Matthew 17:26

26 “From others,” Peter answered. “Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him.

Matthew 17:26 in Other Translations

26 Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him,Then are the children free.

26 And when he said, "From others," Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free.

26 “They tax the people they have conquered,” Peter replied. “Well, then,” Jesus said, “the citizens are free!

26 He answered, “His subjects.” Jesus said, “Then the children get off free, right?

26 And when he said, From strangers, Jesus said unto him, Therefore the sons are free.

26 "From other people," Peter answered. Jesus said to him, "Then the family members are exempt.

26 "From strangers," he said. "Then the sons are free," Jesus told him.

26 "From others," Peter answered. "Then the sons don't have to pay," Jesus said to him.

Matthew 17:26 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 17:26

Peter saith unto him
The Vulgate Latin reads, "and he said": and so the Ethiopic, and Munster's Hebrew Gospel; but without doubt Peter is meant, and rightly expressed; whose answer to Christ's question is,

of strangers:
meaning not foreigners, or such who formerly belonged to other nations, but were now taken captive, and brought into subjection; but their own native subjects, so called, in distinction from their domestics, their children, and those of their own family:

Jesus saith unto him, then are the children free;
from paying custom, tribute, and taxes, and leaves Peter to make the application; and which he suggested might be made, either thus: supposing it was a civil tax, that since he was the son of David, king of Israel, was of his house and family, and heir apparent to his throne and kingdom; according to this rule, he must be exempt from such tribute: or, thus; taking it to have respect to the half shekel, paid on a religious account, for the service of the temple worship; that since he was the Son of the King of kings, for the support of whose worship and service that money was collected; and was also the Lord and proprietor of the temple, and greater than that, he might well be excused the payment of it.

Matthew 17:26 In-Context

24 After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”

25 “Yes, he does,” he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?”

26 “From others,” Peter answered. “Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him.

27 “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”