Luke 23:2

King James Version

And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation, opposing payment of taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king.”

King James Version (1611)
And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow peruerting the nation, and forbidding to giue tribute to Cesar, saying, that he himselfe is Christ a king.

English Standard Version
And they began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king."

New American Standard Bible
And they began to bring charges against Him, saying, "We found this Man misleading our nation and forbidding us to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King."

New Century Version
They began to accuse Jesus, saying, "We caught this man telling things that mislead our people. He says that we should not pay taxes to Caesar, and he calls himself the Christ, a king."

Amplified Bible
They began to accuse Jesus, asserting, "We found this Man misleading and perverting our nation and forbidding us to pay taxes to Caesar, and claiming that He Himself is Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), a King."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King."

Legacy Standard Bible
And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King."

Berean Standard Bible
And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this man subverting our nation, forbidding payment of taxes to Caesar, and proclaiming Himself to be Christ, a king."

Contemporary English Version
They started accusing him and said, "We caught this man trying to get our people to riot and to stop paying taxes to the Emperor. He also claims that he is the Messiah, our king."

Complete Jewish Bible
where they started accusing him. "We found this man subverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the Emperor and claiming that he himself is the Messiah — a king!"

Darby Translation
And they began to accuse him, saying, We have found this [man] perverting our nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ, a king.

Easy-to-Read Version
They began to accuse Jesus and said to Pilate, "We caught this man trying to change the thinking of our people. He says we should not pay taxes to Caesar. He calls himself the Messiah, a king."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And they began to accuse him, saying, We haue found this man peruerting the nation, and forbidding to pay tribute to Cesar, saying, That he is Christ a King.

George Lamsa Translation
And began to accuse him, saying, We found this man misleading our people, and forbidding to pay the head-tax to Caesar; and he says concerning himself that he is a King, even the Christ.

Good News Translation
where they began to accuse him: "We caught this man misleading our people, telling them not to pay taxes to the Emperor and claiming that he himself is the Messiah, a king."

Lexham English Bible
And they began to accuse him, saying, "We have found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying he himself is Christ, a king!"

Literal Translation
And they began to accuse Him, saying, We found this One perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying Himself to be a king, Christ.

American Standard Version
And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ a king.

Bible in Basic English
And they made statements against him, saying, This man has to our knowledge been teaching our nation to do wrong, and not to make payment of taxes to Caesar, even saying that he himself is Christ, a king.

Hebrew Names Version
They began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man perverting the nation, forbidding paying taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Messiah, a king."

International Standard Version
They began to accuse him, "We found this man corrupting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that he is the Christ,[fn] a king."Matthew 17:27; 22:21; Mark 12:17; John 19:12; Acts 17:7;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And they began to accuse him, saying, We have found this who deludeth our people, and forbiddeth that tribute [fn] unto Caesar we should give, saying of himself that he is the King Meshicha.

Murdock Translation
And they began to accuse him, and said: We have found this man seducing our people, and forbidding to pay the capitation money to Caesar, and declaring himself to be king Messiah.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they began to accuse hym, saying: We founde this felow peruerting the people, and forbyddyng to paye tribute to Ceasar, saying that he is Christe, a kyng.

English Revised Version
And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ a king.

World English Bible
They began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man perverting the nation, forbidding paying taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And they accused him saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cesar, saying, that he himself is Christ a king.

Weymouth's New Testament
"We have found this man," they said, "an agitator among our nation, forbidding the payment of tribute to Caesar, and claiming to be himself an anointed king."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei bigunnen to accuse hym, and seiden, We han foundun this turnynge vpsodoun oure folk, and forbedynge tributis to be youun to the emperour, and seiynge that hym silf is Crist and kyng.

Update Bible Version
And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ a king.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this [man] perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cesar, saying, that he himself is Christ a king.

New English Translation
They began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man subverting our nation, forbidding us to pay the tribute tax to Caesar and claiming that he himself is Christ, a king."

New King James Version
And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this fellow perverting the [fn] nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King."

New Living Translation
They began to state their case: "This man has been leading our people astray by telling them not to pay their taxes to the Roman government and by claiming he is the Messiah, a king."

New Life Bible
They began to tell things against Him, saying, "We have found this Man leading the people of our nation in a wrong way. He has been telling them not to pay taxes to Caesar. He has been saying He is Christ, a King."

New Revised Standard
They began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And they began to accuse him, saying - This one, found we, perverting our nation, and forbidding to give, tribute unto Caesar, - and affirming himself to be, an anointed king.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they began to accuse him, saying: We have found this man perverting our nation and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar and saying that he is Christ the king.

Revised Standard Version
And they began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ a king."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And they beganne to accuse him sayinge: We have founde this felowe pervertynge the people and forbiddynge to paye tribute to Cesar: sayinge that he is Christ a kynge.

Young's Literal Translation
and began to accuse him, saying, `This one we found perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying himself to be Christ a king.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and begane to accuse him, and sayde: We haue founde this felowe peruertinge the people, and forbyddinge to geue trybute vnto the Emperoure, and sayeth, that he is Christ a kynge.

Mace New Testament (1729)
and thus they began their charge, we found this man subverting our nation, opposing the giving tribute to Cesar, asserting that he himself is Christ the king.

Simplified Cowboy Version
When they arrived, they told Pilate, "This man is trying to claim he is the true king of this land and he tells people not to pay taxes to Rome."

Contextual Overview

¹ And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate. ² And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King. ³ And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it. ⁴ Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man. ⁵ And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place. ⁶ When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean. ⁷ And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. ⁸ And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. ⁹ Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. ¹⁰ And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

they: Zechariah 11:8, Mark 15:3-5, John 18:30

perverting: Luke 23:5, 1 Kings 18:17, Jeremiah 38:4, Amos 7:10, Acts 16:20, Acts 16:21, Acts 17:6, Acts 17:7, Acts 24:5

forbidding: Luke 20:20-25, 1 Kings 21:10-13, Psalms 35:11, Psalms 62:4, Psalms 64:3-6, Jeremiah 20:10, Jeremiah 37:13-15, Matthew 17:27, Matthew 22:21, Matthew 26:59, Matthew 26:60, Mark 12:17, Mark 14:55, Mark 14:56, Acts 24:13, 1 Peter 3:16-18

that: Luke 22:69, Luke 22:70, Mark 14:61, Mark 14:62, John 18:36, John 19:12

Reciprocal: Genesis 39:14 - he came Exodus 5:4 - wherefore 1 Samuel 22:13 - Why have 1 Kings 21:13 - the king 2 Chronicles 18:26 - this fellow Ezra 4:12 - rebellious Nehemiah 2:19 - will ye rebel Nehemiah 6:6 - that thou mayest Psalms 31:13 - I have Psalms 69:12 - They Psalms 119:23 - Princes Micah 5:2 - that is Matthew 12:10 - that Matthew 26:61 - This Matthew 27:1 - all Matthew 27:63 - that deceiver Mark 10:33 - deliver Mark 12:14 - is it Mark 15:1 - and delivered Mark 15:12 - whom Luke 20:24 - Caesar's Luke 23:10 - and vehemently Luke 23:14 - as one Luke 23:19 - General Luke 23:25 - for John 9:29 - as for Acts 25:7 - and laid Romans 13:6 - pay

Cross-References

Genesis 13:18
Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord .

Genesis 23:14
And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,

Genesis 23:15
My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.

Genesis 23:16
And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.

Genesis 23:18
Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.

Genesis 23:19
And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.

Genesis 27:41
And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.

Genesis 50:10
And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days.

Numbers 13:22
And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)

Numbers 20:29
And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they began to accuse him,.... After they found that Pilate would not receive him as a malefactor upon their word, and delivery of him to him as such; but insisted on knowing what they had to charge him with, and what accusation they had to bring against him:

saying, we have found this fellow perverting the nation; the nation of the Jews. Three of Beza's copies read, "our nation"; and so do the Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions; and it is to be understood, either of his perverting the nation from the true doctrine of Moses and the prophets; by spreading among them new notions, and false principles of religion; whereby he was a troubler of God's Israel, as Ahab charged Elijah, 1 Kings 18:17 where the Septuagint use the same word as here; and so is a charge of heresy, or innovation in religion against Christ: and thus Jesus stands charged in their writings o; on those words in Psalms 91:10. "Neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling", they have this note;

"that thou mayest not have a son, or a disciple, that corrupts his food publicly (i.e. his doctrine, who departs from the true doctrine and worship, to heresy and idolatry, and propagates the same), כגון ישו הנוצרי, "as Jesus the Nazarene".''

Which last clause, in some later editions of the Talmud, is left out: or it may be understood of his perverting the nation in their politics, and so is a charge of sedition against him, as follows;

forbidding to give tribute to Caesar; than which, nothing was more false; see Matthew 22:21 nor does what is after alleged, support this charge:

saying, that he himself is Christ, a King; or Christ the King, or the King Christ; that is, he whom the Jews so frequently in their writings call מלך המשיח, "the King Messiah", for so he might be, and was, without any hurt to Caesar's dignity, or revenue; for though he was a king, yet not an earthly one; and though he had a kingdom, yet not of this world: indeed they would insinuate by this, that he set himself up as an earthly king, in opposition to Caesar, to draw off the people from him, and their allegiance and duty to him; and so the Jews say of Jesus of Nazareth, that he was put to death, and had no mercy shown him, because he was קרוב למלכות, "near to the kingdom" p. The whole of this charge was untrue; he was so far from perverting the nation with false doctrine and worship, that he taught the true doctrine, and right way of worship, and refuted the false glosses of the Pharisees, and opposed the vain traditions of the elders, by which both were corrupted; and so far was he from any seditious principles and practices, or doing any injury to Tiberius Caesar, the then reigning emperor, that he taught the people to give Caesar the things that were Caesar's, and he himself paid the tribute money; and when the people would have took him by force, and have made him a king, he avoided it by getting out of the way, John 6:15.

o T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 103. 1. & Beracot, fol, 17. 2. p T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 43. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

This fellow - The word “fellow” is not in the original. It conveys a notion of “contempt,” which no doubt they “felt,” but which is not expressed in the “Greek,” and which it is not proper should be expressed in the translation. It might be translated, “We found this man.”

Perverting the nation - That is, exciting them to sedition and tumults. This was a mere wanton accusation, but it was plausible before a Roman magistrate; for,

1. The Galileans, as Josephus testifies, were prone to seditions and tumults.
2. Jesus drew multitudes after him, and they thought it was easy to show that this was itself promoting tumults and seditions.

Forbidding ... - About their charges they were very cautious and cunning. They did not say that he “taught” that people should not give tribute - that would have been too gross a charge, and would have been easily refuted; but it was an “inference” which they drew. They said it “followed” from his doctrine. He professed to be a king. They “inferred,” therefore, if “he” was “a king,” that he must hold that it was not right to acknowledge allegiance to any foreign prince; and if they could make “this” out, they supposed that Pilate “must” condemn him of course.

Tribute - Taxes.

Caesar - The Roman emperor, called also Tiberius. The name “Caesar” was common to the Roman emperors, as “Pharaoh” was to the Egyptian kings. “All” the kings of Egypt were called Pharaoh, or “the” Pharaoh; so all the Roman emperors were called “Caesar.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Luke 23:2. Perverting the nation — The Greek word διαστρεφοντα, signifies stirring up to disaffection and rebellion. Many MSS. and versions add ημων, OUR nation. They intimated that he not only preached corrupt doctrine, but that he endeavoured to make them disaffected towards the Roman government, for which they now pretended to feel a strong affection!

Several copies of the Itala add, Destroying our law and prophets. Et solventem legem nostram et prophetas.

Forbidding to give tribute to Caesar — These were the falsest slanders that could be invented. The whole of our Lord's conduct disproved them. And his decision in the case of the question about the lawfulness of paying tribute to Caesar, Matthew 22:21, was so fully known that we find Pilate paid not the least attention to such evidently malicious and unfounded accusations. Neither Christ nor any of his followers, from that day until now, ever forbade the paying tribute to Caesar; that is, constitutional taxes to a lawful prince.