Matthew 22:20
 Matthew 22:20 
New International Version (©2011)
and he asked them, "Whose image is this? And whose inscription?"

New Living Translation (©2007)
he asked, "Whose picture and title are stamped on it?"

English Standard Version (©2001)
And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?”

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
And He said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?"

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
"Whose image and inscription is this?" He asked them."

International Standard Version (©2012)
Then he asked them, "Whose face and name is this?"

NET Bible (©2006)
Jesus said to them, "Whose image is this, and whose inscription?"

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
And Yeshua said to them, “Whose is this image and inscription?”

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
He said to them, "Whose face and name is this?"

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
And he said unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?

American King James Version
And he said to them, Whose is this image and superscription?

American Standard Version
And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Jesus saith to them: Whose image and inscription is this?

Darby Bible Translation
And he says to them, Whose is this image and superscription?

English Revised Version
And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?

Webster's Bible Translation
And he saith to them, Whose is this image, and superscription?

Weymouth New Testament
"Whose likeness and inscription," He asked, "is this?"

World English Bible
He asked them, "Whose is this image and inscription?"

Young's Literal Translation
and he saith to them, 'Whose is this image and the inscription?'

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

22:15-22 The Pharisees sent their disciples with the Herodians, a party among the Jews, who were for full subjection to the Roman emperor. Though opposed to each other, they joined against Christ. What they said of Christ was right; whether they knew it or not, blessed be God we know it. Jesus Christ was a faithful Teacher, and a bold reprover. Christ saw their wickedness. Whatever mask the hypocrite puts on, our Lord Jesus sees through it. Christ did not interpose as a judge in matters of this nature, for his kingdom is not of this world, but he enjoins peaceable subjection to the powers that be. His adversaries were reproved, and his disciples were taught that the Christian religion is no enemy to civil government. Christ is, and will be, the wonder, not only of his friends, but of his enemies. They admire his wisdom, but will not be guided by it; his power, but will not submit to it.


Pulpit Commentary

Verse 20. - Image and superscription. The figure and inscription on the denarius. Jesus takes the coin, and points to it as he speaks. It must have borne a likeness of the emperor, and,therefore, as Edersheim remarks, must have been either a foreign one (Roman) or possibly one of the Tetrareh Philip, who on some of his coins introduced the image of Tiberius. The coins struck by the Romans in or for Palestine had, in accommodation to Jewish prejudices, no representation of any personage upon them. The Roman denarius at this date had on the obverse side the head of Tiberius, crowned with laurel leaves, and bore the legend, "TI CAESAR DIVI AVG FAVGVSTVS," and on the reverse, a seated female figure, with the inscription, "PONTIF MAXIM."


Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And he saith unto them,.... Having the penny in one hand, and pointing to it with the other,

whose is this image and superscription? or inscription? for the penny that was, brought him had an image upon it, the form of a man's head struck on it, and round about it an inscription, or writing, showing who it was the image of, and whose money it was, and when it was coined: this is enough to show, that this penny was not a Jewish, but a Roman one; for the Jews, though they put inscriptions, yet no images on their coin; and much less would they put Caesar's thereon, as was on this: it is asked (r),

"What is the coin of Jerusalem? The answer is, David and Solomon on one side, and Jerusalem the holy city off the other side, i.e. as the gloss observes, David and Solomon were "written" on one side, and on the other side were written Jerusalem the holy city.''

It follows,

"and what was the coin of Abraham our father? an old man and an old woman, (Abraham and Sarah,) on one side, and a young man and a young woman, (Isaac and Rebekah,) on the other side.''

The gloss on it is,

"not that there was on it the form of an old man and an old woman on one side, and of a young man and a young woman on the other, for it is forbidden to make the form of a man; but so it was written on one side, an old man and an old woman, and on the other side, a young man and a young woman.''

(r) T. Bab. Bava Kama, fol. 97. 2. Vid. Bereshit Rabbas sect. 39. fol. 34. 4. & Midrash Kohelet, fol 95. 4.


Matthew 22:20 Parallel Commentaries

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Bible Hub: Online Parallel Bible


Paying Taxes to Caesar
19Show me the tribute money. And they brought to him a penny. 20And he said to them, Whose is this image and superscription? 21They say to him, Caesar's. Then said he to them, Render therefore to Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's.

Matthew 22:19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius,
Matthew 22:21 "Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "So give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."
Mark 12:16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose image is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied.
Luke 20:24 "Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?" "Caesar's," they replied.