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And they marvelled at him.</div><div id="jump">Jump to: <a href="/commentaries/alford/mark/12.htm" title="Henry Alford - Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary">Alford</a> • <a href="/commentaries/barnes/mark/12.htm" title="Barnes' Notes">Barnes</a> • <a href="/commentaries/bengel/mark/12.htm" title="Bengel's Gnomen">Bengel</a> • <a href="/commentaries/benson/mark/12.htm" title="Benson Commentary">Benson</a> • <a href="/commentaries/illustrator/mark/12.htm" title="Biblical Illustrator">BI</a> • <a href="/commentaries/calvin/mark/12.htm" title="Calvin's Commentaries">Calvin</a> • <a href="/commentaries/cambridge/mark/12.htm" title="Cambridge Bible">Cambridge</a> • <a href="/commentaries/clarke/mark/12.htm" title="Clarke's Commentary">Clarke</a> • <a href="/commentaries/darby/mark/12.htm" title="Darby's Bible Synopsis">Darby</a> • <a href="/commentaries/ellicott/mark/12.htm" title="Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers">Ellicott</a> • <a href="/commentaries/expositors/mark/12.htm" title="Expositor's Bible">Expositor's</a> • <a href="/commentaries/edt/mark/12.htm" title="Expositor's Dictionary">Exp Dct</a> • <a href="/commentaries/egt/mark/12.htm" title="Expositor's Greek">Exp Grk</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gaebelein/mark/12.htm" title="Gaebelein's Annotated Bible">Gaebelein</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gsb/mark/12.htm" title="Geneva Study Bible">GSB</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gill/mark/12.htm" title="Gill's Bible Exposition">Gill</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gray/mark/12.htm" title="Gray's Concise">Gray</a> • <a href="/commentaries/guzik/mark/12.htm" title="Guzik Bible Commentary">Guzik</a> • <a href="/commentaries/haydock/mark/12.htm" title="Haydock Catholic Bible Commentary">Haydock</a> • <a href="/commentaries/hastings/mark/11-24.htm" title="Hastings Great Texts">Hastings</a> • <a href="/commentaries/homiletics/mark/12.htm" title="Pulpit Homiletics">Homiletics</a> • <a href="/commentaries/icc/mark/12.htm" title="ICC NT Commentary">ICC</a> • <a href="/commentaries/jfb/mark/12.htm" title="Jamieson-Fausset-Brown">JFB</a> • <a href="/commentaries/kelly/mark/12.htm" title="Kelly Commentary">Kelly</a> • <a href="/commentaries/king-en/mark/12.htm" title="Kingcomments Bible Studies">King</a> • <a href="/commentaries/lange/mark/12.htm" title="Lange Commentary">Lange</a> • <a href="/commentaries/maclaren/mark/12.htm" title="MacLaren Expositions">MacLaren</a> • <a href="/commentaries/mhc/mark/12.htm" title="Matthew Henry Concise">MHC</a> • <a href="/commentaries/mhcw/mark/12.htm" title="Matthew Henry Full">MHCW</a> • <a href="/commentaries/meyer/mark/12.htm" title="Meyer Commentary">Meyer</a> • <a href="/commentaries/parker/mark/12.htm" title="The People's Bible by Joseph Parker">Parker</a> • <a href="/commentaries/pnt/mark/12.htm" title="People's New Testament">PNT</a> • <a href="/commentaries/poole/mark/12.htm" title="Matthew Poole">Poole</a> • <a href="/commentaries/pulpit/mark/12.htm" title="Pulpit Commentary">Pulpit</a> • <a href="/commentaries/sermon/mark/12.htm" title="Sermon Bible">Sermon</a> • <a href="/commentaries/sco/mark/12.htm" title="Scofield Reference Notes">SCO</a> • <a href="/commentaries/ttb/mark/12.htm" title="Through The Bible">TTB</a> • <a href="/commentaries/vws/mark/12.htm" title="Vincent's Word Studies">VWS</a> • <a href="/commentaries/wes/mark/12.htm" title="Wesley's Notes">WES</a> • <a href="#tsk" title="Treasury of Scripture Knowledge">TSK</a></div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="comtype">EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)</div><a name="mhc" id="mhc"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/mhc/mark/12.htm">Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary</a></div>12:13-17 The enemies of Christ would be thought desirous to know their duty, when really they hoped that which soever side he took of the question, they might find occasion to accuse him. Nothing is more likely to insnare the followers of Christ, than bringing them to meddle with disputes about worldly politics. Jesus avoided the snare, by referring to the submission they had already made as a nation; and all that heard him, marvelled at the great wisdom of his answer. Many will praise the words of a sermon, who will not be commanded by the doctrines of it.<a name="bar" id="bar"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/barnes/mark/12.htm">Barnes' Notes on the Bible</a></div>See the notes at <a href="http://biblehub.com/matthew/22-15.htm">Matthew 22:15-22</a>. <a name="jfb" id="jfb"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/jfb/mark/12.htm">Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary</a></div>17. And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's—Putting it in this general form, it was impossible for sedition itself to dispute it, and yet it dissolved the snare.<p>and to God the things that are God's—How much is there in this profound but to them startling addition to the maxim, and how incomparable is the whole for fulness, brevity, clearness, weight!<p>and they marvelled at him—"at His answer, and held their peace" (Lu 20:26), "and left Him, and went their way" (Mt 22:22).<p>The Resurrection (Mr 12:18-27).<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/poole/mark/12.htm">Matthew Poole's Commentary</a></div> <span class="bld">See Poole on "<a href="/mark/12-1.htm" title="And he began to speak to them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and dig a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to farmers, and went into a far country.">Mark 12:1</a>3"</span> <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="gil" id="gil"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/gill/mark/12.htm">Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible</a></div>And Jesus answering said unto them,.... Very wisely and pertinently, <p>render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's: or "to the king, which are the king's", as the Arabic and Ethiopic versions render it: <p>and to God the things that are God's; See Gill on <a href="/matthew/22-21.htm">Matthew 22:21</a>; <p>and they marvelled at him; at his wisdom and prudence in returning such an answer, which cut off all occasion against him. <a name="gsb" id="gsb"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/gsb/mark/12.htm">Geneva Study Bible</a></div><span class="cverse2">And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.</span></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><div class="comtype">EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)</div><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/egt/mark/12.htm">Expositor's Greek Testament</a></div><a href="/mark/12-17.htm" title="And Jesus answering said to them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marveled at him.">Mark 12:17</a>. Christ’s reply is given here very tersely = the things of Caesar render to Caesar, and those of God to God.—<span class="greekheb">ἐξεθαύμαζον</span>: the compound, in place of Mt.’s simple verb, suggests the idea of excessive astonishment, though we must always allow for the tendency in late Greek to use compounds. Here only in N. T., occasionally in Sept[111] [111]Septuagint.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/cambridge/mark/12.htm">Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges</a></div><span class="bld">17</span>. <span class="ital">Render</span>] Literally, <span class="bld">Give back, pay as being due.</span> “therefore yelde ye to Cæsar,” Wyclif. It was not a question of a <span class="ital">voluntary gift</span>, but of a <span class="ital">legal due</span>. The head of the Emperor on the coin, the legend round it, and its circulation in the country, were undeniable proofs of the right of the actually existing government to levy the tax. “Ubicunque numisma alicujus regis obtinet, illic incolæ regem istum pro domino agnoscunt;” Maimonides. Remembrance of this precept “would have spared the Jewish war, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the downfall of their nation.” Lange.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="ital">and to God</span>] He would remind them that besides the claims of the ruling powers, they had also the claim upon them of their Spiritual King, and obedience to Cæsar must ever be conditioned by obedience to God. “Render unto Cæsar all that he can lawfully demand, but render also to God, what He requires of you as His spiritual subjects.” “Give to God that which has the image and superscription of God, the soul.” Erasmus.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="ital">they marvelled at him</span>] Neither the orthodox Pharisee nor the aristocratic royalist had expected such an answer from the Galilæan Teacher.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/bengel/mark/12.htm">Bengel's Gnomen</a></div>[17. <span class="greekheb">Τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ</span>, <span class="ital">the things that are God’s</span>) All things are GOD’S, heaven and earth, all men, and therefore Cæsar himself. Yet nevertheless He hath made a wise distribution as regards His goods. On that account the less ought He to be defrauded of those things which He hath peculiarly reserved to Himself.—V. g.]<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="pul" id="pul"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/mark/12.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 17.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's</span>. It is as though our Lord said, "Since you Jews are now subject to Caesar - and there is here this evidence of it, that his coin is current amongst you; you would not use it were you not obliged, because all Gentile rites and symbols are an abhorrence to you; - but since Caesar demands nothing of you but his tribute - the coin stamped with his own image and name - it is your duty to render to him his own denarius for tribute. But spiritual things, such as worship and obedience, give these to God; for these he demands from you as his right, and by so doing you will offend neither God nor yet Caesar." Our Lord, in his infinite wisdom, avoids the question altogether whether the Jews were rightly in subjection to the Romans. This was a doubtful question. But there could be no doubt as to the fact that they were tributary. This was made plain by the evidence of the current coin. Now, this being so, it was manifestly the duty of the Jewish people to give to Caesar the tribute money which he demanded of them for the expenses of government, and especially of supporting an army to defend them from their enemies. And it was no less their duty to give their tribute to God, which he in his own right demanded of them as his creatures and faithful subjects. The rights of Caesar are one thing, and those of God are another; and there is nothing that need clash between them. State polity is not opposed to religion, nor religion to state. Tertullian says, "'Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's;' that is, give to Caesar his image stamped upon his coin, and give to God his own image stamped upon you; so that while you render to Caesar the coin which is his due, you may render your own self to God." This wonderful answer of our Lord teaches us that we ought to try to speak so wisely, and so to moderato our speech amongst those who are captious, that we may, if possible, offend neither side, but steer safely between Scylla and Charybdis. <span class="cmt_word">And they marvelled at him</span>. The true Greek reading of the verb here is not <span class="greek">ἐθαύμασαν</span>, but <span class="greek">ἐξεθαύμαζον</span>, <span class="accented">they marvelled greatly at him</span>; <span class="accented">they stood marvelling greatly at him.</span> They marvelled at his wisdom and skill in extricating himself so readily out of this net in which they had hoped to entangle him. Indeed, the words of the psalmist (<a href="/psalms/9-15.htm">Psalm 9:15</a>) were verified in them: "The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands." He vaulted over the trap set for him, leaving them entangled in it. He lifted up the question far above the petty controversy of the hour, and affirmed a great principle of natural and religious obligation which belongs alike to all times and persons and places. Mark 12:17<a name="vws" id="vws"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/vws/mark/12.htm">Vincent's Word Studies</a></div>They marvelled (ἐξεθαύμαζον)<p>The preposition ἐξ, out of, indicates great astonishment. They marvelled out of measure. Hence Rev., marvelled greatly. The A. V. follows another reading, with the simple verb ἐθαύμαζον. 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