Difference between revisions of "Tribute"

<p> (See [[Tax]] .) The use of the word in the Old [[Testament]] is in reference to the almost universal custom whereby the conquering nation (whether Egyptian, Assyrian, or Roman) levied large and in many cases recurring sums of money from the nations subjugated by them; and the monuments erected by the conquerors naturally present this subject very frequently. In &nbsp;Matthew 17:24-27, "the didrachma receivers said to Peter, Doth not your [[Master]] pay the didrachma? He saith, Yes?" Their question implies it was the religious impost; no civil tax would have been asked in such a tone, as if its payment dare be questioned. The half-shekel or half-stater or didrachma (fifteen pence) was the universally recognized due required from every Israelite grown male in support of the sanctuary services, in the benefits of which he had a share: according to &nbsp;Exodus 30:11-15. (See [[Money]] ; [[Jesus Christ; Peter]] ) </p> <p> Collected both before and after the [[Babylonian]] captivity (&nbsp;2 Kings 12:4; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 24:9) from all Jews wherever sojourning (Josephus 18:9, section 1; [[Philo]] Monarch. 2:2, section 224). Hence Peter at once recognized the obligation. But Christ, while to avoid offense (wherein Paul imitated his Master in a different case, &nbsp;1 Corinthians 9:4-19) He miraculously supplied the stater in the fish, for Himself and Peter, yet claimed freedom from the payment to the temple, seeing He was its Lord for whose service the tribute was collected. As Son of the heavenly King He was free from the legal exactions which bound all others, since the law finds its antitypical realization in Him the Son of God and "the end of the law" (&nbsp;Romans 10:4). </p> <p> The temple offerings, for which the half shekels were collected, through Him become needless to His people also; hence they, by virtue of union with Him in justification and sanctification, are secondarily included in His pregnant saying, "then are the children (not merely the SON) free" (&nbsp;John 8:35-36; &nbsp;Galatians 4:3-7; &nbsp;Galatians 5:1). As children with Him, they are sons of the King and share the kingdom (&nbsp;Romans 8:15-17). The legal term "the didrachma" Matthew uses as one so familiar to his readers as to need no explanation; he must therefore have written about the time, alleged, namely, some time before the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, after which an explanatory comment would have been needed such as Josephus gives (Ant. 18:10, section 1). The undesigned omission in Matthew confirms the genuineness. and truth of his Gospel. </p>

<div> '''1: '''''Φόρος''''' ''' (Strong'S #5411 — Noun Masculine — phoros — for'-os ) </div> <p> akin to phero, "to bring," denotes "tribute" paid by a subjugated nation, &nbsp;Luke 20:22; &nbsp;23:2; &nbsp;Romans 13:6,7 . </p> <div> '''2: '''''Κῆνσος''''' ''' (Strong'S #2778 — Noun Masculine — kensos — kane'-sos ) </div> <p> Lat. and Eng., "census," denotes "a poll tax," &nbsp;Matthew 17:25; &nbsp;22:17,19; &nbsp;Mark 12:14 . </p> <div> '''3: '''''Δίδραχμον''''' ''' (Strong'S #1323 — Noun Neuter — didrachmon — did'-rakh-mon ) </div> <p> "the half-shekel," is rendered "tribute" in &nbsp;Matthew 17:24 (twice): see [[Shekel]] , No. 2. </p>

<p> ''''' trib´ūt ''''' ( מס , <i> ''''' maṣ ''''' </i> , "tribute," really meaning "forced laborers," "labor gang" (&nbsp; 1 Kings 4:6; &nbsp;1 Kings 9:15 , &nbsp;1 Kings 9:21 ); also "forced service," "serfdom"; possibly "forced payment" is meant in &nbsp;Esther 10:1; the idea contained in the modern word is better given by מדּה , <i> ''''' middāh ''''' </i> (&nbsp;Ezra 6:8; &nbsp;Nehemiah 5:4 )): Words used only of the duty levied for [[Yahweh]] on acquired spoils are מכס , <i> ''''' mekheṣ ''''' </i> , "assessment" (&nbsp;Numbers 31:28 , &nbsp;Numbers 31:37 , &nbsp;Numbers 31:38 , &nbsp;Numbers 31:39 , &nbsp;Numbers 31:40 , &nbsp;Numbers 31:41 ), בּלו , <i> ''''' belō ''''' </i> , "excise" (&nbsp;Ezra 4:13 , &nbsp;Ezra 4:10; &nbsp;Nehemiah 7:24 ), משּׂא , <i> ''''' massā' ''''' </i> , "burden" (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 17:11 ), and ענשׁ , <i> ''''' ‛ōnesh ''''' </i> , "fine" or "indemnity" (&nbsp;2 Kings 23:33; compare &nbsp;Proverbs 19:19 ). The translation "tribute" for מסּת , <i> ''''' miṣṣath ''''' </i> , in &nbsp;Deuteronomy 16:10 is wrong (compare the Revised Version margin). κῆνσος , <i> ''''' kḗnsos ''''' </i> (&nbsp;Matthew 22:17; &nbsp;Mark 12:14 ) = "census," while φόρος , <i> ''''' phóros ''''' </i> (&nbsp;Luke 20:22; &nbsp;Luke 23:2; &nbsp;Romans 13:6 , &nbsp;Romans 13:7 ), signifies an annual tax on persons, houses, lands, both being direct taxes. The <i> ''''' phóroi ''''' </i> were paid by agriculturists, payment being made partly in kind, partly in money, and are contrasted with the <i> ''''' télē ''''' </i> of the publicans, while <i> ''''' kēnsos ''''' </i> is strictly a poll tax. The amount of tribute required as a poll tax by the Romans was the δίδραχμον , <i> ''''' dı́drachmon ''''' </i> (&nbsp;Matthew 17:24 ), the King James Version "tribute," the Revised Version (British and American) "half-shekel." The στατήρ , <i> ''''' statḗr ''''' </i> (&nbsp;Matthew 17:27 ), was a tetradrachm, "one shekel," or pay for two. After the destruction of Jerusalem, the Jews were required to pay this poll tax toward the support of the worship of [[Jupiter]] Capitolinus. Different kinds of personal taxes were raised by the Romans: (1) an income tax, (2) the poll tax. The latter must be paid by women and slaves as well as by free men, only children and aged people being exempted. The payment exacted began with the 14th year in the case of men and the 12th in the case of women, the obligation remaining in force up to the 65th year in the case of both. For purposes of assessment, each person was permitted to put his own statement on record. After public notice had been given by the government, every citizen was expected to respond without personal visitation by an official (see &nbsp;Luke 2:1 ff). On the basis of the records thus voluntarily made, the tax collectors would enforce the payment of the tribute. See also [[Tax]] , [[Taxing]] . </p>