LUKE 20:22 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, orange:accusative/object, cyan:dative/indirect object, red:negative.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

UST So tell us what you think about this matter. Is it right for us to pay taxes to the Roman government, or not?”

AICNT Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

OEB are we right in paying tribute to the Emperor or not?’

WEBBE Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Is it right for us to pay the tribute tax to Caesar or not?”

LSV Is it lawful to us to give tribute to Caesar or not?”

FBV So should we pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

TCNT Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

T4T So tell us what you think about this matter: Is it right that we pay taxes to the Roman government [MTY], or not?”

LEB Is it permitted for us to pay taxes[fn] to Caesar or not?”

20:22 Or “the tribute tax”

BBE Is it right for us to make payment of taxes to Caesar or not?

Moff Is it right for us to pay tribute to Caesar or not?"

Wymth Is it allowable to pay a tax to Caesar, or not?"

ASV Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Cæsar, or not?

DRA Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or no?

YLT Is it lawful to us to give tribute to Caesar or not?'

Drby Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?

RV Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?

SLT Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not.

Wbstr Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Cesar, or not?

KJB-1769 Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Cæsar, or no?
(Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no? )

KJB-1611 Is it lawfull for vs to giue tribute vnto Cesar, or no?
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps Is is lawfull for vs to geue tribute vnto Caesar, or no?
(Is is lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?)

Gnva Is it lawfull for vs to giue Cesar tribute or no?
(Is it lawful for us to give Caesar tribute or no? )

Cvdl Is it laufull, that we geue tribute vnto the Emperoure, or not?
(Is it lawful, that we give tribute unto the Emperor, or not?)

TNT Ys it laufull for vs to geve Cesar tribute or no?
(Is it lawful for us to give Caesar tribute or no? )

Wycl Is it leueful to vs to yyue tribute to the emperoure, or nay?
(Is it lawful to us to give tribute to the emperor, or nay?)

Luth Ist‘s recht, daß wir dem Kaiser den Schoß geben oder nicht?
(Is_it right, that we/us to_him Kaiser the lap(n) give or not?)

ClVg Licet nobis tributum dare Cæsari, an non?[fn]
(It’s_possible us tributum dare Cæsari, an non? )

20.22 Licet nobis, etc. Cum nuper sub Augusto Judæa Romanis stipendiaria facta esset, Pharisæi qui de justitia sibi applaudebant, qui decimas et primitiva Deo dabant, tributa homini solvenda negabant, pro qua seditione postea regnum et tota patria destructa sunt.

20.22 It’s_possible us, etc. Since recently/lately under Augusto Yudea Romanis stipendiaria facts was, Pharisees who/which from/about justice to_himself applaudebant, who/which tenths and primitive to_God dabant, tributa to_man solvenda negabant, for which sedition afterwards kingdom and the_whole fatherland destructa are.

UGNT ἔξεστιν ἡμᾶς Καίσαρι φόρον δοῦναι ἢ οὔ?
(exestin haʸmas Kaisari foron dounai aʸ ou?)

SBL-GNT ἔξεστιν ⸀ἡμᾶς Καίσαρι φόρον δοῦναι ἢ οὔ;
(exestin ⸀haʸmas Kaisari foron dounai aʸ ou;)

RP-GNT Ἔξεστιν ἡμῖν Καίσαρι φόρον δοῦναι, ἢ οὔ;
(Exestin haʸmin Kaisari foron dounai, aʸ ou;)

TC-GNT Ἔξεστιν [fn]ἡμῖν Καίσαρι φόρον δοῦναι, ἢ οὔ;
(Exestin haʸmin Kaisari foron dounai, aʸ ou; )

20:22 ημιν ¦ ημας CT

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 20:20–26: Jewish leaders tried to trap Jesus with a question about taxes

The chief priests, the scribes, and the elders mentioned in 20:1 sent men to trick Jesus into saying something for which they could accuse him and arrest him. They wanted to cause trouble for him.

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 worshiped their emperor as a god. The Romans ruled over the Jews at that time and forced them to pay taxes.

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 make the Jews angry. If he answered “no, they should not pay,” he would make the Roman government angry. But Jesus answered wisely and avoided the trap that the Jewish leaders set for him.

Some examples of headings for this section are:

The Question about Paying Taxes (GNT)

Paying Taxes to Caesar (NIV)

Should people pay taxes to Caesar or not?

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 22:15–22 and Mark 12:13–17.

20:22

Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

We^(excl) want to ask you,^(sing) is it lawful for us^(incl) as Jews to pay taxes to the Roman emperor, or is that not lawful for us?”
So tell us,^(excl) does our^(incl) law allow us^(incl) to pay tax to the Roman emperor?”

After the spies praised Jesus insincerely in 20:21, they asked him a question. Their praise implied that because he was honest and fair, he would give them a true answer. In some languages, it may be necessary to introduce this question with a phrase or clause to connect it with 20:21. For example:

So we ask you, is it lawful…

Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?: This question contains an ellipsis. The full form of the question has a positive part and a negative part:

Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or is it not lawful for us to pay taxes to him?

In some languages it may be more natural to translate only the positive part or only the negative part. The other part is already implied. For example:

Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar?

Is it against our law to pay taxes to Caesar?

The spies wanted Jesus to answer their question clearly. They expected him to say either that it was right for Jews to pay taxes to Caesar, or that it was not right to pay those taxes. The question expresses a request for information. Some ways to translate it are:

As a question:
Does the law permit us to pay taxes to Caesar or does it not permit us?
Is it right or wrong for us to pay taxes to Caesar?
As a request:
Tell us whether it is lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar.

Is it lawful for us: In this context the Greek phrase that the BSB translates as Is it lawful implies the meaning “Is it right according to God’s Law” or “Does the Law of God permit.”Nolland (p. 958) says, “The language exestin, ‘Is it lawful,’ raises the possibility that some kind of failure of loyalty to God and his law might be involved in making these tax payments.” Johnson (p. 311) says, “The issue of what is ‘allowed’…refers to what is demanded by Torah and therefore covenantal loyalty to God…The context for the issue was set by the taxation of Judea under Quirinius (see Luke 2:2) which is repeatedly mentioned by Josephus….” The spies were not asking what the Roman law required. In some languages it may be necessary to indicate which law the spies asked about. For example:

Does the law of Moses allow us…?

Does our law permit us…?

…is it against our Law…? (GNT)

The pronoun us refers to all Jews including Jesus. It does not refer only to the spies.

pay taxes to Caesar: The phrase pay taxes to Caesar refers to paying tax to the Roman government, of which Caesar was the leader. The Romans had conquered the Jews and were governing them. The taxes mentioned here refer to the money that the Roman government required each Jewish man to pay to them.

Caesar: The word Caesar was a title for the great king of the city of Rome and of the Roman empire. He ruled many countries and kings that the people of Rome had conquered. The title Caesar means “Emperor.” Some ways to translate the title Caesar here are:

Use an equivalent title. For example:
the High King in Rome
the Roman Emperor (GNT)
the high/paramount chief
Use a more general term. For example:
the government of the Romans that rules us
the ruler of the city of Rome

You may also want to add a footnote. For example:

“Emperor” 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.

The word Caesar also occurred in 2:1. See how you translated it there.

Parallel LUKE 20:22

Section 20:20–26: Jewish leaders tried to trap Jesus with a question about taxes

20:22