27However, so that we do not give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook; take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a coin; take that and give it to them for you and me.”
“The word ‘offend’ as a translation of the Greek skandalizó seems to cause all sorts of trouble for translators. The difficulty is that the meaning of this word covers such a wide area. The basic meaning of the Greek is ‘to cause to stumble by putting some impediment in the way.’ The present central meaning of English ‘offend’ is often quite different. In some languages there is no metaphorical value in a translation ‘to cause someone to stumble.’ If the language permits no such metaphor, the translator should not attempt to force it. In Highland Totonac, the metaphor ‘to show the wrong road to’ is used in a manner almost exactly parallel to the Greek idiom.” (Source: Nida 1947)
Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)
The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).
For this verse, translators typically select the inclusive form (including Peter). The Cherokee translation emphasizes this even more by using the dual form, specifically only including Peter and Jesus. (Source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 64).
Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.
Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 17:27:
Uma: “But even so, it is better that we (incl.) pay it anyway, so that they are not irritated [lit., their hearts are not little] at us (incl.). So, go to the lake and fish. Take the first fish that you catch. You (sing.) will find money in its mouth enough for the paying of the tax for the two of us (incl.). Take that money, and use-it-to-pay the tax of the House of God.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “But it is not good when their livers are bad/they are angry at us (dual). Go to the lake and fish (with hook). Open the mouth of the first fish you catch and you will find money there enough to pay our (dual) tax in the temple. Take that money and go to the temple to pay our (dual) tax.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “However it is not good that these collectors of the payment for the House of God got angry with us. Go to the lake and fish. And there in the mouth of the fish which you first catch, you will find some money. Take it and pay it for that which they are collecting from us (dual) for the House of God.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “But we shouldn’t offend these people, so go fish (with hook and line) in the lake. The first that you (sing.) catch-with-hook, open its mouth and you (sing.) will see a coin that will suffice for what we (du) two will pay. Get it and go give it to them so that our (du) tax will be paid.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “However even though it’s like that,’ said Jesus, ‘so that there won’t be anything for them to say about us (incl.), go to the lake and fish-with-a-rod. Take hold of the first fish which bites. Open its mouth and there will be money there in its mouth. Take it for it will be just right to pay the payment for us two.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “But now, so that the people will not get mad, go to the lake. Take a metal hook and fish. The first fish you catch, there in its mouth you will find the money inside. It will be enough for you to pay what they ask for me at the church and also what they ask from you.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The various Greek, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin and Hebrew terms that are translated as “sea,” “ocean,” or “lake” in English are all translated in Chichewa with one term: nyanja. Malawi, where Chichewa is spoken, has a lot of lakes but does not share a border with the ocean (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation). Likewise, in Toposa all the different bodies of water are all called by one term as well: nya-name̥ (source: Schröder 2026, p. 101).
In Malagasy culture, the sea is perceived as sacred because it was a path taken by the ancestors. That is why the Malagasy word for the “sea” is ranomasina, which literally means “the sacred water.” The word masina actually has two different meanings: “salted” and “sacred/holy.” Salt is used for the conservation of some foods, such as meat or fish, that are to be set aside for later use. In this sense, the Malagasy phrase for “Holy Spirit” has the literal meaning of “Salted Spirit.” (Source: Brigitte Rabarijaona in The Bible Translator 2022, p. 103ff.)
“Sea” (or: “ocean”) is translated in Tepeuxila Cuicatec as “water land” and in Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac as “very big lake.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a third person singular and plural pronoun (“he,” “she,” “it” and their various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. While it’s not uncommon to avoid pronouns altogether in Japanese, there are is a range of third person pronouns that can be used. In these verses a number of them are used that pay particularly much respect to the referred person (or, in fact, God, as in Exodus 15:2), including kono kata (この方), sono kata (その方), and ano kata (あの方), meaning “this person,” “that person,” and “that person over there.”
However, not to give offense to them is represented much more clearly in Good News Translation: “But we don’t want to offend these people.” Another rendering is “But we don’t want these people to be upset with us (or, because of us).” One may need to identify them (Good News Translation “these people”) as “these men who have come to collect the taxes,” “these people who are here with us,” or “these people who are not my disciples.”
Go to the sea and cast a hook is translated “go and cast a line in the lake” by New English Bible. New International Version has “go to the lake and throw out your line.” The Greek noun does have sea as its first meaning, but the body of water referred to here is Lake Galilee. To translate sea would imply for many readers the Mediterranean Sea, especially if they were not well acquainted with the geography of Palestine|fig:Map_Palestine-Jesus.jpg. “A line” (or “your line”) is much more idiomatic English than is the literal a hook. Of course, whether hook or “line” is used, some translators will have to add “for catching fish.” The instructions can be “Go down to the lake and throw out your fishing line” or “Go down to the lake with your line and catch a fish.”
A literal translation such as is found in Revised Standard Version and Barclay, take the first fish that comes up, may suggest voluntary action on the part of the fish. “Take the first fish that bites” (Jerusalem Bible), “Pull up the first fish you hook,” and “Take the first fish you catch” are more natural English expressions to describe catching fish.
When you open its mouth you will find a shekel will not be understood by the average English readers, who will not be familiar with a coin called shekel. Moreover, even if the reader should be familiar with shekel as the name of a coin, it is not likely that he would readily identify it as equal in value to two of the coins mentioned in verse 24. New English Bible has “silver coin,” which is indicated in the context to be of sufficient amount for the payment of the Temple tax for Jesus and Peter. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch is able to use one word which means “assessment” or “tax amount”; Good News Translation qualifies shekel as “a coin worth enough for my Temple tax and yours.”
Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself is somewhat shortened in Good News Translation: “Take it and pay them our taxes”; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “Take it and pay the assessment for both of us!”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
But: There is a contrast here. The contrast is between what Jesus implied (that he and Peter should not be required to pay the tax), and what he commanded Peter to do (pay the tax for both of them). The Berean Standard Bible indicates this contrast with the conjunction But.
Here is another way to indicate this contrast:
However (English Standard Version)
If people in your area do not understand this contrast, you may want to:
• Make the contrast explicit in the text. For example:
⌊So then we are also exempt.⌋ However
-or-
⌊Likewise we are not required to pay.⌋ But
This implied information can be put at the end of 17:26 (as in the Display), or at the beginning of 17:27.
• Explain the contrast in a footnote. Here is a sample footnote:
Jesus implied that God did not require Jesus and his followers to pay this tax for the temple.
so that we may not offend them: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as offend them also means “shock” or “anger.” It refers to someone doing something that causes others to be upset with him. If Jesus had refused to pay the temple tax, the tax collectors would have been angry or upset with him.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
so that we don’t offend them (NET Bible)
-or-
we don’t want to upset these tax collectors (New Century Version)
-or
we don’t want them to be angry/irritated at us ⌊by not paying the tax⌋
-or-
⌊If we do not pay the tax,⌋ these men will be upset with us. We don’t want to do that.
them: The pronoun them refers to the tax collectors.
Here are some other ways to translate this pronoun:
these people (Good News Translation)
-or-
these tax collectors (New Century Version)
17:27b
go to the sea: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sea refers to a large freshwater lake. It was Lake Galilee which was also called the Sea of Galilee. This lake is 23 kilometers long and 10 kilometers wide (14 miles long and 6 miles wide).
Here is another way to translate this clause:
go to the lake (New International Version)
The word sea last occurred in 15:29b. You should translate it here as you did there.
cast a hook: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as cast a hook are more literally “throw a fishhook.” Jesus told Peter to catch a fish using a hook that a small rope or string was tied to. You should use your natural expression for catching a fish in this way.
Here are some other ways to translate these words:
throw out your fishing line
-or-
fish with a line/hook
If your culture does not fish in this way, use a general expression for catching a fish. For example:
catch a fish
-or-
go fishing
take the first fish you catch: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as fish you catch probably refers to a fish swimming up from deep water to bite the hook. You should translate the idea of catching a fish in a way that is natural in your language. For example:
Take the first fish that comes up (English Standard Version)
-or-
Take the first fish that bites (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
17:27c
you will find a four-drachma coin: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as four-drachma coin is the name of a Greek coin called a stater. This coin was worth enough to pay the temple tax for two people.
Here is another way to translate this word:
a coin (God’s Word)
-or-
a large silver coin (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
a coin worth enough for my Temple tax and yours (Good News Translation)
17:27d
Take it and give it to them: The pronoun it refers to the coin. The pronoun them refers to the tax collectors.
Here is another way to translate this clause:
Take that coin and give it to the tax collectors (New Century Version)
for My tax and yours: The coin was worth enough to pay the temple tax for Jesus and Peter.
The Berean Standard Bible follows the Greek order and says My tax and yours. In some languages, it is more natural to say “you and me.” (See the Contemporary English Version below.) You should follow the order that is most natural in your language.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
to pay your taxes and mine (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
and pay the tax for both of us (New Living Translation (2004))
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