Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Jesus spake first to him (proefqasen auton o Ihsouv legwn). Here only in the N.T. One example in a papyrus BC 161 (Moulton and Milligan, Vocabulary). The old idiomatic use of fqanw with the participle survives in this example of profqanw in Matthew 17:25, meaning to anticipate, to get before one in doing a thing. The Koin‚ uses the infinitive thus with fqanw which has come to mean simply to arrive. Here the anticipation is made plain by the use of pro-. See Robertson's Grammar, p. 1120. The "prevent" of the Authorized Version was the original idea of praevenire, to go before, to anticipate. Peter felt obliged to take the matter up with Jesus. But the Master had observed what was going on and spoke to Peter first.
Toll or tribute (telh h khnson). Customs or wares collected by the publicans (like forov, Romans 13:7) and also the capitation tax on persons, indirect and direct taxation. Khnsov is the Latin census, a registration for the purpose of the appraisement of property like h apografh in Luke 2:2; Acts 5:37. By this parable Jesus as the Son of God claims exemption from the temple tax as the temple of his Father just as royal families do not pay taxes, but get tribute from the foreigners or aliens, subjects in reality.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Matthew 17:25:
Matthew 17:25
Acts 7:6
Romans 13:7
3 John 1:7
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