Chapter LXXII.—Of the Harmony Characterizing the Narratives Given by These Three Evangelists Regarding the Duty of Rendering to Cæsar the Coin Bearing His Image, and Regarding the Woman Who Had Been Married to the Seven Brothers.

140. Matthew then continues in these terms: “Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle Him in His talk. And they send out unto Him their disciples, with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man; for thou regardest not the person of men: tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute to Cæsar, or not?” and so on, down to the words, “And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at His doctrine.”669    Matt. xxii. 15–33. Mark and Luke give a similar account of these two replies made by the Lord,—namely, the one on the subject of the coin, which was prompted by the question as to the duty of giving tribute to Cæsar; and the other on the subject of the resurrection, which was suggested by the case of the woman who had married the seven brothers in succession. Neither do these two evangelists differ in the matter of the order.670    Mark xii. 13–27; Luke xx. 20–40. For after the parable which told of the men to whom the vineyard was let out, and which also dealt with the Jews (against whom it was directed), and the evil counsel they were devising (which sections are given by all three evangelists together), these two, Mark and Luke, pass over the parable of the guests who were invited to the wedding (which only Matthew has introduced), and thereafter they join company again with the first evangelist, when they record these two passages which deal with Cæsar’s tribute, and the woman who was the wife of seven different husbands, inserting them in precisely the same order, with a consistency which admits of no question.

CAPUT LXXII. De nummo Caesari reddendo, cujus habeat imaginem, et de muliere quae septem, fratribus nupserat, quemadmodum tres isti concordent.

140. Sequitur ergo Matthaeus: Tunc abeuntes Pharisaei consilium inierunt ut caperent eum in sermone. Et mittunt ei discipulos suos cum Herodianis, dicentes: Magister, scimus quia verax es, et viam Dei in veritate doces, et non est tibi cura de aliquo; non enim respicis personam hominum: dic ergo nobis, quid tibi videtur, licet censum dari Caesari, an non? et caetera, usque ad 1146 illud ubi ait, Et audientes turbae mirabantur in doctrina ejus (Matth. XXII, 15-33). Haec duo Domini responsa, unum de nummo propter tributum reddendum Caesari, alterum de resurrectione propter illam mulierem quae septem sibimet succedentibus fratribus nupserat, Marcus et Lucas similiter narrant, nec in ordine aliquid discrepant (Marc. XII, 13-27, et Luc. XX, 20-40). Post parabolam quippe illam de conductoribus vineae, et de Judaeis in quos dicta est, insidias praeparantibus, quae omnes tres commemoraverunt, praetermittunt hi duo Marcus et Lucas parabolam de invitatis ad nuptias, quam solus Matthaeus interposuit: et cum illo jam sequuntur, narrantes haec duo, de tributo Caesaris, et de muliere septem singillatim virorum, eodem prorsus ordine, sine aliqua repugnantiae quaestione.