But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Why do you test me?
Parallel Translations
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But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Why do you test me?
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He perceaved their craftynes and sayde vnto them: why tept ye me?
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But he perceiued their craftines, and sayd vnto them, Why tempt ye me?
Cross-references (12)
Passages linked to Luke 20:23 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Matthew 22:18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test me, you hypocrites?
- Luke 5:22 But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered them, “Why are you reasoning so in your hearts?
- 1 Corinthians 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He has taken the wise in their craftiness.”
- Psalms 95:9 when your fathers tempted me, tested me, and saw my work.
- Matthew 16:1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing him, asked him to show them a sign from heaven.
- Luke 6:8 But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Rise up, and stand in the middle.” He arose and stood.
- Luke 11:16-17 Others, testing him, sought from him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation. A house divided against itself falls.
- Luke 11:53-54 As he said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be terribly angry, and to draw many things out of him; lying in wait for him, and seeking to catch him in something he might say, that they might accuse him.
- Luke 20:20 They watched him and sent out spies, who pretended to be righteous, that they might trap him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the power and authority of the governor.
- John 2:24-25 But Jesus didn’t entrust himself to them, because he knew everyone, and because he didn’t need for anyone to testify concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man.
- 1 Corinthians 10:9 Let’s not test Christ, as some of them tested, and perished by the serpents.
- Hebrews 4:13 There is no creature that is hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (6 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Craftiness is a certain diligence and witness to do…
Craftiness is a certain diligence and witness to do evil, gotten by much use and great practice in matters.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And they could not take hold of his words…
And they could not take hold of his words before the people,.... Which was what they wanted; that if he had dropped any seditious and treasonable expressions against the government, they might be witnesses against him; or if he had not vindicated the liberties of the people, and the rights of the Jewish nation, these might be exasperated against him, and leave him:
and they marvelled at his answer; which was so formed, as to give them no handle against him either way:
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and held their peace; they were silenced, and had nothing to say to him, nor against him, but left him, and went their way.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 23. Why tempt ye mey &c.] Our Lord saw…
23. Why tempt ye mey &c.] Our Lord saw at once that it was a cunning test-question meant only to entrap Him. Not for a moment did these fawning spies deceive him though
“Neither man nor angel can discern
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Hypocrisy, the only evil that walks
Invisible, except to God alone.”
These Pharisees were illustrating the truth that “no form of self-deceit is more hateful than that which veils spite and falsehood under the guise of frankness, and behind the profession of religion.”
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (23) Their craftiness.—The Greek noun does not appear in…
(23) Their craftiness.—The Greek noun does not appear in the other Gospels, but is used four times by St. Paul, as in 2Co_4:2; Eph_4:14.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain The answer of Jesus:
The answer of Jesus:
v. 23. But He perceived their craftiness and said unto them, Why tempt ye Me?
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v. 24. Show Me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar’s.
v. 25. And He said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s.
v. 26. And they could not take hold of His words before the people; and they marveled at His answer, and held their peace.
Jesus, the omniscient Son of God, noticed their craft, their sly cunning, even before they started to make their request. And He is not wanting in the frankness which they have just praised in telling them what He thought of them. He plainly told them that He knew their thoughts in trying to tempt Him. He then asked for a denarius, the coin in which the imperial tax was usually paid (value, about 17 cents). Then He demanded information as to the picture and the inscription stamped upon the coin. Note: Instead of explaining to them at once what He told them afterwards, He made them give the information, making it appear that they had led Him to the conclusion, in order to confound them and win the people. Since the coin bore the emperor’s picture, it presented irrefutable evidence that the emperor was the ruler of the land, for the coins of a strange country are not legal tender in the homeland. And so the conclusion of Jesus seemed the only one that was justified under the circumstances, to give the things of Caesar to Caesar and the things of God to God. That is what God demands. The people of God, the Christians, will, above all, give due honor and obedience to God. In matters which pertain to God, the Word of God, Christian worship, faith, and conscience, they are obedient only to God, and reject all interference of men. But in temporal things, in matters which concern this world only, such as money, goods, life, Christians are obedient to the government of the country in which they are living. The State is not to interfere in the matters of the Church, and the Church is not to meddle in the business and affairs of the State. This answer of Jesus, while it satisfied the people, completely baffled the questioners. They could find no point at which they might take hold of, and attack, the Lord. At the same time, they could not repress a grudging, reluctant admiration for the clear distinction made by the Lord, and so they quietly withdrew.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 But Jesus understood their craftiness
But Jesus understood their craftiness
"But Jesus understood how tricky they were" or "But Jesus saw that they were trying to trap him." The word "their" refers to the spies.
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a denarius
This is a Roman silver coin worth a day's wages. (See: Biblical Money)
Whose image and name is on it?
Jesus uses a question to respond to those who were trying to trick him. (See: Rhetorical Question)
image and name
"picture and name"
translationWords
Caesar
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.