Bible Strands
Matthew 22:20
“Whose image is this,” He asked, “and whose inscription?”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses the Pharisees and Herodians who have just placed a denarius in his presence. He interrupts their tax inquiry by asking a direct question about the coin they supplied.
The words — The text foregrounds εἰκὼν (eikōn), literally "likeness" or "image," alongside the request to identify the coin's stamped inscription. This phrasing isolates the physical features of the denarius before any theological application.
The thread — This exchange runs parallel to Luke 20:24, where the identical question about the denarius's image and inscription appears. Both accounts anchor the dialogue on the specific coin brought by the questioners.
Why it lands — The verse requires a reader to observe how the questioners' own object already bears the authority of its issuing ruler. It sets a factual premise that demands the reader track how the subsequent answer will separate civic duty from divine claim.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?
Cross-references
- Luke 20:24 “Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” “Caesar’s,” they answered.