Matthew 22:21 (GNV)

Passage

They sayd vnto him, Cesars. Then sayd he vnto them, Giue therefore to Cesar, the things which are Cesars, and giue vnto God, those things which are Gods.

Nearby Context

Matthew 22:19 Shewe me the tribute money. And they brought him a peny.

Matthew 22:20 And he sayde vnto them, Whose is this image and superscription?

Matthew 22:21 They sayd vnto him, Cesars. Then sayd he vnto them, Giue therefore to Cesar, the things which are Cesars, and giue vnto God, those things which are Gods.

Matthew 22:22 And when they heard it, they marueiled, and left him, and went their way.

Matthew 22:23 The same day the Sadduces came to him (which say that there is no resurrection) and asked him,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sayd", "vnto", "cesars", "giue", and "therefore". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sayd" and "vnto", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "And he sayde vnto them Whose is..." into verse 22's "And when they heard it they marueiled...", so "sayd" and "vnto" 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 "sayd" and "vnto" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.