Matthew 17:23Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It was God's intention that the tribe of Levi, rather than the firstborn sons of the Hebrews, be set apart for Him. The count of the tribe of Levi was twenty-two thousand, while there were twenty-two thousand seventy-three firstborns. In place of these firstborns, who surpassed the tribe of Levi, God decided to allocate the priests a didrachma. This established the practice of offering the didrachma, equivalent to five shekels or two hundred ovols, to all firstborns collectively. Furthermore, given that the Lord Himself is the firstborn, He complied with this tax obligation to the priests.

The Hebrew firstfruits offered a didrachm annually as an expression of gratitude to God for the destruction of the Egyptian firstborns. Although Christ is the firstborn, the collectors felt embarrassed to approach Him, as they respected Him for His miraculous deeds. Instead, they turned to Peter, the chief among the disciples, approaching him not with demands, but with humble requests. The term didrachma refers to a type of currency.

The Lord is being asked to provide the didrachma. The law required all of Israel to contribute on behalf of those who minister in the Temple, serving as a ransom for both body and spirit. However, as we understand, the law merely foreshadows what is to come. God did not seek the mere monetary value of this coin, for such a minimal price could not suffice for the redemption of body and soul. The practice of the didrachma was instituted so that we might dedicate ourselves to Christ, who embodies the true Temple of God, affirmed, acknowledging, and adorned in the name of Christ. The offering of the didrachma serves as a testimony to the Son of God.

The collection of the didrachmas was established in the law given by Moses, who instructed that each individual must provide a ransom for his soul to the Lord, amounting to half a didrachma. Consequently, the Jews gathered this tribute from everyone, contributing one didrachma as a ransom for two souls according to the law, ensuring that neither the wealthy increased what was mandated by the law nor the less fortunate reduced their obligation of half a didrachma. This collection of the sacred didrachma, as alluded to in this context, represents nothing less than the authentic redemption, as everything that preceded it served merely as a foreshadowing. The genuine redemption was embodied in the Lord, who possesses within Himself the authority of the Father, affirming His divine nature.

St. John Chrysostom states that when God struck down the firstborn of Egypt, He replaced them with the tribe of Levi. Since the Levites were fewer in number than the firstborn among the Jewish people, God commanded that a shekel be offered for each uncounted firstborn (Exodus 30:13). From that moment forth, it became customary to present this tax for the firstborn. The proceeds were designated for the temple, funding sacrifices, scapegoats, red heifers, incense, showbread, and various necessities for temple worship. Every Jew, regardless of wealth or location, was obliged to pay this tax, reinforcing the belief that all souls are equal before God; thus, ‘a rich man no more and a poor man no less than half a shekel’ was required.

While Jesus and His disciples were in Capernaum, the temple tax collectors approached Peter and inquired, "Does your Master pay the didrachma?" A didrachma, a silver coin weighing approximately four grams, was equivalent to a Jewish half-shekel, with two didrachmas representing the annual temple tax imposed on all Jews, regardless of wealth, with the exception of priests and Levites. This levy was originally instituted by Moses (Ex. 30:11-16) and became an annual obligation following the construction of Solomon's temple (2 Chron. 24:6).

As the Saviour instructed His disciples and the crowd, He gradually approached Capernaum, where another miracle occurred upon His arrival. Since ancient times, the Jewish tradition mandated that a tax of "half a shekel, a sacred shekel" be collected from every Jew over the age of twenty after each census, serving as a "ransom for his soul to the Lord" (Ex. 30:11-16). The funds raised were designated for the temple and utilized for the purchase of sacrifices, scapegoats, red heifers, incense, showbread, and other requirements of the temple. Following the return from exile, this half-shekel tax transitioned into a yearly voluntary contribution equivalent to one-third of a shekel (Nehemiah 10:32), though eventually it reverted to the original amount.

Jesus and His disciples traveled to Capernaum, where certain individuals approached Peter regarding the didrachma. This coin, equivalent to about 20 kopecks, represented a tax established for the temple that every Jewish male over the age of 20 was required to pay. This practice, initiated by Moses (Exodus 30:11-16), evolved into an annual obligation for all, except for the priests and Levites, who were responsible for collecting the tax. Since the period of Solomon's temple, this levy became mandatory, and the funds collected were allocated for temple maintenance and the procurement of items necessary for worship, including sacrificial animals, flour, salt, incense, and firewood.