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Luke 20:24
Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it?
The Pharisees ask whether it is lawful to pay tribute to Caesar.
Luke 20:24 Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it?
Luke 20:24 “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied.
Show me a denarius. Whose image and title does it hold?
Greek
Greek Word Order
Money is fungible, representing many gods.
Lost in Translation
The two key nouns here, "image" and "superscription/inscription" only appear in this verse and the two parallels in Matthew and Luke. The word translated as "inscription" also means "title." The Tiberius silver denarius reads: "Ti[berivs] Caesar Divi Avg[vsti] F[ilivs] Avgvstvs" ("Caesar Augustus Tiberius, son of the Divine Augustus"). So the very title on the coin by calling Augustus divine was blasphemous to the Judeans at the time, but they don't act like it. The coin was a day's wages for a normal laborer.
Vocabulary (Greek word by word)
Δείξατέv [6 verses](verb 2nd pl aor imperat act ) "Shew" is from deiknyo, which means "show", "point out", "make known", "display", "exhibit" and "offer." - "Shew" is an uncommon verb that means "show", "point out", "make known", "display", "exhibit" and "offer".
μοι (noun sg masc dat) "Me" is emoi, which is 1st person,singular dative pronoun meaning "me' as the indirect object of a verb.
δηνάριον: (noun sg neut gen) "A penny" is from denarion, which was the principle silver coin of the Roman Empire in NT times.
τίνος (irreg sg gen) "Whose" is tis which can mean "someone", "any one", "everyone", "they" [indefinite], "many a one", "whoever", "anyone", "anything", "some sort", "some sort of", "each", "any", "the individual", "such" and so on. In a question, it can mean "who", "why" or "what".
ἔχει ( verb 3rd sg pres ind act ) "Hath" is echo, which means "to have", "to hold", "to possess", "to keep", "to have charge of", "to have due to one", "to maintain", "to hold fast", "to bear", "to carry", "to keep close", "to keep safe" and "to have means to do".
εἰκόνα [3 verses] ( noun sg fem acc ) "Image" is eikôn, which means "likeness", "image", "image in a mirror", "personal description", "semblance", "comparison" and "archetype". It is the source of our word "icon".
καὶ (conj/adv) "And" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and" or "but". After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also". Also used to give emphasis, "even", "also" and "just".
ἐπιγραφήν; ( noun sg fem acc ) "Superscription" is from epigraphê (epigraphe) which means "inscription", "title", and "description". It is from the verb that means, literally, "to write upon". This word is a combination of epi, (epi) which means "on", "upon", "at", "by", "before, ""across" and "against" and graphê (grapho), which means "representing by means of lines", "a drawing", "writing", "the art of writing" and "that which is written". It came to mean "scripture" from its use in the Gospels.
KJV — word by word
Shew -- "Shew" is an uncommon verb that means "show", "point out", "make known", "display", "exhibit" and "offer". The form is a common. A different version of this word appears in Matthew. It is a completely different word in Mark.
me -- The "me" is in the indirect object form on the first-person pronoun, so usually "to me", though the form has other uses in Greek.
a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a noun doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.
penny-- (CW) "Penny" is from the Greek word for a denarius, which was a coin of silver, which had the purchasing power of about $70-$80 today (though comparisons are obviously not very meaningful). It was the standard wage for a day's labor by a general laborer, which for most of human history was an agricultural worker. Matthew uses a different word translated as "money". This word doesn't precisely mean "penny", which was a copper coin, worth much less.
Whose - The word translated as "whose" means primarily "anything" or "anyone". In a question, it can mean "who", "why" or "what". It is in the possessive form, so "of whom" or "whose".
image - "Image" is from eikôn, which means "likeness", "image", "image in a mirror", "personal description", "semblance", "comparison" and "archetype". It is the source of our word "icon".
and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it is best translated as "not only...but also". After words implying sameness "as".
superscription -- "Superscription" is from epigraphê, which means "inscription", "title" and "description". It is from the verb that means, literally, "to write upon".
hath -- The word translated as "hath" means to "have", "possess", "bear", "keep close", "have means to do", "to have due to one" or "keep" and many specific uses. This verb isn't used to form past tenses as it is in English.
it -- There is no Greek pronoun here, but Greek does not need pronouns when the object can be assumed from the context. In English, they are added for the subject-verb-object form of our sentences.
NIV — word by word
Show -- "Show" is an uncommon verb that means "show", "point out", "make known", "display", "exhibit" and "offer". The form is a common. A different version of this word appears in Matthew. It is a completely different word in Mark.
me -- The "me" is in the indirect object form on the first-person pronoun, so usually "to me", though the form has other uses in Greek.
a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a noun doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.
denarius -- "Denarius" is from the Greek word for a denarius, which was a coin of silver, which had the purchasing power of about $70-$80 today (though comparisons are obviously not very meaningful). It was the standard wage for a day's labor by a general laborer, which for most of human history was an agricultural worker. Matthew uses a different word translated as "money".
Whose - The word translated as "whose" means primarily "anything" or "anyone". In a question, it can mean "who", "why" or "what". It is in the possessive form, so "of whom" or "whose".
image - "Image" is from eikôn, which means "likeness", "image", "image in a mirror", "personal description", "semblance", "comparison" and "archetype". It is the source of our word "icon".
and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it is best translated as "not only...but also". After words implying sameness "as".
Whose image and inscription are on it?”
inscription -- "Superscription" is from epigraphê, which means "inscription", "title" and "description". It is from the verb that means, literally, "to write upon".
are -- (WW) The word translated as "are" means to "have", "possess", "bear", "keep close", "have means to do", "to have due to one" or "keep" and many specific uses. This verb isn't used to form past tenses as it is in English. This word doesn't mean "are".
on -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
it -- There is no Greek pronoun here, but Greek does not need pronouns when the object can be assumed from the context. In English, they are added for the subject-verb-object form of our sentences.