This smooth and treacherous enquiry was a kind of challenge to the answerer to fear God rather than Caesar, and immediately they say, “Tell us therefore, what thinkest Thou? Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not?”
Should He say tribute should not be paid, the Herodians would immediately accuse Him as a person disaffected to the Emperor.
Reproduced in full. Translation: Oxford 1841 (Newman), public domain (Public domain).