Lecture 2
Lectio 2
Tribute to Caesar
Census Caesaris
22:15 Then the Pharisees, going out, consulted among themselves how to ensnare him in his speech. [n. 1777]
22:15 Tunc abeuntes pharisaei consilium inierunt ut caperent eum in sermone. [n. 1777]
22:16 And they sent to him their disciples with the Herodians, saying: Master, we know that you are a true speaker, and teach the way of God in truth, and do not care for any man: for you do not regard the person of men. [n. 1778]
22:16 Et mittunt ei discipulos suos cum Herodianis dicentes: Magister, scimus quia verax es, et viam Dei in veritate doces, et non est tibi cura de aliquo: non enim respicis personam hominum. [n. 1778]
22:17 Tell us therefore what you think, is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? [n. 1785]
22:17 Dic ergo nobis quid tibi videatur. Licet censum dare Caesari, aut non? [n. 1785]
22:18 But Jesus, knowing their wickedness, said: why do you tempt me, you hypocrites? [n. 1786]
22:18 Cognita autem Iesus nequitia eorum ait: quid me temptatis, hypocritae? [n. 1786]
22:19 Show me the coin of the tribute. And they offered him a denarius. [n. 1787]
22:19 Ostendite mihi numisma census. At illi obtulerunt ei denarium. [n. 1787]
22:20 And Jesus said to them: whose image and inscription is this? [n. 1787]
22:20 Et ait illis Iesus: cuius est imago haec et suprascriptio? [n. 1787]
22:21 They say to him: Caesar’s. Then he said to them: render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God, the things that are God’s. [n. 1788]
22:21 Dicunt ei: Caesaris. Tunc ait illis: reddite ergo quae sunt Caesaris Caesari, et quae sunt Dei Deo. [n. 1788]
22:22 And hearing this they wondered, and leaving him, went their ways. [n. 1789]
22:22 Et audientes mirati sunt, et relicto eo abierunt. [n. 1789]
1776. Above the Lord refuted the Pharisees by a parable; here next he makes clear his conclusion by disputing. And
1776. Supra Dominus confutavit Pharisaeos per parabolam; secundo hic manifestat disputando. Et
first, by responding;
primo respondendo;
second, by objecting, at and while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them (Matt 22:41).
secundo obiiciendo, ibi congregatis autem Pharisaeis, interrogavit et cetera.
And the Lord responds to three questions:
Et respondet Dominus triplici quaestioni.
first, about the payment of the tribute;
Primo de solutione tributi;
second, about the resurrection;
secundo de resurrectione;
third, about the law.
tertio de lege.
The second is at that day there came to him the Sadducees (Matt 22:23); the third, at but the Pharisees hearing that he had silenced the Sadducees (Matt 22:34).
Secunda ibi in illo die accesserunt ad eum Sadducaei; tertia ibi Pharisaei autem audientes et cetera.
Concerning the first, he does three things:
Circa primum tria facit.
first, the questioning is set out;
Primo ponitur interrogatio;
second, the response;
secundo responsio;
third, the effect.
tertio effectus.
The second is at but Jesus, knowing their wickedness; the third, at and hearing this they wondered.
Secunda ibi cognita autem Iesus nequitia eorum; tertia ibi et audientes mirati sunt.
In this questioning there are three things to be considered:
In ista interrogatione tria sunt consideranda.
first, the intention of those questioning;
Primo interrogantium intentio;
second, the accomplices questioning;
secundo ministri interrogantes;
third, the questioning.
tertio interrogatio;
1777. The intention of those questioning is revealed when it says, then the Pharisees, going out, consulted, that is, among themselves, namely they did something stupid, how to ensnare him in his speech. And this was stupid, because he was the Word of God, and the Word of God cannot be grasped; we will say much, and yet will want words: but the sum of our words is, he is all (Sir 43:29). And it was an impious counsel; blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners (Ps 1:1). And do not let my soul go into their counsel (Gen 49:6).
1777. Intentio interrogantium aperitur cum dicitur abeuntes inierunt, idest inter se, consilium, scilicet stultum fecerunt, ut Iesum caperent in sermone. Et hoc erat stultum, quia ipse erat Verbum Dei, et Verbum Dei non est comprehensibile; Eccli. XLIII, 29: multa loquimur, et deficimus in verbis. Fuit autem consilium impium; Ps. I, 1: beatus vir qui non abiit in consilio impiorum, et in via peccatorum non stetit. Et Genes, penult., 6: in consilium eorum non veniat anima mea.
1778. The accomplices are described when he says, and they sent to him their disciples with the Herodians. But why did they not go? The reason is that they wished to question him deceitfully: hence if they had gone, deceit would have had no place; but these were also disciples. As the judge of the people is himself, so also are his ministers (Sir 10:2).
1778. Ministri describuntur cum dicit et mittunt discipulos suos cum Herodianis. Sed quare non iverunt? Ratio est, quia dolose interrogare voluerunt: unde si ivissent, non haberet locum dolus; sed ipsi etiam discipuli erant; Eccli. X, 2: secundum iudicem populi, sic et ministri eius.
1779. With the Herodians. Who are these Herodians? According as it is touched upon in Luke, Judea was made a tributary to the Romans under Herod. That son of Antipater the foreigner was made king by the Romans; therefore he wanted to force the Jews to pay the census to the Romans. Hence, the Herodians, i.e., the servants assigned to collect the established tax for Herod. But he was dead then, and he left three sons. One was Herod, and this one was present at the time, as is said in Luke, who was there also at the Lord’s death (Luke 22). It was for this reason that his servants went willingly with the others.
1779. Cum Herodianis. Qui sunt isti Herodiani? Secundum quod in Luca tangitur, sub Herode facta est Iudaea tributaria Romanis. Iste filius Antipatris alienigenae constitutus est rex a Romanis; ideo voluit compellere Iudaeos reddere censum Romanis. Unde Herodiani, idest famuli deputati ad colligendum institutionem Herodis. Sed iste iam mortuus erat, et dimisit tres filios. Unus Herodes, et iste erat tunc praesens, sicut dicitur in Lc. c. XXII, quod fuit etiam in morte Domini: ideo facile fuit quod famuli sui irent cum aliis.
1780. But why did they go with the Herodians? One reason is that the Herodians were zealous for the emperor. So the disciples of the Pharisees brought them with them so that if he said that the tribute should be paid they would accuse him to the Pharisees; if he said that it should not, then the Herodians would take him. Likewise, these were not known, so they thought that he would not perceive the trap; hence they acted against the Psalm: I have not sat with the council of vanity: neither will I go in with the doers of unjust things (Ps 25:4).
1780. Sed quare iverunt cum Herodianis? Una ratio, quia Herodiani zelabant pro imperatore. Ideo discipuli Pharisaeorum secum duxerunt eos, ut si diceret quod esset solvendum tributum, accusarent eum ad Phariseos: si diceret quod non, tunc Herodiani caperent eum. Item isti non cognoscebantur, ideo credebant quod non perciperet; unde faciebant contra illud Ps. XXV, 4: non sedi in consilio vanitatis et cum iniqua agentibus non introibo.
Or in another way, because when Judea was made a tributary to the Romans, they were divided, for some said that the people dedicated to God should not be tributary to man; but others said that since they were fighting for the peace of all, all should give tribute to Caesar. So those who said the tribute should be paid to Caesar were called Herodians.
Vel aliter, quia cum Iudaea facta esset tributaria Romanis, divisi sunt, quia quidam dicebant quod plebs Deo dedicata non debebat esse homini tributaria; alii vero dicebant, quod quia pro pace militabat omnium, quod omnes debebant Caesari dare tributum. Ideo illi qui dicebant solvi tributa Caesari, dicebantur Herodiani.
1781. The accomplices being set down, the questioning is set down. And
1781. Positis ministris, ponitur interrogatio. Et
first, flattery is set out;
primo ponitur adulatio;
second, the questioning, at tell us therefore what you think.
secundo interrogatio, ibi dic quid tibi videtur.
Wicked men begin from flattery. Who speak peace with their neighbor, but evils are in their hearts (Ps 27:3).
Homines mali ab adulatione incipiunt. Loquuntur bona, mala autem in cordibus suis, Ps. XXIII, 3.