And they sent their disciples to Him with the Herodians, and they said: “Teacher, we know that You are true, and that You teach the way of God in truth, and that You are not afraid of anyone, because You show no partiality.”
The Pharisees, with cunning, send their disciples together with the Herodians, so that with formal praise they might approach Jesus and set a trap for him. Their words are true in content, but false in intention: they say, “You are true,” without believing it. This verse shows how human hypocrisy can even use the truth as an instrument of deception. The words addressed to Jesus—“you do not show partiality to anyone”—are in fact correct, yet here they are spoken with false respect, trying to catch him in his words.