Matthew 17:27

Notwithstanding. The collector of Temple tribute had no legal right to demand the half shekel of Jesus. Jesus paid it for reasons of expediency, not of obligation. He waived His rights in order to avoid controversy, and did that which He could not rightfully be required to do in order to be at peace with His sworn enemies. Evidently, He would not have His loyalty to the Temple challenged, however unjust the charge might be. Christ’s course of action stands as a lesson to every Christian. We should endeavor to live at peace with all men, and to do more than should be required of us if need be, in order to avoid unnecessary conflict with opponents of the truth (see Rom. 12:18; Heb. 12:14; 1 Peter 2:12-15, 19, 20). Under no circumstances, however, will the Christian compromise principle in his endeavor to please others (see DA 356).

Offend. Gr. skandalizo, literally, “to entrap” (see on ch. 5:29). Concerning the Christian’s duty to consider well his course of action lest he become the occasion for other’s stumbling, see 1 Cor. 8:8-13.

To the sea. That is, to the Lake of Galilee, on the shore of which Capernaum was situated (see on ch. 4:13).

An hook. This is the only instance in the NT where mention is made of catching fish with a hook.

A piece of money. Gr. stater, a silver coin worth four drachmas and the approximate equivalent of a shekel (see Vol. I, p. 168; Vol. V, p. 49). Despite all the foolish and fanciful efforts on the part of some to explain away the supernatural element of this incident, there can be no doubt that it was a miracle that Peter should catch that particular fish at the very time, and that it should have the right amount of money in its mouth.

For me and thee. The amount was just enough to cover the half-shekel tax for two persons. The story ends thus abruptly, assuming that Peter caught the fish and paid the tribute money to those who had come to collect it.

The miracle was well calculated to impress Peter, a fisherman by trade, who knew how unlikely it was that a fish should have money in its mouth, particularly the specific amount of money designated upon any given occasion, and knew, furthermore, how unlikely it was that he should be able to catch that particular fish at the precise moment he had been instructed to catch it (see on Luke 5:8, 9). It was not for His own benefit that Jesus performed this miracle (see on Matt. 4:3), although half of the amount paid was for Him. The miracle was designed to teach Peter a lesson, and to silence the critical tax-gatherers, who had sought to place Christ in the category of an ordinary Israelite, and thereby challenge His right to teach.