No Regard for Faces: Grammatical Irony and Moral Clarity in Matthew 22:16

καὶ ἀποστέλλουσιν αὐτῷ τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτῶν μετὰ τῶν Ἡρῳδιανῶν λέγοντες· διδάσκαλε, οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀληθὴς εἶ καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ διδάσκεις, καὶ οὐ μέλει σοι περὶ οὐδενός· οὐ γὰρ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπου· (Matthew 22:16)

Setting the Trap with Polished Greek

This verse opens the famous entrapment scene regarding taxes to Caesar. But before the trap is sprung, the Pharisees and Herodians present their false flattery—and it is crafted with exquisite Greek. The grammar is not casual; it is deliberate, loaded with theological irony and syntactic elegance.

We explore:

• The nuance of οὐ μέλει σοι as a Greek idiom for detachment or impartiality
• The syntax of βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπου and its Semitic backdrop
• The participial structure λέγοντες and its discourse function
• The phrase τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ and prepositional theology

Grammar in Disguise: “You Do Not Care about Anyone”

The phrase οὐ μέλει σοι περὶ οὐδενός contains the idiomatic use of the impersonal verb μέλει (“it is a care/concern to…”).

Grammatical Breakdown:

• μέλει is 3rd person singular present active indicative
• σοι is the dative of interest (“to you”)
• περὶ οὐδενός uses the genitive with preposition to indicate “about no one”

The structure renders: “It is not a concern to you about anyone” → You do not care about anyone. But in Greek idiom, this means you are not swayed by human opinions. The grammar ironically affirms Jesus’s objectivity, though the speaker intends flattery.

Looking Into Faces: Figurative Language with Literal Syntax

οὐ γὰρ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπου = “For you do not look at the face of a man.”

Syntax Observations:

• βλέπεις is 2nd person singular present active indicative of βλέπω, meaning “you look”
• εἰς + accusative (πρόσωπον) introduces a figurative object—“to look at one’s appearance” or “be impressed by”

This is a Semitic idiom preserved in Greek: “to regard the face” is an expression meaning to show partiality or favoritism. While the syntax is straightforward Greek, the meaning is embedded in Second Temple Jewish idiom.

Walking the Way in Truth: Prepositions with Theological Freight

τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ = “the way of God in truth”

Here the prepositional phrase ἐν ἀληθείᾳ describes the manner or quality of Jesus’s teaching.

Theological Implications:

• ἐν + dative here expresses sphere or environment—teaching not just truthfully, but within the realm of truth
• τὴν ὁδὸν is a metaphor for God’s prescribed path—ethical, doctrinal, eschatological

Though these words are spoken with false intent, they inadvertently convey profound truth: Jesus teaches God’s path within truth itself, untouched by duplicity or personal agenda.

Participial Setup: λέγοντες as Narrative Strategy

λέγοντες is a present active participle masculine nominative plural, agreeing with τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτῶν. This participial construction introduces indirect discourse in classical narrative style.

But more than a narrative device, this participle slows the action, focusing the reader on the delivery of the deceit—“saying…”

Color Table: Irony and Greek Expression

Faces and Masks: Final Reflections on True Sight

In a moment of feigned reverence, the enemies of Jesus accidentally speak truth. Their syntax reveals more than they know. They say He doesn’t care what others think—yet in that very claim lies His glory. He teaches in truth, walks in the way of God, and sees not faces, but souls.

Greek grammar here plays a crucial role. It forms the vessel through which irony, prophecy, and revelation pass. Participles coordinate deceit, prepositions frame truth, and impersonal verbs confirm divine impartiality.

In the end, the ones trying to deceive us with flattery become mouthpieces for the Spirit—unwittingly proclaiming what only faith can see: the face of the One who sees beyond faces.