Mark 12:14

Authorized King James Version (1611)

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 Caesar, or not?

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Οἱ δὲ 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 κῆνσον Καίσαρι δοῦναι, ἢ οὔ; ⋄Δῶμεν, ἥ μὴ δῶμεν;

Transliteration

Hoi de elthontes, they-legousin to-him, Didaskale, we-oidamen that alēthēs ei and not melei to-you peri oudenos: not for you-blepeis eis prosōpon anthrōpōn, but epʼ alētheias tēn hodon tou Theou didaskeis: Exestin kēnson Kaisari dounai, or not? Should-we-dōmen, or not dōmen?

Grammar Details

• *Hoi de*: nominative plural masculine article + postpositive particle - but they/and they
• *elthontes*: aorist active participle, nominative plural masculine - having come
• *legousin*: present active indicative, 3rd plural - they say
• *Didaskale*: vocative singular masculine - Teacher
• *oidamen*: perfect active indicative, 1st plural - we know
• *alēthēs*: nominative singular masculine adjective - true/truthful
• *ei*: present active indicative, 2nd singular - you are
• *melei*: present active indicative, 3rd singular - it concerns
• *peri oudenos*: preposition + genitive pronoun - about no one/nothing
• *blepeis*: present active indicative, 2nd singular - you look
• *eis prosōpon*: preposition + accusative singular neuter - at face/appearance
• *anthrōpōn*: genitive plural masculine - of men/people
• *epʼ alētheias*: preposition + genitive singular feminine - in truth
• *tēn hodon*: accusative singular feminine article + noun - the way
• *tou Theou*: genitive singular masculine article + noun - of God
• *didaskeis*: present active indicative, 2nd singular - you teach
• *Exestin*: present active indicative, 3rd singular impersonal - it is lawful
• *kēnson*: accusative singular masculine - tax/tribute
• *Kaisari*: dative singular masculine - to Caesar
• *dounai*: aorist active infinitive - to give
• *dōmen*: aorist active subjunctive, 1st plural - should we give

Word Meanings

• *elthontes*: having come/arrived
• *legousin*: they say/tell/speak
• *Didaskale*: Teacher/Master/Rabbi
• *oidamen*: we know/understand
• *alēthēs*: true/truthful/honest
• *melei*: it concerns/it matters/you care
• *blepeis*: you look/see/regard
• *prosōpon*: face/appearance/presence
• *anthrōpōn*: of men/of people/of humans
• *alētheias*: truth/reality
• *hodon*: way/path/road
• *Theou*: of God/divine
• *didaskeis*: you teach/instruct
• *Exestin*: it is lawful/permitted/right
• *kēnson*: tax/tribute/census tax
• *Kaisari*: to Caesar/to the emperor
• *dounai*: to give/to pay
• *dōmen*: should we give/may we give

Referenced Verses

• Exod 23:2-6 : 2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to [do] evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest [judgment]: 3 Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause. 4 If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. 5 If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him. 6 Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.
• Deut 16:19 : 19 Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.
• Deut 33:9-9 : 9 Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant. 10 They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar.
• 2 Chr 18:13 : 13 And Micaiah said, [As] the LORD liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak.
• 2 Chr 19:7 : 7 Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do [it]: for [there is] no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.
• Ezra 4:12-13 : 12 Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls [thereof], and joined the foundations. 13 Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up [again, then] will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and [so] thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings.
• Neh 9:37 : 37 And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we [are] in great distress.
• Ps 12:2-4 : 2 They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: [with] flattering lips [and] with a double heart do they speak. 3 The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, [and] the tongue that speaketh proud things: 4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips [are] our own: who [is] lord over us?
• Ps 55:21 : 21 [The words] of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war [was] in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet [were] they drawn swords.
• Ps 120:2 : 2 Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, [and] from a deceitful tongue.
• Prov 26:23-26 : 23 ¶ Burning lips and a wicked heart [are like] a potsherd covered with silver dross. 24 ¶ He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him; 25 When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for [there are] seven abominations in his heart. 26 [Whose] hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the [whole] congregation.
• Isa 50:7-9 : 7 For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. 8 [He is] near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who [is] mine adversary? let him come near to me. 9 Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who [is] he [that] shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.
• Jer 15:19-21 : 19 Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, [and] thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them. 20 And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I [am] with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the LORD. 21 And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.
• Jer 42:2-3 : 2 And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, [even] for all this remnant; (for we are left [but] a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:) 3 That the LORD thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do.
• Jer 42:20 : 20 For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the LORD your God, saying, Pray for us unto the LORD our God; and according unto all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do [it].
• Ezek 2:6-7 : 6 ¶ And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns [be] with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they [be] a rebellious house. 7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they [are] most rebellious.
• Mic 3:8 : 8 ¶ But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.
• Matt 17:25-27 : 25 He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, ‹What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?› 26 Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, ‹Then are the children free.› 27 ‹Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.›
• Matt 22:17 : 17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?
• Mark 14:45 : 45 And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him.
• Luke 20:22 : 22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?
• Luke 23:2 : 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this [fellow] perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.
• John 7:18 : 18 ‹He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.›
• Rom 13:6 : 6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
• 2 Cor 2:2 : 2 For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?
• 2 Cor 2:17 : 17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
• 2 Cor 4:1 : 1 ¶ Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
• 2 Cor 5:11 : 11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
• 2 Cor 5:16 : 16 ¶ Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we [him] no more.
• Gal 1:10 : 10 ¶ For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
• Gal 2:6 : 6 But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed [to be somewhat] in conference added nothing to me:
• Gal 2:11-14 : 11 ¶ But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. 12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. 13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. 14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before [them] all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
• 1 Thess 2:4 : 4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.