They brought it. He said to them, “Whose is this image and inscription?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.”
Parallel Translations
-
They brought it. He said to them, “Whose is this image and inscription?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.”
-
And they brought. And he sayde vnto them: Whose ys thys ymage and superscripcion? And they sayde vnto him Cesars.
-
So they brought it, and he said vnto them, Whose is this image and superscription? and they said vnto him, Cesars.
Cross-references (4)
Passages linked to Mark 12:16 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Matthew 22:19-22 Show me the tax money.” They brought to him a denarius. He asked them, “Whose is this image and inscription?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard it, they marveled, and left him, and went away.
- Luke 20:24-26 Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” They answered, “Caesar’s.” He said to them, “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” They weren’t able to trap him in his words before the people. They marveled at his answer and were silent.
- 2 Timothy 2:19 However God’s firm foundation stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let every one who names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.”
- Revelation 3:12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will go out from there no more. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and my own new name.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (6 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
Saved on this device only — never synced or sent anywhere.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 16 And they brought it. And he saith unto…
16 And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar’s.
Ver. 16. {See Trapp on "Mat 22:20"}
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Then came unto him the Sadducees,.... The same day,…
Then came unto him the Sadducees,.... The same day, immediately after he had silenced the Pharisees and Herodians: these were a set of men distinct from the former, in some of their sentiments, especially in their religions ones, and particularly in the following:
which say there is no resurrection: of the dead, in a literal sense, either general or particular; See Gill on Mat 22:23;
Read full note →
and they asked him, saying; as in the next verse.
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 16. Whose is this image] “The little silver coin,…
16. Whose is this image] “The little silver coin, bearing on its surface the head encircled with a wreath of laurel, and bound round with the sacred fillet—the well-known features, the most beautiful and the most wicked, even in outward expression, of all the Roman Emperors, with the superscription running round, in the stately language of imperial Rome, Tiberius Cæsar, Divi Augusti filius Augustus, Imperator.” The image of the Emperor would be regarded by the stricter Jews as idolatrous, and to spare their feelings, the Romans had allowed a special coinage to be struck for Judæa, without any likeness upon it, and only the name of the Emperor, and such Jewish emblems as palms, lilies, grapes, and censers.
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 (16) Superscription.—Better, inscription, as in Mat_22:20.
(16) Superscription.—Better, inscription, as in Mat_22:20.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 They brought one
They brought one
"The Pharisees and the Herodians brought a denarius"
Read full note →
likeness and inscription
"picture and name"
They said, "Caesar's
Here "Caesar's" refers to his likeness and inscription. AT: "They said, 'They are Caesar's likeness and inscription" (See: Ellipsis)
Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's
Jesus is teaching that his people must respect the government by paying taxes. This figure of speech can be clarified by changing Caesar to Roman government. AT: "Give to the Roman government the things that belong to the Roman government" (See: Metonymy)
and to God
The understood verb may be supplied. AT: "and give to God" (See: Ellipsis)
They marveled at him
They were amazed at what Jesus had said. This can be made explicit. AT: "They marveled at him and at what he had said" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
translationWords
like
Caesar
God
amazed
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 12:16 The picture and title on the coin was…
12:16 The picture and title on the coin was almost certainly that of Tiberius Caesar, who reigned from AD 14–37. The inscription read “Tiberius Caesar Augustus, Son of [the] Divine Augustus” on one side and “High Priest” on the other.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.