Matthew 17:27

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.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Notwithstanding	ἵνα ina	G2443	compare G3588 (ὁ)) · conjunction
lest	μὴ mē	G3361	(adverb) not · particle — negative
we should offend	σκανδαλίσωμεν skandalisōmen	G4624	to entrap · verb — aorist active subjunctive, 1st person plural
them	αὐτούς, autous	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative plural masculine
go thou	πορευθεὶς poreutheis	G4198	to traverse · verb — aorist passive deponent participle, nominative singular masculine
to	εἰς eis	G1519	to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
the sea	θάλασσαν thalassan	G2281	the sea (genitive case or specially) · noun — accusative singular feminine
and cast	βάλε bale	G906	to throw (in various applications · verb — second aorist active imperative, 2nd person singular
an hook	ἄγκιστρον agkistron	G44	a hook (as bent) · noun — accusative singular neuter
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
take up	ἆρον· aron	G142	to lift up · verb — aorist active imperative, 2nd person singular
the fish	ἰχθὺν ichthun	G2486	a fish · noun — accusative singular masculine
that	ἀναβάντα anabanta	G305	to go up (literally or figuratively) · verb — second aorist active participle, accusative singular masculine
first	πρῶτον prōton	G4412	firstly (in time
cometh up	ἀναβαίνω anabaínō	G305	to go up (literally or figuratively)
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
when thou hast opened	ἀνοίξας anoixas	G455	to open up (literally or figuratively · verb — aorist active participle, nominative singular masculine
his	αὐτοῦ autou	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive singular masculine
mouth	στόμα stoma	G4750	the mouth (as if a gash in the face) · noun — accusative singular neuter
thou shalt find	εὑρήσεις heurēseis	G2147	to find (literally or figuratively) · verb — future active indicative, 2nd person singular
a piece of money	στατῆρα. statēra	G4715	a stander (standard of value) · noun — accusative singular masculine
that	ἐκεῖνον ekeinon	G1565	that one (or (neuter) thing) · demonstrative pronoun — accusative singular masculine
take	λαβὼν labōn	G2983	while G138 (αἱρέομαι) is more violent · verb — second aorist active participle, nominative singular masculine
and give	δὸς dos	G1325	to give (used in a very wide application · verb — second aorist active imperative, 2nd person singular
unto them	αὐτοῖς autois	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — dative plural masculine
for	ἀντὶ anti	G473	opposite · preposition
me	ἐμοῦ emoû	G1700	of me
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
thee	σοῦ soû	G4675	of thee

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

2 Corinthians 6:3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:
1 Corinthians 8:9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
1 Corinthians 9:19-22 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
2 Corinthians 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty mig…
1 Corinthians 8:13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.
Romans 15:1-3 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Jonah 1:17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Matthew 15:12-14 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Matthew 17:24–end

We have here an account of Christ's paying tribute. I. Observe how it was demanded, Mat 17:24. Christ was now at Capernaum, his headquarters, where he mostly resided; he did not keep from thence, to decline being called upon for his dues, but rather came thither, to be ready to pay them. 1. The tribute demanded was not any civil payment to the Roman powers, that was strictly exacted by the publicans, but the church-duties, the half shekel, about fifteen pence, which were required from every person or the service of the temple, and the defraying of the expenses of the worship there; it is called a ransom for the soul, Exo 30:12, etc. This was not so strictly exacted now as sometimes it had be…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Matthew 17:27

Notwithstanding, lest we should offend--stumble. them--all ignorant as they are of My relation to the Lord of the Temple, and should misconstrue a claim to exemption into indifference to His honor who dwells in it. go thou to the sea--Capernaum, it will be remembered, lay on the Sea of Galilee. and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shall find a piece of money--a stater. So it should have been rendered, and not indefinitely, as in our version, for the coin was an Attic silver coin equal to two of the afore-mentioned "didrachms" of half a shekel's value, and so, was the exact sum required for both. Accordingly, the Lord add…

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John Gill on Matthew 17:27

Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them,.... Though Christ could have maintained his right of exemption from payment, by such strong and clear reasons and arguments; yet he chose to forego it, lest any should be offended with him, and look upon him as a transgressor of the law; one that had no regard to the temple, and slighted the worship and service of it, and so be prejudiced against him, and his doctrines: which, by the way, may teach us to be careful to give no offence, to Jew or Gentile, or the church of God; though it may be to our own disadvantage, when the honour and interest of religion lie at stake. This is following the example of Christ, who therefore said to Peter, go thou…

The Church Fathers

(in Ezech. 7. 4.) For we must cast about how, as far as we may without sin, to avoid giving scandal to our neighbours. But if offence is taken from truth, it is better that offence should come, though truth be forsaken.
— Gregory the Dialogist ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

When Peter is instructed to take the first fish, it is shown therein that he shall catch more than one. The blessed first martyr Stephen was the first that came up, having in his mouth a stater, which contained the didrachma of the new preaching, divided as two denarii, for he preached as he beheld in his passion the glory of God, and Christ the Lord.
— Hilary of Poitiers ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

He establishes himself as lord and master of the sea, of the things in it and of all the elements, as the true Son of God the Father. For this fish provides a type of the church: once [it was] held by the brine of faithlessness and superstition, submerged in the depths of the sea and swamped by the storms and distress of worldly pleasures. But now [it is] raised up by the apostles' hook of teaching and the fishing nets of the Word to the knowledge of God, of him "who calls us from darkness to his amazing light."
— Apollinaris of Laodicea, FRAGMENT 88

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Fish-hooks — Were used for catching fish (Amos 4:2; comp. Isa. 37:29; Jer. 16:16; Ezek. 29:4; Job. 41:1, 2; Matt. 17:27).
Fishing, the art of — Was prosecuted with great industry in the waters of Palestine. It was from the fishing-nets that Jesus called his disciples (Mark 1:16-20), and it was in a fishing-boat he rebuked the winds and the…
Money — Of uncoined money the first notice we have is in the history of Abraham (Gen. 13:2; 20:16; 24:35). Next, this word is used in connection with the purchase of the cave of Machpelah (23:16), and again…
Peter — Originally called Simon (=Simeon, i.e., “hearing”), a very common Jewish name in the New Testament. He was the son of Jona (Matt. 16:17). His mother is nowhere named in Scripture. He had a younger…
Pieces — (1) of silver. In Ps. 68:30 denotes “fragments,” and not properly money. In 1 Sam. 2:36 (Heb. agorah), properly a “small sum” as wages, weighed rather than coined. Josh. 24:32 (Heb. kesitah, q.v.),…
Shekel — Weight, the common standard both of weight and value among the Hebrews. It is estimated at 220 English grains, or a little more than half an ounce avoirdupois. The “shekel of the sanctuary” (Ex.…
Stater — Greek word rendered “piece of money” (Matt. 17:27, A.V.; and “shekel” in R.V.). It was equal to two didrachmas (“tribute money,” 17:24), or four drachmas, and to about 2s. 6d. of our money. (See…
Taxes — First mentioned in the command (Ex. 30:11-16) that every Jew from twenty years and upward should pay an annual tax of “half a shekel for an offering to the Lord.” This enactment was faithfully…
Tribute — A tax imposed by a king on his subjects (2 Sam. 20:24; 1 Kings 4:6; Rom. 13:6). In Matt. 17:24-27 the word denotes the temple rate (the “didrachma,” the “half-shekel,” as rendered by the R.V.) which…
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Matthew 17:27

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Matthew 17:24–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Matthew 17:27

John Gill on Matthew 17:27

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Matthew 17:27

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Matthew 17:24–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Matthew 17:27

John Gill on Matthew 17:27

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Matthew 17:24–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Matthew 17:25-26