King James Bible
"But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me?"
Jesus discerns the deceptive intent behind their question about paying taxes to Caesar. The word 'craftiness' indicates deliberate cunning—they sought to trap him between offending Roman authorities or losing Jewish support. Christ's divine insight exposes their hidden motives. Rather than immediately answering their question, Jesus confronts their duplicity directly. His counter-question reveals he knows they aren't seeking truth but attempting entrapment, shifting the encounter from their trap to his authority.