Mark 12:16 (YLT)

Passage

and they brought, and he saith to them, `Whose <FI>is<Fi> this image, and the inscription?' and they said to him, `Caesar's;'

Nearby Context

Mark 12:14 and they having come, say to him, `Teacher, we have known that thou art true, and thou art not caring for any one, for thou dost not look to the face of men, but in truth the way of God dost teach; is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not? may we give, or may we not give?'

Mark 12:15 And he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, `Why me do ye tempt? bring me a denary, that I may see;'

Mark 12:16 and they brought, and he saith to them, `Whose <FI>is<Fi> this image, and the inscription?' and they said to him, `Caesar's;'

Mark 12:17 and Jesus answering said to them, `Give back the things of Caesar to Caesar, and the things of God to God;' and they did wonder at him.

Mark 12:18 And the Sadducees come unto him, who say there is not a rising again, and they questioned him, saying,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "brought", "saith", "whose", "image", "inscription", "said", and "caesar's". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "brought" and "saith", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "And he knowing their hypocrisy said to..." into verse 17's "and Jesus answering said to them Give...", so "brought" and "saith" belong inside that flow. In Mark context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

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