Matthew 22:19 (KJV)

Passage

Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.

Nearby Context

Matthew 22:17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?

Matthew 22:18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?

Matthew 22:19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.

Matthew 22:20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?

Matthew 22:21 They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shew", "tribute", "money", "brought", and "penny". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shew" and "tribute", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "But Jesus perceived their wickedness and said..." into verse 20's "And he saith unto them Whose is...", so "shew" and "tribute" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "shew" and "tribute" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.