Matthew 17:24-26

Disciples’ Literal New Testament

Jesus Pays His Temple Tax With a Coin From a Fish He Sent Peter To Catch

²⁴And they having come to Capernaum, the ones^[a] taking the double-drachmas^[b] came to Peter and said, “Does not your teacher pay the double-drachmas?” ²⁵He says, “Yes”. And Peter having come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What seems right to you, Simon— from whom do the kings of the earth take taxes^[c] or a poll-tax^[d], from their sons^[e] or from the strangers?” ²⁶And Peter having said “From the strangers”, Jesus said to him, “Then indeed, the sons^[f] are free!

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Footnotes

Matthew 17:24 These are Jews commissioned by the Temple, not the hated ‘tax collectors’.
Matthew 17:24 This was the yearly half-shekel (equivalent to two drachmas, the silver double-drachma coin) temple tax required of all male Jews 20 to 50 years old throughout the world. One Greek drachma was equivalent to one Roman denarius (one day’s wage).
Matthew 17:25 That is, local taxes.
Matthew 17:25 That is, a tax paid to the Emperor, based on a census.
Matthew 17:25 Does the king’s family pay taxes, or the families of his subjects?
Matthew 17:26 That is, the sons of the Father, Jesus and the disciples, are exempt from their Father’s temple tax.

Disciples’ Literal New Testament (DLNT)

Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing