Luke 20:21

And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly:

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(21) Neither acceptest thou the person of any.—To “accept the person” takes the place of “regarding” or “looking at” the person of Matthew 22:16, where see Note. The precise combination which St. Luke uses meets us again in Galatians 2:6.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

20:20-26 Those who are most crafty in their designs against Christ and his gospel, cannot hide them. He did not give a direct answer, but reproved them for offering to impose upon him; and they could not fasten upon any thing wherewith to stir up either the governor or the people against him. The wisdom which is from above, will direct all who teach the way of God truly, to avoid the snares laid for them by wicked men; and will teach our duty to God, to our rulers, and to all men, so clearly, that opposers will have no evil to say of us.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See this explained in the Matthew 22:15-33 notes, and Mark 12:13-27 notes.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

21. we know, &c.—hoping by flattery to throw Him off His guard.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Ver. 21-26 This piece of history we have likewise met with, both in Matthew 22:16-22, and Mark 12:14-17.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And they asked him, saying, master,.... Rabbi, or doctor; hoping, by this flattering title, and the flattering words used by them, to work him up to an openness and freedom of conversation with them:

we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly; rightly dividest the word of God, and deliverest out sound doctrine according to it: and this he certainly did, though they spoke these words hypocritically, not believing what they themselves said; at least, they did not care that others should believe this of him:

neither acceptest thou the person of any. The Persic version very wrongly renders it, "and lookest not upon the countenance, and heart of any one whomsoever"; for though Christ did not look upon the countenances of men, and judge according to the outward appearance, nor regard men on account of outward circumstances, as riches, honours, learning, &c. yet he looked upon the heart, and knew what was in it, and respected sincerity and uprightness wherever he found it, and which were wanting in these men:

but teachest the way of God truly; the way of worshipping God, and of enjoying him, both in this world, and in that to come; See Gill on Matthew 22:16.

Geneva Study Bible

And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the {e} person of any, but teachest the way of God truly:

(e) You are not moved by favour of any man: and by person he means outward circumstances, for if a man judges according to these, there will be those who are truly alike whom he will judge to be different.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 20:21. ὀρθῶς, rightly, as in Luke 7:43, pointing not to sincerity in speech (λέγεις) and teaching (διδάσκεις) but to sound judgment = you always say the right thing; the second clause points to impartiality = you say the same thing to all; the third to sincerity = you say what you think. They describe an ideal from which their own masters were as remote as possible.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

21. Master, we know, &c.] There is something in this fawning malice, and treacherous flattery, almost as repulsive as the kiss of Judas.

neither acceptest thou the person of any] Galatians 2:6. The word for ‘person’ is prosopon, ‘a maskit is as though they would imply that Jesus was not only an Impartial Judge, too true for sycophancy, but also too keen-sighted to be deceived by hypocrisy. And the one blighting word ‘Ye hypocrites!’ shewed them that their words were truer than they had intended. From the phrase lambaneis prosopon are formed the words prosopolemptes and prosopolempsia; see Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:25; Acts 10:34, &c. It is a Hebrew phrase, Leviticus 19:15; Malachi 1:8.

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 20:21. Ὀρθῶς, rightly) rigidly, with any bending of the truth [to suit a purpose].

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 21, 22. - And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly: Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no? SS. Matthew and Mark both tell us that in this plot the Herodians were united with the Pharisees (and Sanhedrin). The great Nazareth Reformer was equally hateful to both these hostile parties; hence their union in this matter. It was a well and skilfully laid question. This "tribute" was a capitation tax - a denarius a head assessed on the whole population, the publicans who farmed it being answerable for it to the Roman treasury. As a direct personal tax it was most unpopular, and was looked on by scrupulous legalists and the more zealous Jews as involving a greater humiliation than the ordinary import or export customs dues. It occasioned at times popular tumults, as in the case of Judas of Galilee (Acts 5:37). If Jesus answered the question in the affirmative "Yes, it is lawful for the Jews to give this tribute to Caesar," then the Pharisees would use this decision of his as a means of undermining his credit with the zealous populace. "See, after all," they would say, "this pretended Messiah of yours is but a poor-hearted traitor. Think of King Messiah paying tribute to a Gentile." If, on the other hand, the Master had said such payment of tribute was unlawful, then the Herodians, who were watching him, hoping for some such expression of opinion, would at once have denounced him to their Roman friends as One who taught the people - only too ready to listen to such teaching - lessons of sedition. In the latter case Pilate and the officials of Rome would have taken good care that the Galilaean Master had troubled the Sanhedrin no more. Luke 20:21

Vincent's Word Studies

Acceptest not the person

See on James 2:1.