Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Pharisees didn't just want to trap Jesus with a question; they meticulously "plotted" (Greek bouleuo) how to "ensnare" him with his own words. This wasn't about a quick debate, but a carefully laid scheme to twist his honest speech into an accusation, revealing their intent to destroy him.
Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Having just heard Jesus expose their hypocrisy through parables, the Pharisees, now enraged and fearing the crowd, decided to plot a more subtle attack. They met with the Herodians, a politically opposed group, to devise a trap, aiming to catch Jesus in his words so they could accuse him of treason to the Roman authorities. Their goal was to find a way to arrest and condemn him, since open force was too risky given his popularity.
The religious leaders didn't like what Jesus was teaching, so they decided to take him down. But how?
Jesus had just delivered some powerful parables that clearly exposed the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. Instead of reflecting on his words, they plotted how to trap him. Notice their motivation wasn't truth-seeking, but destruction. They chose to "entangle" him, a word meaning to set a snare or a hidden trap. This wasn't about open confrontation, but about secretly finding fault in his words to use against him, especially with the Roman authorities. Their hatred ran so deep it even caused bitter enemies, the Pharisees and Herodians, to join forces.
Jesus was a master of words, but his enemies wanted to twist his speech against him. How did they plan to do it?
The word for "entangle" paints a vivid picture: like a hunter setting a hidden net for a bird. The Pharisees and their allies, the Herodians, aimed to do the same with Jesus' words. They knew they couldn't defeat him in open debate, especially with the crowds on his side. So, they devised a plan to ask him a question designed to be unanswerable. They wanted him to say something that would alienate either the common people (if he seemed to support Roman rule) or the Roman authorities (if he opposed it). Their goal was to "catch him in his words," making a slip that could be reported and used for his condemnation.
Understand the original words
Ask a follow-up
Pharisaioi · Greek Noun
A prominent Jewish religious group known for their strict adherence to the law and traditions, who frequently opposed Jesus' teachings and authority.
pagideusōsin · Greek Verb
To trap, ensnare, or catch someone in a verbal challenge, usually done with malicious intent to discredit or cause the person to stumble.
The Pharisees' plot to 'entangle' Jesus wasn't just a theological debate; it was a dangerous political maneuver by opposing factions (Pharisees and Herodians) aiming to have Jesus condemned by Roman authorities for sedition or treason.
c. AD 28
Jesus' Ministry Intensifies
Jesus' teachings and miracles gain significant attention, drawing large crowds and challenging established religious and political authorities.
c. AD 29
Jesus Clears the Temple
Jesus powerfully drives merchants and money changers out of the Temple complex, an act that deeply offends the chief priests and religious leaders.
c. AD 29— this verse
Parables of Judgment
Jesus tells parables (like the Wicked Tenants and the Wedding Feast) that directly condemn the religious leaders, increasing their hostility.
c. AD 29
Pharisees and Herodians Plot
Fearing Jesus' growing influence and unable to openly arrest him due to popular support, the Pharisees and Herodians conspire to trap him with a question.
c. AD 29
The Question of Tribute
The conspirators present Jesus with a question about paying taxes to Caesar, designed to force him into an incriminating answer either way.
c. AD 29
Jesus' Famous Reply
Jesus skillfully answers their question, demonstrating his profound wisdom and turning their trap back on them, leaving them astonished.
This passage shows a similar malicious intent where Saul attempts to trap David by offering his daughter Michal as a snare, aiming for his downfall.
Psalm 64:1-6The Psalmist describes the wicked plotting in secret, aiming to ensnare the righteous with their words, mirroring the Pharisees' covert strategy.
Proverbs 12:13This proverb warns that 'an evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,' highlighting how the Pharisees' own wicked plots would ultimately become their undoing.
Jeremiah 20:10The prophet Jeremiah speaks of the conspiracy against him, where 'every man... watches for my halting, saying, Let us persuade him, and prevail against him, or let us take our revenge on him,' reflecting the Pharisees' desire to find fault and destroy Jesus.
barnesMatthew 22:15: "Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk."
The Pharisees and Herodians endeavor to entangle Jesus - This narrative is also found in Mark 12:12-17 ; Luke 20:20-26 . Matthew 22:15 Then went the Pharisees - See the notes at Matthew 3:7. How they might entangle him - To entangle means to "ensnare," as birds are taken by a net. This is done secretly, by leading them within the compass of the net and then suddenly springing it over them. So to…
bensonMatthew 22:15: "Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk."
Matthew 22:15-17 . Then went the Pharisees — Greatly incensed by the two last parables delivered by our Lord; and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk — Gr. παγιδευσωσιν εν λογω , might entrap him in his discourse, so as to find something on which they might ground an accusation against him, and effect his destruction. And they sent out their disciples — Persons who had imbibed th…
The Pharisees didn't just want to trap Jesus with a question; they meticulously "plotted" (Greek bouleuo) how to "ensnare" him with his own words. This wasn't about a quick debate, but a carefully laid scheme to twist his honest speech into an accusation, revealing their intent to destroy him.
Having just heard Jesus expose their hypocrisy through parables, the Pharisees, now enraged and fearing the crowd, decided to plot a more subtle attack. They met with the Herodians, a politically opposed group, to devise a trap, aiming to catch Jesus in his words so they could accuse him of treason to the Roman authorities. Their goal was to find a way to arrest and condemn him, since open force was too risky given his popularity.
Having just heard Jesus expose their hypocrisy through parables, the Pharisees, now enraged and fearing the crowd, decided to plot a more subtle attack. They met with the Herodians, a politically opposed group, to devise a trap, aiming to catch Jesus in his words so they could accuse him of treason to the Roman authorities. Their goal was to find a way to arrest and condemn him, since open force was too risky given his popularity.
"Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words." — The Pharisees didn't just want to trap Jesus with a question; they meticulously "plotted" (Greek bouleuo) how to "ensnare" him with his own words. This wasn't about a quick debate, but a carefully…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026