Jesus saw beneath the polished words. Matthew says He "perceived their wickedness," and Barnes says this "must have been done by his power of searching the heart." Barnes defines "tempt" as "Try me, or endeavor to lead me into difficulty by an insidious question," and "hypocrites" as "Dissemblers. Professing to be candid inquirers, when their only object is to lead into difficulty." Gill says Christ "saw the wickedness of their hearts, knew their hypocritical designs, and was well acquainted with all their artifice." The question named their real motive out loud and showed that the trap had been seen.

The text records no answer to "Why tempt ye me?" Jesus said, "Shew me the tribute money," and "they brought unto him a penny" (Matthew 22:19). After asking whose image it bore, He answered their question: "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's" (Matthew 22:21). They marvelled and went their way (Matthew 22:22).

"Tempt" is peirazo, to test or try; the ESV renders it "put me to the test." "Hypocrites" is hypokritai, the word for people who play a part. The word "wickedness" (poneria) is rendered "malice" in the ESV.

Each Gospel names what Jesus saw in a slightly different way. Matthew says He perceived their "wickedness," Mark says He knew "their hypocrisy" (Mark 12:15), and Luke says He "perceived their craftiness" (Luke 20:23). Together they describe malice, pretense, and cunning in one carefully built question.

Here Jesus asks, and the question reveals that nothing is hidden from Him. Matthew shows this more than once: "Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?" (Matthew 9:4). Flattery could not cover what was in the questioners' hearts.

Yet exposure was not the end of the exchange. Jesus still asked for the coin and gave them a true and lasting answer (Matthew 22:19-21). He named the hypocrisy and then taught them anyway. His rebuke cleared away the pretense so the truth could be heard. In the next chapter He will press the same charge more fully: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!" (Matthew 23:13).