Matthew 22:20 (YLT)

Passage

and he saith to them, `Whose <FI>is<Fi> this image and the inscription?'

Nearby Context

Matthew 22:18 And Jesus having known their wickedness, said, `Why me do ye tempt, hypocrites?

Matthew 22:19 show me the tribute-coin?' and they brought to him a denary;

Matthew 22:20 and he saith to them, `Whose <FI>is<Fi> this image and the inscription?'

Matthew 22:21 they say to him, `Caesar's;' then saith he to them, `Render therefore the things of Caesar to Caesar, and the things of God to God;'

Matthew 22:22 and having heard they wondered, and having left him they went away.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "show me the tribute-coin and they brought..." into verse 21's "they say to him Caesar's then saith...", so "saith" and "whose" 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 "saith" and "whose" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.