Matthew 22:21 (ASV)

Passage

They say unto him, Caesar`s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar`s; and unto God the things that are God`s.

Nearby Context

Matthew 22:19 Show me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a denarius.

Matthew 22:20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?

Matthew 22:21 They say unto him, Caesar`s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar`s; and unto God the things that are God`s.

Matthew 22:22 And when they heard it, they marvelled, and left him, and went away.

Matthew 22:23 On that day there came to him Sadducees, they that say that there is no resurrection: and they asked him,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "caesar", "saith", "render", "therefore", and "things". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "caesar" and "saith", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "And he saith unto them Whose is..." into verse 22's "And when they heard it they marvelled...", so "caesar" and "saith" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "caesar" and "saith" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.