The Greek adjective enkathetos (ἐγκάθετος) means 'placed in secretly,' describing one planted as a spy or agent provocateur. It appears once in Luke 20:20, describing agents sent by the Jewish leaders to 'spy' on Jesus and 'catch him in something he said so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor.'
The use of enkathetos in Luke 20:20 reveals the political and legal trap being laid for Jesus by his enemies. The scribes and chief priests sent individuals who pretended to be honest (Luke 20:20) to ensnare Jesus with questions about Roman taxation. Jesus' response — 'Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's' — brilliantly defeated both the political trap and the theological challenge simultaneously. The word reminds us that Jesus' enemies were not merely hostile — they were strategically organized against Him. Yet every human plot against the Son of God collapsed before His perfect wisdom. Acts 4:28 later reflects on the passion: 'They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.'