Matthew 17:27
Though able to bring forth the stater from the earth, he did not do that, but made the sign from the sea, to teach us a mystery full of contemplation. For we were fishes drawn up from life’s bitter turmoils as from a sea through the apostolic hooks, having in our mouths Christ the royal stater, given as ransom for two — for our soul and body, or for two peoples, Jews and gentiles — likewise ransoming poor and rich, since the old law also unreservedly demanded the drachma’s tax equally from rich and poor.
The Savior could have brought forth the stater from the earth, but he did not; he worked the sign from the sea to show us a mystery full of contemplation. For we are the fishes caught from life’s turmoils through the apostolic teachings, and we have in our mouths the stater — that is, Christ (Matthew 17:27).
Greek
∆υνάμενος καὶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς παραγαγεῖν τὸν στατῆρα οὐκ ἐποί ησε τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης τὸ σημεῖον ἐποίησεν, ἵνα μυστήριον ἡμᾶς διδάξῃ θεωρίας γέμον· ἰχθύες γὰρ ἦμεν ἐκ τῶν πικρῶν τοῦ βίου ταραχῶν ἀνασπασθέντες ὡς ἐκ θα λάσσης διὰ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν ἀγκί στρων ἔχοντες ἐν τοῖς ἑαυτῶν στό μασι τὸν Χριστὸν τὸν στατῆρα τὸν βασιλικόν, ὃς ἐδόθη ὑπὲρ δύο ἀντίλυτρον, ὑπὲρ ψυχῆς καὶ σώ ματος ἡμῶν ἤτοι ὑπὲρ δύο λαῶν, Ἰουδαίων τε καὶ ἐθνικῶν, ὁμοίως λυτρούμενος πένητας καὶ πλουσίους ἐπείπερ καὶ ὁ παλαιὸς νόμος ἀνυ ποστόλως ἐξ ἴσου ἀπῄτει τὸ τέλος τῆς δραχμῆς παρά τε πλουσίου καὶ πένητος. Ἠδύνατο ὁ σωτὴρ καὶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς παραγαγεῖν τὸν στατῆρα, οὐκ ἐποίησε δὲ τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς θα λάσσης τὸ σημεῖον εἰργάσατο, ἵνα δείξῃ μυστήριον ἡμῖν θεωρίας ἔμ πλεον· ἡμεῖς γάρ ἐσμεν οἱ ἰχθύες θηρευθέντες ἐκ τῶν τοῦ βίου τα ραχῶν διὰ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν διδαγ μάτων. ἔχομεν δὲ ἐν τοῖς στόμασιν ἡμῶν τὸν στατῆρα, τοῦτ' ἔστιν τὸν Χριστόν.