MARK 12:14 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.)

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?”

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object, magenta:vocative, 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).

ULT And having come, they say to him, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful, and it is not a concern to you about anyone, for you do not look at the face of men, but you teach the way of God on the basis of truth. Is it lawful to give a poll tax to Caesar, or not? Should we give, or should we not give?”

UST When they arrived where Jesus was, they said to him, “Instructor, we realize that you say what is true. You do not pay attention to how important or powerful people are. So, you do not care about what other people think. Further, you truthfully instruct people about what God wants them to do. So, we want to ask you this: Does our law allow us to pay taxes to the Roman government, or does it not allow that? Should we pay the taxes, or should we not pay them?”

BSB “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and seek favor from no one. Indeed, You are impartial [and] teach the way of God in accordance with [the] truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay [them] or not?”

MSB “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and seek favor from no one. Indeed, You are impartial [and] teach the way of God in accordance with [the] truth. Is it lawful[fn] to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay [them] or not?”

BLB And having come, they say to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and to You there is no care about any one; for You do not look on the appearance of men, but teach the way of God on the basis of the truth. Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not? Should we pay or not pay?"

AICNT And coming, they say to him, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and do not care about anyone; for you do not look at the face of men, but teach the way of God in truth. [[So tell us]][fn] Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay, or should we not pay?”

12:14, So tell us: Some manuscripts include.

OEB These men came to him and said, ‘Teacher, we know that you are an honest man, and are not afraid of anyone, for you pay no regard to a person’s position, but teach the way of God honestly; are we right in paying taxes to the Emperor, or not?

WEBBE When they had come, they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you are honest, and don’t defer to anyone; for you aren’t partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?

WMBB When they had come, they asked him, “Rabbi, we know that you are honest, and don’t defer to anyone; for you aren’t partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?

NET When they came they said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and do not court anyone’s favor, because you show no partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

LSV and they having come, say to Him, “Teacher, we have known that You are true, and You are not caring for anyone, for You do not look to the face of men, but in truth teach the way of God; is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not? May we give, or may we not give?”

FBV They arrived and said, “Teacher, we know you are a truthful person and you don't look for approval, because you don't care about status or position.[fn] Instead you teach God's way in accordance with the truth. So is it right to pay tribute to Caesar or not?

12:14 Literally, “You have no concern for anyone because you do not look at the face of men.” However, this literal translation could make it seem that Jesus was uncaring and indifferent.

TCNT They came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that yoʋ are true and defer to no one, for yoʋ do not show partiality but teach the way of God in truth. [fn]Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?

12:14 Is ¦ Tell us then, is ANT

T4T After they arrived, they said to him deceivingly, “Teacher, we know that you teach the truth. We also know that you are not concerned about what people say about you, even if an important person does not like what you say. Instead, you teach truthfully what God wants us to do. So tell us what you think about this matter: Is it right that we pay taxes to the Roman government, or not [MTY]? Should we pay the taxes, or should we not pay them?”

LEB And when they[fn] came, they said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and _⌊you do not care what anyone thinks_⌋,[fn] _⌊because you do not regard the opinion of people_⌋[fn] but teach the way of God in truth. Is it permitted to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or should we not pay?”

12:14 *Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“came”) which is understood as temporal

12:14 Literally “it is not a care to you concerning anyone”

12:14 Literally “because you do not look at the face of men”

BBE And when they had come, they said to him, Master, we are certain that you are true, and have no fear of anyone: you have no respect for a man's position, but you are teaching the true way of God: Is it right to give taxes to Caesar or not?

Moff They came up and said to him, "Teacher, we know you are sincere and fearless; you do not court human favour, you teach the Way of God honestly. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?

Wymth So they came to Him. "Rabbi," they said, "we know that you are a truthful man and you do not fear any one; for you do not recognize human distinctions, but teach God's way truly. Is it allowable to pay poll-tax to Caesar, or not?

ASV And when they were come, they say unto him, Teacher, we know that thou art true, and carest not for any one; for thou regardest not the person of men, but of a truth teachest the way of God: Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cæsar, or not?

DRA Who coming, say to him: Master, we know that thou art a true speaker, and carest not for any man; for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar; or shall we not give it?

YLT and they having come, say to him, 'Teacher, we have known that thou art true, and thou art not caring for any one, for thou dost not look to the face of men, but in truth the way of God dost teach; is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not? may we give, or may we not give?'

Drby And they come and say to him, Teacher, we know that thou art true, and carest not for any one; for thou regardest not men's person, but teachest the way of [fn]God with truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not?

12.14 Elohim

RV And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest not for any one: for thou regardest not the person of men, but of a truth teachest the way of God: Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?
(And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou/you art true, and carest not for any one: for thou/you regardest/regard not the person of men, but of a truth teachest/teach the way of God: Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? )

SLT And they having come, say to him, Teacher, we know that thou art true, and thou carest not for any one: for thou lookest not to the face of men, but in truth thou teachest the way of God: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or no?

Wbstr And when they had come, they say to him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Cesar, or not?

KJB-1769 And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Cæsar, or not?
(And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou/you art true, and care for/about no man: for thou/you regardest/regard not the person of men, but teachest/teach the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? )

KJB-1611 And when they were come, they say vnto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth. Is it lawfull to giue tribute to Cesar, or not?
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps And assoone as they were come, they sayde vnto hym: Maister, we knowe that thou art true, & carest for no man, for thou considerest not the persons of men, but teachest the way of god truely: Is it lawfull to pay tribute to Caesar, or not?
(And as soon as they were come, they said unto him: Master, we know that thou/you art true, and care for/about no man, for thou/you considerest/consider not the persons of men, but teachest/teach the way of god truly: Is it lawful to pay tribute to Caesar, or not?)

Gnva And when they came, they saide vnto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou considerest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God truely, Is it lawfull to giue tribute to Cesar, or not?
(And when they came, they said unto him, Master, we know that thou/you art true, and care for/about no man: for thou/you considerest/consider not the person of men, but teachest/teach the way of God truly, Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? )

Cvdl And they came, and sayde vnto hi: Master, we knowe that thou art true and carest for no man. For thou regardest not the outwarde appearaunce of men, but teachest ye waye of God truly. Is it laufull to geue tribute vnto the Emperoure, or not?
(And they came, and said unto him: Master, we know that thou/you art true and care for/about no man. For thou/you regardest/regard not the outward appearance of men, but teachest/teach ye/you_all way of God truly. Is it lawful to give tribute unto the Emperor, or not?)

TNT And assone as they were come they sayd vnto him: master we knowe that thou arte true and carest for no man: for thou consyderest not the degre of men but teachest the waye of God truly: Ys it laufull to paye tribute to Cesar or not?
(And as soon as they were come they said unto him: master we know that thou/you art true and care for/about no man: for thou/you considerest/consider not the degree of men but teachest/teach the way of God truly: Is it lawful to pay tribute to Caesar or not? )

Wycl Whiche camen, and seien to hym, Maistir, we witen that thou art sothfast, and reckist not of ony man; for nethir thou biholdist in to the face of man, but thou techist the weie of God in treuthe. Is it leeueful that tribute be youun to the emperoure, or we schulen not yyue?
(Which came, and said to him, Master, we perceive that thou/you art truthful, and reckist not of any man; for neither thou/you behold in to the face of man, but thou/you teachest/teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful that tribute be given to the emperor, or we should not give?)

Luth Und sie kamen und sprachen zu ihm: Meister, wir wissen, daß du wahrhaftig bist und fragest nach niemand; denn du achtest nicht das Ansehen der Menschen, sondern du lehrest den Weg Gottes recht. Ist‘s recht, daß man dem Kaiser Zins gebe, oder nicht? Sollen wir ihn geben oder nicht geben?
(And they/she/them came and said to/for him: master, we/us realise, that you(sg) truthfully are and ask after no_one; because/than you(sg) pay_attention not the view/reputation the/of_the people, rather you(sg) you_teach the way/path/road God’s right. Is_it right, that man to_him Kaiser Zins give, or not? Should we/us him/it give or not give?)

ClVg Qui venientes dicunt ei: Magister, scimus quia verax es, et non curas quemquam: nec enim vides in faciem hominum, sed in veritate viam Dei doces. Licet dari tributum Cæsari, an non dabimus?[fn]
(Who coming they_say to_him: Teacher/Master, we_know because truthful you_are, and not/no cares anyone: but_not because sees in/into/on face of_men, but in/into/on with_truth way/road of_God teachs. It’s_possible to_be_given tributum Cæsari, an not/no we_will_give? )

12.14 Magister, scimus. ID. Blanda et fraudulenta interrogatio ad hoc provocat respondentem, ut magis Deum quam Cæsarem timeat, et dicat non debere tributa solvi, ut audientes Herodiani seditionis contra Romanos auctorem teneant.

12.14 Teacher/Master, we_know. ID. Blanda and fraudulenta question(n) to this provokes respondentem, as more God how Cæsarem let_him_be_afraid, and let_him_say not/no to_have_to tributa solvi, as hearing Herodiani seditionis on_the_contrary Romanos author teneant.

UGNT καὶ ἐλθόντες, λέγουσιν αὐτῷ, Διδάσκαλε, οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀληθὴς εἶ, καὶ οὐ μέλει σοι περὶ οὐδενός; οὐ γὰρ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλ’ ἐπ’ ἀληθείας τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ διδάσκεις. ἔξεστιν δοῦναι κῆνσον Καίσαρι ἢ οὔ? δῶμεν ἢ μὴ δῶμεν?
(kai elthontes, legousin autōi, Didaskale, oidamen hoti alaʸthaʸs ei, kai ou melei soi peri oudenos; ou gar blepeis eis prosōpon anthrōpōn, all’ ep’ alaʸtheias taʸn hodon tou Theou didaskeis. exestin dounai kaʸnson Kaisari aʸ ou? dōmen aʸ maʸ dōmen?)

SBL-GNT ⸀καὶ ἐλθόντες λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· Διδάσκαλε, οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀληθὴς εἶ καὶ οὐ μέλει σοι περὶ οὐδενός, οὐ γὰρ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλʼ ἐπʼ ἀληθείας τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ θεοῦ διδάσκεις· ἔξεστιν ⸂δοῦναι κῆνσον Καίσαρι⸃ ἢ οὔ; δῶμεν ἢ μὴ δῶμεν;
(⸀kai elthontes legousin autōi; Didaskale, oidamen hoti alaʸthaʸs ei kai ou melei soi peri oudenos, ou gar blepeis eis prosōpon anthrōpōn, allʼ epʼ alaʸtheias taʸn hodon tou theou didaskeis; exestin ⸂dounai kaʸnson Kaisari⸃ aʸ ou; dōmen aʸ maʸ dōmen;)

RP-GNT Οἱ δὲ ἐλθόντες λέγουσιν αὐτῷ, Διδάσκαλε, οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀληθὴς εἶ, καὶ οὐ μέλει σοι περὶ οὐδενός· οὐ γὰρ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλ' ἐπ' ἀληθείας τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ θεοῦ διδάσκεις. Ἔξεστιν κῆνσον Καίσαρι δοῦναι, ἢ οὔ;
(Hoi de elthontes legousin autōi, Didaskale, oidamen hoti alaʸthaʸs ei, kai ou melei soi peri oudenos; ou gar blepeis eis prosōpon anthrōpōn, all' ep' alaʸtheias taʸn hodon tou theou didaskeis. Exestin kaʸnson Kaisari dounai, aʸ ou;)

TC-GNT [fn]Οἱ δὲ ἐλθόντες λέγουσιν αὐτῷ, Διδάσκαλε, οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀληθὴς εἶ, καὶ οὐ μέλει σοι περὶ οὐδενός· οὐ γὰρ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἀληθείας τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ διδάσκεις. [fn]Ἔξεστι [fn]κῆνσον Καίσαρι δοῦναι, ἢ οὔ;
(Hoi de elthontes legousin autōi, Didaskale, oidamen hoti alaʸthaʸs ei, kai ou melei soi peri oudenos; ou gar blepeis eis prosōpon anthrōpōn, all ep alaʸtheias taʸn hodon tou Theou didaskeis. Exesti kaʸnson Kaisari dounai, aʸ ou; )

12:14 οι δε 98.8% ¦ και CT 1.1%

12:14 εξεστι ¦ ειπον ουν ημιν εξεστι ANT

12:14 κηνσον καισαρι δουναι 90.9% ¦ δουναι κηνσον καισαρι ANT CT 4.8%

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

SOTN 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.

12:14a

“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.

12:14b

“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.

12:14c

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.

12:14d

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.

General Comment on 12:14c–d

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.

12:14e

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.

General Comment on 12:14b–e

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.

12:14f

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.

12:14g

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.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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]

Parallel MARK 12:14

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

12:14a

12:14b

12:14c

12:14d

General Comment on 12:14c–d

12:14e

General Comment on 12:14b–e

12:14f

12:14g