What Do You Think Matthew 17:24-27 Means?

They had this tribute money and came to Peter, asking, Doth not your master pay tribute? In the original this is, they who received the didrachma, or double drachma. This tribute was not paid to the Roman government, but to the Jewish collectors for the use of the temple service. It was permitted in the law of Moses (see Ex 30:11-16) that in numbering the people half a shekel should be received of each man for the services of religion. This was in addition to the tithes paid by the whole nation, and seems to have been considered as a voluntary offering. It was devoted to the purchase of animals for the daily sacrifice, wood, flour, salt, incense, etc., for the use of the temple.

[Doth not your master pay tribute?] This tribute was voluntary, and they therefore asked him whether he was in the habit of paying taxes for the support of the temple. Peter replied that it was his custom to pay all the usual taxes of the nation.

Peter replied that tribute was collected of those out of their own family. Jesus answered, Then are the children, or sons of the kings, free; that is, taxes are not required of them. The meaning of this may be thus expressed: "Kings do not tax their own sons. This tribute-money is taken up for the temple service; that is, the service of my Father. I, therefore, being the Son of God, for whom this is taken up, cannot be lawfully required to pay this tribute."

[Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them] That is, lest they should think that we despise the temple and its service, and thus provoke needless opposition; though we are not under obligation to pay it, yet it is best to pay it to them.

 

Hi there, I dont know if this will help, but the use of half a sheckel has interested rabbinic comentary. Why half an amount? The answer they give is that it was initially a soldier's tax, and as a soldier was often forced to kill, this was also the penalty for unintentional manslaughter. The half idea was to show us that, as a result of even unintentional sins, we are unable to offer anything whole to God. This fits in nicely here, as, in union with Jewus, we can now be complete. I remember hearing a rabbi teach along these lines, but without the verses in Matthew. All the best, Colin