Matthew 17:26

Matthew 17:26, in plain English

Peter answers, 'From others.' Jesus agrees: 'Then the sons are free.' He's making a quiet but profound point: as God's Son, the Temple tax doesn't apply to Him.

Why it's here

Jesus reveals His identity in subtle ways. He's not just any teacher. He's the Son of the one the Temple was built for.

Who's speaking

Peter and Jesus complete the analogy about taxes and sonship.

Where it sits in the story

Through a simple conversation about money, Jesus reveals His unique relationship to God. He's exempt from the tax, but what He does next shows His character.

The scholarly reading

Peter's answer apo tōn allotriōn ('from others') leads to Jesus' conclusion ara ge eleutheroi eisin hoi huioi ('then the sons are exempt/free'). This establishes Jesus' freedom from the Temple tax as the Son of the Temple's God.

Language and setting

The theological implication is christological: Jesus, as the Son of God whose house is the Temple, has no obligation to pay the tax. This implicitly claims divine sonship.

Voice

Peter answers and Jesus draws the theological conclusion.

Significance

The logic is clear: sons don't pay taxes to their own father's kingdom. Jesus is the Son of God, and the Temple is His Father's house. He is free.

24After they had arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, “Does your Teacher pay the two drachmas?”

25“Yes,” he answered.

26“From others,” Peter answered.

27“But so that we may not offend them, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take the first fish you catch. When you open its mouth, you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for My tax and yours.”

Read all of Matthew 17 — Three disciples witness Jesus transfigured in blinding light alongside Moses and Elijah. Then they come back down to a world that still needs healing.