12:14a
Teacher: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Teacher was a polite title for a Jewish religious leader. It was a title of respect for a Jewish man who had authority to teach the things about God. In some languages the appropriate way to address a religious teacher may be:
Sir Teacher
-or-
Sir
-or-
Master
Be careful not to use a term that can refer only to a school teacher.
they said: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as they said is more literally “and having come, they said to him.” This phrase connects the introduction to the section in 12:13 with what the men said to Jesus in 12:14. Also, in Greek this phrase occurs at the beginning of this verse. Place it where it is natural in your language.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
When the men came to Jesus, they said to him…
-or-
So the men went to Jesus and said…
Connect 12:13 and 12:14 in a natural way in your language.
they: The word they refers to the men from the Pharisee group and the Herodian group.
12:14b
we know that You are honest: Here the people who came to Jesus expressed their confidence that Jesus was an honest person.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
we know that you tell the truth (God’s Word)
-or-
we know that you are honest (Contemporary English Version)
honest: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as honest literally means “truthful.” So the word honest refers to a person who tells the truth.
12:14c
seek favor from no one: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as seek favor from no one is literally “it is not a concern to you about anyone.” This phrase is closely connected here to the word “honest” in 12:14b. It indicates that Jesus did not allow people to affect his decisions about what was right or wrong. He did and taught what was right, even if he knew that some people would accuse him of doing something wrong.
In some languages there may be an idiom to express this. Do not use an expression that implies that Jesus did not love people or have mercy on them. See the General Comment on 12:14b–e at the end of 12:14e for translation examples.
12:14d
Indeed: The Berean Standard Bible uses the word Indeed to connect 12:14c and 12:14d. The way you connect these clauses in your language will depend on how you translate the whole verse. See the General Comment on 12:14b–e at the end of 12:14e for translation suggestions.
You are impartial: In Greek this phrase is literally “for you do not look at the face of men.” This is an idiom. It means that Jesus treated people fairly. He did not favor the rich or powerful people more than other people.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
You pay no attention to anyone’s status (Good News Bible)
-or-
You ignore their position/greatness.
-or-
You pay no attention to who they are (New International Version)
Be careful not to imply that Jesus was impolite or disrespectful. The Contemporary English Version avoids this implication as follows:
You treat everyone with the same respect, no matter who they are.
General Comment on 12:14c–d
In your language it may be easier to reverse the order of 12:14c–d. For example:
14dYou do not care whether others consider men/people as important, 14cso you do not let them influence you.
12:14e
and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and connects this part of the verse with 12:14c–d. In Greek it indicates a contrast. Jesus did not consider people’s status and favor some of them more than others. Instead, he taught the way of God by telling the truth. Express this contrast in a natural way in your language. See the General Comment on 12:14b–e for translation suggestions.
the way of God: In the context of the question about paying taxes, the phrase the way of God refers primarily to what God wants people to do.
in accordance with the truth: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as in accordance with the truth means “truthfully.” This statement indicates that Jesus taught the truth about how people should live to please God. The people who said this had been sent to trick Jesus, so they did not speak truthfully themselves.
General Comment on 12:14b–e
There is a contrast between 12:14c–d and 12:14e. For example, the Good News Bible shows the contrast by using the word “but”:
14bTeacher, we know that you tell the truth, 14cwithout worrying about what people think. 14dYou pay no attention to anyone’s status, 14ebut teach the truth about God’s will for people.
In some languages it may not be necessary to make the contrast explicit, because the context implies it.
Notice that 12:14b and 12:14e have similar meanings, and 12:14c and 12:14d have similar meanings. In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of these verse parts. For example:
14bWe know that you are a man of integrity 14eand sincerely teach the ways of God. 14dYou are impartial 14cand do not consider anyone’s status.
12:14f
After the men praised Jesus insincerely in 12:14a–e, they asked him a question. They implied that because he was an honest man, he would give them a true answer. In some languages this implied connection may need to be made explicit. In other languages a conjunction will not be needed.
Here are some other ways to translate the connection:
So we ask you, does our(incl) law permit us to pay taxes…
-or-
Tell us whether our(incl) law permits us to pay taxes…
Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?: The question in this verse asks for a choice between two alternatives. The men who asked the question expected Jesus to say either that it was right to pay taxes to Caesar, or that it was not right.
Is it lawful…?: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Is it lawful…? indicates that the men who asked this question were thinking of what the Jewish law allowed. They were not thinking of the Roman law, which clearly required Jewish people to pay the Roman tax. In some languages it may be necessary to make some of this information explicit. For example:
Is it against our Law to pay taxes…? (Good News Bible)
-or-
Does the Law of Moses permit us(incl) to pay taxes…?
-or-
Will we break the law of us(incl) Jews if we pay tax…?
taxes: The word taxes refers to money that a person had to pay to the government. The Roman government required each adult male in their conquered countries to pay taxes to them. Judea, where Jesus was staying, was one of the places that the Romans had conquered.
Caesar: The word Caesar was a title for the supreme ruler over the city of Rome. He also ruled over all the countries that the people of Rome had conquered, including the country of the Jews. (The word “Caesar” was borrowed from the Latin language. At this time the Caesar’s name was Tiberius. At the time of Jesus’ birth, Caesar Augustus was the ruler.) The word Caesar is equivalent to the title “Emperor.” It is not a personal name.
Here are some other ways to translate the title Caesar:
• Use an equivalent title. For example:
the Emperor/King in Rome
-or-
the Roman Emperor (Good News Bible)
-or-
the high chief
• Use a more general term. For example:
the government of the Romans that rules us
-or-
the ruler in the city of Rome
• Use a transliterated term. For example:
the Caesar
If you use this option, you may want to add a footnote. For example:
“Caesar” was the title for the ruler of the people in the city of Rome. He also ruled over all the countries that Rome had conquered, including the country of the Jews.
12:14g
Notice that some English versions, including the New International Version, put this part of the verse at the beginning of 12:15. You may want to check the major language version in your area before you decide where to begin 12:15.
Should we pay them or not?: This question has the same meaning as the one in 12:14f. The men repeated the question to try to make sure that Jesus would give a clear and direct answer.
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