Mark 12:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk.

NIV: Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words.

NASB: Then they *sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement.

CSB: Then they sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to Jesus to trap him in his words.

NLT: Later the leaders sent some Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested.

KJV: And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.

NKJV: Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words.

Jesus and the disciples are in the courtyard of the temple. The temple sits near the west edge of the flat-topped Temple Mount, slightly north of center. Around the temple is the Court of the Gentiles, where God-following Gentiles may pray. Along the edges of the Temple Mount are porticoes where teachers can sit out of the sun and teach. The largest, Solomon's Portico, lines the south edge. Jesus is probably in one of these porticoes. It's common for teachers and philosophers to debate theological and ethical interpretations here.

What's not usual is for these debates to be motivated by the desire to have one's opponent killed. The actions of Jesus' critics here are not merely rhetoric; they have murderous political intention.

Luke 20:19–20 adds more detail. The scribes and chief priests want a valid excuse to arrest Jesus there and then, so they send the Pharisees and Herodians to try to trap Jesus into saying something that would incriminate Himself. "Trap" is from the Greek root word agreuo and literally means to hunt; the word implies an intent to capture by surprise. Matthew's account uses "entangle" which is from the Greek root word pagideuo: "to ensnare, as a bird in a net" (Matthew 22:15).

The Pharisees, obsessed with the law, will determine if Jesus encourages behavior that contradicts the tenants of Judaism. The Herodians—Jews who support the Rome-empowered kings and tetrarchs—are on the look-out for any seditious intent in Jesus' words. The priests, scribes, and Pharisees are invested in a tradition-bound version of Jewish culture; the Herodians prefer the Greek culture and Roman rule. In Jesus, they've had a common enemy for several years (Mark 3:6).

Mark 12:13–17 is clarified by insight into the Pharisees' complex attitudes. They have very strong religious beliefs, which go beyond God's inspired Scriptures. They hate that Israel is subjugated to Rome, but unlike the violence-minded Zealots, they aren't a political threat. In contrast to Pharisees, the Herodians support Rome's rule and all the benefits that go with it. These unlikely bedfellows join to trap Jesus with a question about taxes. If His answer supports the Pharisees, the Herodians can claim Jesus is rebelling against the emperor. If His answer supports the Herodians, the Pharisees can assert He doesn't support Israel. This account is also in Matthew 22:15–22 and Luke 20:20–26.

This chapter contains lessons taught by Jesus in various circumstances. He explains the eventual destruction of traditional Judaism, the relationship between secular and sacred obligations, the nature of the resurrection, and the most important of God's commandments. Jesus also expounds on Messianic statements in the Old Testament. Jesus also condemns the glory-seeking shallowness of the scribes, and extolls the virtues of sincere, faith-based giving.

Days before, Jesus has entered Jerusalem, hailed as a hero by the people (Mark 11:1–11). While teaching in the temple courtyard, Jesus shows superior understanding of Scripture over the chief priests, scribes, and elders (Mark 12:27–33), the Pharisees and Herodians (Mark 12:13), the Sadducees (Mark 12:18), and the scribes again (Mark 12:35, 38). Sadly, even in the instance where a scribe does understand Scripture, that is no guarantee he will follow it to its logical conclusion: Jesus (Mark 12:28–34). In contrast, a humble widow exemplifies the faithfulness and piety the leaders lack (Mark 12:41–44). Jesus leaves the temple for the last time to teach the disciples on the Mount of Olives (Mark 13). In Mark 14, He prepares for the crucifixion.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.