The meaning of Tribute in the Bible
(From Easton's Bible Dictionary)

a tax imposed by a king on his subjects (II Samuel 20:24; I Kings 4:6; Romans 13:6). In Matthew 17:24-27 the word denotes the temple rate (the "didrachma," the "half-shekel," as rendered by the RSV) which was required to be paid for the support of the temple by every Jew above twenty years of age (Exodus 30:12; 2Kings 12:4; 2Chr 24:6,9). It was not a civil but a religious tax.

See more on the meaning of Tribute in the Bible:
Tribute {International Standard Bible Encyclopedia}

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