They said unto him, Caesar's. Then said he unto them,
Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.
Read Chapter 22
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Render therefore to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's. He neither directly decided the question, nor offended the Herodians. They admired his wisdom, were quite disappointed, and retired with confusion. (Witham)
The reasoning of Christ appears to be this: As you are the subjects of Cæsar, which you plainly acknowledge by admitting his coin, upon which he inscribes himself lord of Asia, Syria, and Judæa it is but just you pay him the tribute due from subjects to their sovereign; nor have you any reason to object on the plea of religion, since he demands of you for the exigencies of the public service only temporal things, and such as are in some respects already his own, by being stamped with his own image and superscription. But spiritual things, which belong to God alone, as your souls, stamped with his image, divine worship, religious homage God, not Cæsar, demands of you. "Give therefore to Cæsar what belongeth to Cæsar, and to God what belongeth to God. "(Tirinus)
What our Saviou...
Then that they might not say, You are subjecting us to men, He added, And unto God the things that are God's. For it is possible both to fulfill to men their claims and to give unto God the things that are due to God from us. Wherefore Paul also says, Render unto all their dues; tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear. Romans 13:7
But you, when you hear, Render unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's, know that He is speaking only of those things, which are no detriment to godliness; since if it be any such thing as this, such a thing is no longer Cæsar's tribute, but the devil's.
