 32745
1. εἰδῶ
2. eidō
3. -
4. -
5. 14920
6. VSEA1··S
7. ˱I˲ ˓may_have˒ known
8. ˱I˲ ˓may_have˒ known
9. -
10. -
11. 32746
1. ἴδω
2. horaō
3. I may see it
4. -
5. 37080
6. VSAA1··S
7. ˱I˲ ˓may˒ see ‹it›
8. ˱I˲ ˓may˒ see ‹it›
9. -
10. Y33; R32405; Person=Jesus
11. 32747

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 12:13–17: Jewish leaders tried to trick Jesus with a question about paying taxes

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.

12:15a

But Jesus saw through their hypocrisy

But Jesus knew that they were not being sincere,
Jesus realized that they had a deceitful purpose for asking him the question.

But: The Greek word that the BSB translates as But connects the men’s question with Jesus’ response. The response contrasted with what the men expected. Use a natural way in your language to express this contrast.

Jesus saw through their hypocrisy: The Greek word that the BSB translates as saw through is more literally “knowing.” Jesus knew the men were asking the questions in 12:14f and 12:14g only because they wanted to trap him. They pretended to be sincere, but they were actually trying to get Jesus into trouble by making him give a wrong answer.

hypocrisy: The Greek word that the BSB translates as hypocrisy indicates that a person is different from how people think he is. He appears to have a certain purpose or attitude, but actually he has a very different purpose or attitude. People do not know that purpose or attitude. The men who questioned Jesus appeared to be sincerely concerned about whether it was right to pay taxes to Caesar. However, what they really wanted was to trap Jesus. See how you translated the related word “hypocrites” in 7:6a.

12:15b

and said, “Why are you testing Me?

He asked, “Why are you^(plur) trying to trick me into saying something wrong?
So he said to them, “You^(plur) should not be trying to trap me in order to accuse me!”

Jesus asked the question in this part of the verse because he knew that these men were not sincere. In some languages it may be natural to indicate a result connection. For example:

So he asked them

Why are you testing Me?: This is a rhetorical question. Jesus asked this question to rebuke the Pharisees and the Herodians. He knew that they were trying to trick him and he knew why they were trying to trick him. They wanted him to say something that would cause trouble for him. There are at least two ways to translate this rebuke:

As a rhetorical question, as in the BSB.
As a statement. For example:
You should not be trying to trick/test me!
You are trying to trap me into saying something wrong!

Use whichever form is most natural to express a rebuke in your language.

testing: The Greek word that the BSB translates as testing has almost the same meaning as the phrase that was translated “catch him in his words” in 12:13. The men were testing Jesus. They tried to make him say something that would cause trouble for him. In some languages it may be necessary to indicate the reason that the men were testing him. For example:

Why are you testing me to cause trouble for me?

Why are you trying to trick me into saying something that you can accuse me with?

12:15c

Bring Me a denarius to inspect.”

Bring me a denarius coin so I can see it.”
Then he said, “Show me one of the coins that people use to pay the tax.”

Bring Me a denarius to inspect: In some languages the two verb phrases Bring Me a denarius to inspect can be expressed with a single verb. For example, the CEV has:

Show me a coin!

Consider how your language would naturally express this request.

denarius: A denarius was a Roman coin that was made of silver. It was used by the Jews to pay their taxes to the Roman government. The denarius had the name and the image of Caesar on it.

Here are some other ways to translate denarius:

Use a more general term or a descriptive phrase. For example:
Roman coin/money
coin used for paying taxes
Use a borrowed word along with a general term. For example:
denarius coin

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

αὐτῶν τὴν ὑπόκρισιν

˱of˲_them (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁ Δέ εἰδώς αὐτῶν τήν ὑπόκρισιν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Τί μέ πειράζετε Φέρετε μοί δηνάριον ἵνα ἴδω)

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of hypocrisy, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [that they were acting hypocritically] or [that they were being hypocritical]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

τί με πειράζετε?

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁ Δέ εἰδώς αὐτῶν τήν ὑπόκρισιν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Τί μέ πειράζετε Φέρετε μοί δηνάριον ἵνα ἴδω)

Jesus is using the question form to rebuke the Herodians and the Pharisees. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or an exclamation. Alternate translation: [I know that you are testing me.] or [Stop testing me!]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular

πειράζετε? φέρετέ

˱you_all˲_˓are˒_testing (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁ Δέ εἰδώς αὐτῶν τήν ὑπόκρισιν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Τί μέ πειράζετε Φέρετε μοί δηνάριον ἵνα ἴδω)

Because Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees and the Herodians, the word you and the command Bring are plural.

Note 4 topic: translate-bmoney

δηνάριον

˓a˒_denarius

A denarius was a silver coin equivalent to about one day’s wage for a hired worker. You could try to express this amount in terms of current monetary values, but that might cause your Bible translation to become outdated and inaccurate, since those values can change over time. So instead you might state something more general or give the equivalent in wages. Alternate translation: [a silver coin] or [a coin worth one day’s wage]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

1. OET-LV words
2. OET-RV words
3. Strongs
4. Greek word
5. Greek lemma
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. And
2. But
3. 11610
4. S
5. de
6. C-·······
7. and
8. and
9. S
10. Y33
11. 32728
1. he
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. R-···3NMS
7. he
8. he
9. -
10. Y33; R32405; Person=Jesus
11. 32727
1. having known
2. knowing
3. 14920
5. eidō
6. V-PEA·NMS
7. ˓having˒ known
8. ˓having˒ known
9. -
10. Y33
11. 32731
1. the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····AFS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y33
11. 32733
1. hypocrisy
2. hypocrisy
3. 52720
5. hupokrisis
6. N-····AFS
7. hypocrisy
8. hypocrisy
9. -
10. Y33
11. 32734
1. of them
2. their
3. 8460
5. autos
6. R-···3GMP
7. ˱of˲ them
8. ˱of˲ them
9. -
10. Y33; R32658
11. 32732
1. said
2. responded
3. 30040
5. legō
6. V-IAA3··S
7. said
8. said
9. -
10. Y33
11. 32735
1. to them
2. -
3. 8460
5. autos
6. R-···3DMP
7. ˱to˲ them
8. ˱to˲ them
9. -
10. Y33; R32658
11. 32736
1. Why
2. -
3. 50845
4. D
5. ti
6. D-·······
7. why
8. why
9. D
10. Y33
11. 32737
1. are you all testing
2. you
3. 39850
5. peirazō
6. V-IPA2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ testing
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ testing
9. -
10. Y33; R32658
11. 32739
1. me
2. -
3. 14730
5. egō
6. R-···1A·S
7. me
8. me
9. -
10. Y33
11. 32738
1. Be bringing
2. -
3. 53420
4. S
5. ferō
6. V-MPA2··P
7. ˓be˒ bringing
8. ˓be˒ bringing
9. S
10. Y33
11. 32741
1. to me
2. -
3. 14730
5. egō
6. R-···1D·S
7. ˱to˲ me
8. ˱to˲ me
9. -
10. Y33
11. 32742
1. +a daʸnarion coin
2. -
3. 12200
5. dēnarion
6. N-····ANS
7. ˓a˒ daʸnarion_\add coin\add*
8. ˓a˒ denarius
9. -
10. Y33
11. 32743
1. in order that
2. -
3. 24430
5. hina
6. C-·······
7. in_order_that
8. in_order_that
9. -
10. Y33
11. 32745
1. I may see it
2. -
3. 37080
5. horaō
6. V-SAA1··S
7. ˱I˲ ˓may˒ see ‹it›
8. ˱I˲ ˓may˒ see ‹it›
9. -
10. Y33; R32405; Person=Jesus
11. 32747

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.

OET interlinear MARK 12:15

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

Section 12:13–17: Jewish leaders tried to trick Jesus with a question about paying taxes

12:15a

12:15b

12:15c

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)