Luke 20:24
New International Version
“Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied.

New Living Translation
“Show me a Roman coin. Whose picture and title are stamped on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied.

English Standard Version
“Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.”

Berean Standard Bible
“Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” “Caesar’s,” they answered.

Berean Literal Bible
"Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?" And they said, "Caesar's."

King James Bible
Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar's.

New King James Version
Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?” They answered and said, “Caesar’s.”

New American Standard Bible
“Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.”

NASB 1995
“Show Me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.”

NASB 1977
“Show Me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” And they said, “Caesar’s.”

Legacy Standard Bible
“Show Me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.”

Amplified Bible
“Show Me a [Roman] denarius. Whose image and inscription does the coin have?” They answered, “[the Emperor Tiberius] Caesar’s.”

Christian Standard Bible
“Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have? ” “Caesar’s,” they said.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
“Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?"” Caesar’s,” they said.

American Standard Version
Show me a denarius. Whose image and superscription hath it? And they said, C�sar's.

Contemporary English Version
"Show me a coin." Then he asked, "Whose picture and name are on it?" "The Emperor's," they answered.

English Revised Version
Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? And they said, Caesar's.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Show me a coin. Whose face and name is this?" They answered, "The emperor's."

Good News Translation
"Show me a silver coin. Whose face and name are these on it?" "The Emperor's," they answered.

International Standard Version
"Show me a denarius. Whose face and name does it have?" "Caesar's," they replied.

Majority Standard Bible
Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?? ?Caesar?s,? they answered.

NET Bible
"Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?" They said, "Caesar's."

New Heart English Bible
"Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?" They answered, "Caesar's."

Webster's Bible Translation
Show me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Cesar's.

Weymouth New Testament
"Show me a shilling; whose likeness and inscription does it bear?" "Caesar's," they said.

World English Bible
Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” They answered, “Caesar’s.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Show Me a denarius; of whom does it have an image and inscription?” And they answering said, “Of Caesar”:

Berean Literal Bible
"Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?" And they said, "Caesar's."

Young's Literal Translation
shew me a denary; of whom hath it an image and superscription?' and they answering said, 'Of Caesar:'

Smith's Literal Translation
Show me drachma. Whose image and inscription has it? And having answered they said, Caesar's.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Shew me a penny. Whose image and inscription hath it? They answering, said to him, Caesar's.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?” In response, they said to him, “Caesar’s.”

New American Bible
“Show me a denarius; whose image and name does it bear?” They replied, “Caesar’s.”

New Revised Standard Version
“Show me a denarius. Whose head and whose title does it bear?” They said, “The emperor’s.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Show me a penny. Whose image and inscription are on it? They said, Caesar’s.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription is on it?” They said, “Caesar's.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
Show me a denarius. Whose image and superscription has it? They answered and said: Caesar's.

Godbey New Testament
Show me the denarion. Whose image and superscription has it? And they responding said, Caesar's.

Haweis New Testament
Shew me a denarius. Whose image and inscription hath it? And they answering said, C�sar?s.

Mace New Testament
show me a penny: whose image and inscription is this? they answer'd, Cesar's.

Weymouth New Testament
"Show me a shilling; whose likeness and inscription does it bear?" "Caesar's," they said.

Worrell New Testament
"Show Me a denary. Whose image and inscription has it?" And, answering; they said, "Caesar's."

Worsley New Testament
Shew me a penny: whose image and inscription hath it? and they answered, Cesar's.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Paying Taxes to Caesar
23But Jesus saw through their duplicity and said to them, 24“Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” “Caesar’s,” they answered. 25So Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”…

Cross References
Matthew 22:19-21
Show Me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought Him a denarius. / “Whose image is this,” He asked, “and whose inscription?” / “Caesar’s,” they answered. So Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

Mark 12:15-17
But Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to inspect.” / So they brought it, and He asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they answered. / Then Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” And they marveled at Him.

Romans 13:7
Pay everyone what you owe him: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.

1 Peter 2:13-17
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to the king as the supreme authority, / or to governors as those sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. / For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorance of foolish men. ...

Matthew 17:24-27
After they had arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, “Does your Teacher pay the two drachmas?” / “Yes,” he answered. When Peter entered the house, Jesus preempted him. “What do you think, Simon?” He asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs and taxes: from their own sons, or from others?” / “From others,” Peter answered. “Then the sons are exempt,” Jesus said to him. ...

Acts 5:29
But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men.

Proverbs 24:21
My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not associate with the rebellious.

Daniel 3:16-18
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. / If the God whom we serve exists, then He is able to deliver us from the blazing fiery furnace and from your hand, O king. / But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden statue you have set up.”

Daniel 6:10
Now when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house, where the windows of his upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

Exodus 30:13
Everyone who crosses over to those counted must pay a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the LORD.

Nehemiah 10:32-33
We also place ourselves under the obligation to contribute a third of a shekel yearly for the service of the house of our God: / for the showbread, for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings, for the Sabbath offerings, for the New Moons and appointed feasts, for the holy offerings, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the duties of the house of our God.

1 Samuel 8:10-18
So Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. / He said, “This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to serve his own chariots and horses, and to run in front of his chariots. / He will appoint some for himself as commanders of thousands and of fifties, and others to plow his ground, to reap his harvest, and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. ...

Genesis 1:26-27
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.” / So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Genesis 17:10-14
This is My covenant with you and your descendants after you, which you are to keep: Every male among you must be circumcised. / You are to circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and this will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. / Generation after generation, every male must be circumcised when he is eight days old, including those born in your household and those purchased from a foreigner—even those who are not your offspring. ...

Leviticus 27:30
Thus any tithe from the land, whether from the seed of the land or the fruit of the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.


Treasury of Scripture

Show me a penny. Whose image and superscription has it? They answered and said, Caesar's.

a penny.

Matthew 18:28
But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

Matthew 20:2
And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

image.

Caesar's.

Luke 20:22
Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?

Luke 2:1
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

Luke 3:1
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,

Jump to Previous
Bear Caesar Caesar's Cesar's Coin Denarius Denary Image Inscription Likeness Penny Portrait Shew Shilling Show Superscription
Jump to Next
Bear Caesar Caesar's Cesar's Coin Denarius Denary Image Inscription Likeness Penny Portrait Shew Shilling Show Superscription
Luke 20
1. Jesus confirms his authority by a question of John's baptism.
9. The parable of the vineyard.
19. Of giving tribute to Caesar.
27. He instructs the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection.
41. How Jesus is the Son of David.
45. He warns his disciples to beware of the scribes.














Show Me a denarius.
In this passage, Jesus is responding to a question about paying taxes to the Roman authorities. The denarius was a common Roman coin used during the time of Jesus, typically made of silver. It was the standard daily wage for a laborer. The request to see a denarius highlights the Roman occupation of Judea and the economic realities of the time. The coin itself is a tangible representation of Roman authority and influence over the Jewish people. This moment also sets the stage for Jesus to teach a deeper spiritual truth about allegiance and identity.

Whose image and inscription are on it?
The image on the denarius would have been that of the reigning Roman emperor, likely Tiberius Caesar at the time of Jesus. The inscription would typically declare the emperor's divine status, a claim that was blasphemous to the Jewish people who believed in the one true God. This question by Jesus is significant because it draws attention to the physical and political realities of the coin, which bears the image of a man claiming divinity. It also serves as a metaphor for the deeper question of whose image we bear spiritually, pointing to the biblical teaching that humans are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).

Caesar’s, they answered.
The response acknowledges the political authority of Caesar over the region. This admission by the questioners, who were trying to trap Jesus, inadvertently supports His teaching. By recognizing Caesar's image on the coin, they concede the legitimacy of Roman rule in civil matters. This moment is pivotal as it leads to Jesus' famous teaching to "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" (Luke 20:25). It underscores the distinction between earthly and divine authority, a theme that resonates throughout Scripture, including Romans 13:1-7, where Paul discusses submission to governing authorities.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus
- The central figure in this passage, Jesus is teaching in the temple courts and is being questioned by the religious leaders.

2. Pharisees and Herodians
- These groups are attempting to trap Jesus with a question about paying taxes to Caesar, hoping to discredit Him.

3. Denarius
- A Roman coin used during the time of Jesus, bearing the image and inscription of the emperor, Caesar.

4. Caesar
- The title used for the Roman emperor, representing the political authority of the time.

5. Temple Courts
- The setting of this encounter, a place of teaching and religious discussion in Jerusalem.
Teaching Points
Authority and Allegiance
Jesus' response highlights the distinction between earthly and divine authority. Christians are called to respect and submit to governmental authorities while maintaining ultimate allegiance to God.

Image and Identity
The denarius bears Caesar's image, but humans bear God's image. This distinction calls believers to reflect on their identity and purpose as God's image-bearers in the world.

Wisdom in Response
Jesus demonstrates wisdom in His response, avoiding the trap set by the Pharisees and Herodians. Believers are encouraged to seek divine wisdom in navigating complex situations.

Dual Citizenship
Christians live as citizens of both earthly nations and the Kingdom of God. This dual citizenship requires discernment in balancing responsibilities to both.

Stewardship of Resources
The question of taxes also raises issues of stewardship. Believers are called to manage their resources in a way that honors God and fulfills civic responsibilities.Verse 24. - Show me a penny; literally, a denarius, a coin of the value of 7.5 d., but really representing a larger sum in our money. It seems probable, from the language of Mark 12:15, 16, that his interrogators had to borrow the Roman coin in question from some of the neighbouring money-changers. These Jews would scarcely carry any but Jewish coins in their girdles. That the Roman denarius, however, was evidently a coin in common circulation in those days, we gather from the parable of the labourers in the vineyard. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar's. "On one side would be the once beautiful but now depraved features of Tiberius; the title 'Pontifex Maximus' was probably inscribed on the obverse" (Farrar).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
“Show
Δείξατέ (Deixate)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 1166: A prolonged form of an obsolete primary of the same meaning; to show.

Me
μοι (moi)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

a denarius.
δηνάριον (dēnarion)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 1220: A denarius, a small Roman silver coin. Of Latin origin; a denarius.

Whose
τίνος (tinos)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

image
εἰκόνα (eikona)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1504: An image, likeness, bust. From eiko; a likeness, i.e. statue, profile, or representation, resemblance.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

inscription
ἐπιγραφήν (epigraphēn)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1923: An inscription, title, label. From epigrapho; an inscription.

are on it?”
ἔχει (echei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

“Caesar’s,”
Καίσαρος (Kaisaros)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2541: Of Latin origin; Caesar, a title of the Roman emperor.

they answered.
εἶπαν (eipan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.


Links
Luke 20:24 NIV
Luke 20:24 NLT
Luke 20:24 ESV
Luke 20:24 NASB
Luke 20:24 KJV

Luke 20:24 BibleApps.com
Luke 20:24 Biblia Paralela
Luke 20:24 Chinese Bible
Luke 20:24 French Bible
Luke 20:24 Catholic Bible

NT Gospels: Luke 20:24 Show me a denarius (Luke Lu Lk)
Luke 20:23
Top of Page
Top of Page