Laudator Temporis Acti

Matthew 17.24-27 (tr. Richmond Lattimore):

[24] Then when they came to Capernaum, those who took up the two-drachma tax came up to Peter and said: Does not your teacher pay the two drachmas? [25] He said: Yes. And as he was going into the house, Jesus intercepted him and said: What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take their taxes and their assessment? From their sons or from strangers? [26] When he said: From strangers, Jesus said to him: Thus their sons go free. [27] But so that we may cause them no trouble, go to the sea and let down your hook, and take the first fish that comes up, and open its mouth and you will find a stater. Take it and give it to them, for you and me.

[24] Ἐλθόντων δὲ αὐτῶν εἰς Καφαρναοὺμ προσῆλθον οἱ τὰ δίδραχμα λαμβάνοντες τῷ Πέτρῳ καὶ εἶπαν· Ὁ διδάσκαλος ὑμῶν οὐ τελεῖ τὰ δίδραχμα; [25] λέγει· Ναί. καὶ ἐλθόντα εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν προέφθασεν αὐτὸν ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγων· Τί σοι δοκεῖ, Σίμων; οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς ἀπὸ τίνων λαμβάνουσιν τέλη ἢ κῆνσον; ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν αὐτῶν ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων; [26] εἰπόντος δέ· Ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων, ἔφη αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ἄρα γε ἐλεύθεροί εἰσιν οἱ υἱοί. [27] ἵνα δὲ μὴ σκανδαλίσωμεν αὐτούς, πορευθεὶς εἰς θάλασσαν βάλε ἄγκιστρον καὶ τὸν ἀναβάντα πρῶτον ἰχθὺν ἆρον, καὶ ἀνοίξας τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ εὑρήσεις στατῆρα· ἐκεῖνον λαβὼν δὸς αὐτοῖς ἀντὶ ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ.

Bibliography from Donald A. Hagner's commentary: