Matthew 22 · Verse 21

Matthew 22:21

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

Matthew 22:21, King James Version

Matthew 22:21 in other translations

BSB	“Caesar’s,” they answered. So Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
WEB	They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
ASV	They say unto him, Cæsar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.
YLT	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;'
DARBY	They say to him, Caesar's. Then he says to them, Pay then what is Caesar's to Caesar, and what is God's to God.
BBE	They say to him, Caesar's. Then he said to them, Give to Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and to God the things which are God's.
Webster	They say to him, Cesar's. Then saith he to them, Render therefore to Cesar, the things which are Cesar's; and to God, the things that are God's.

What does Matthew 22:21 mean?

Barnes' Notes

Verse 21. Render therefore unto Caesar, etc. Caesar's image and name on the coin proved that it was his. It was proper, therefore, to give it back to him when he called for it. But while this was done, he took occasion to charge them also to give to God what he claimed. This may mean either

(1) the annual tribute due to the temple-service, implying that paying tribute to Caesar did not free them from the obligation to do that; or

(2) that they should give their hearts, lives, property, and influence, all to God, as his due.

(z) "Render" Mt 17:25,27, Rom 13:7 (a) "unto God" Mal 1:6-8, 3:8-10

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 21 They say unto him, Caesars - The image was the head of the emperor; the superscription, his titles. Julius Caesar was the first who caused his image to be struck on the Roman coin. Tiberius was emperor at this time. Render therefore unto Caesar - The conclusion is drawn from their own premises. You acknowledge this to be Caesar's coin; this coin is current, in your land; the currency of this coin shows the country to be under the Roman government; and your acknowledgment that it is Caesar's proves you have submitted. Don't therefore be unjust; but render to Caesar the things which you acknowledge to be his; at the same time, be not impious, but render unto God the thing's which belong to God. This answer is full of consummate wisdom. It establishes the limits, regulates the rights, and distinguishes the jurisdiction of the two empires of heaven and earth. The image of princes stamped on their coin denotes that temporal things belong all to their government. The image of God stamped on the soul denotes that all its faculties and powers belong to the Most High, and should be employed in his service. But while the earth is agitated and distracted with the question of political rights and wrongs, the reader will naturally ask, What does a man owe to Caesar? - to the civil government under which he lives? Our Lord has answered the question - That which IS Caesar's. But what is it that is Caesar's? 1. Honour. 2. Obedience. And 3. Tribute. 1. The civil government under which a man lives, and by which he is protected, demands his honor and reverence. 2. The laws which are made for the suppression of evil doers, and the maintenance of good order, which are calculated to promote the benefit of the whole, and the comfort of the individual should be religiously obeyed. 3. The government that charges itself with the support and defense of the whole, should have its unavoidable expenses, however great, repaid by the people, in whose behalf they are incurred; therefore we should pay tribute. But remember, if Caesar should intrude into the things of God, coin a new creed, or broach a new Gospel, and affect to rule the conscience, while he rules the state, in these things Caesar is not to be obeyed; he is taking the things of God, and he must not get them. Give not therefore God's things to Caesar, and give not Caesar's things to God. That which belongs to the commonwealth should, on no account whatever, be devoted to religious uses; and let no man think he has pleased God, by giving that to charitable or sacred uses which he has purloined from the state. The tribute of half a shekel, which the law, (Exo 30:13, Exo 30:14), required every person above twenty years of age to pay to the temple, was, after the destruction of the temple, in the time of Vespasian, paid into the emperor's exchequer. This sum, Melancthon supposes, amounted annually to Three Tons Of Gold.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 22:15-22

The Pharisees sent their disciples with the Herodians, a party among the Jews, who were for full subjection to the Roman emperor. Though opposed to each other, they joined against Christ. What they said of Christ was right; whether they knew it or not, blessed be God we know it. Jesus Christ was a faithful Teacher, and a bold reprover. Christ saw their wickedness. Whatever mask the hypocrite puts on, our Lord Jesus…

Read the full comment on Matthew 22:15-22 →

Matthew 22:21 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

λέγουσινlegousinThey sayG3004

αὐτῷ·autōto Him;G846

Καίσαρος.¶KaisarosOf Caesar.G2541

ΤότεToteThenG5119

λέγειlegeiHe saysG3004

αὐτοῖς·autoisto them;G846

ἀπόδοτεapodotedo give backG591

οὖνounthereforeG3767

τὰtathe [things]G3588

ΚαίσαροςKaisarosof CaesarG2541

ΚαίσαριKaisarito CaesarG2541

καὶkaiandG2532

τὰtathe [things]G3588

τοῦtou<the>G3588

θεοῦtheouof GodG2316

τῷtō<the>G3588

θεῷ.theōto God.G2316

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 22:21

Romans 13:7
Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
Proverbs 24:21
My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:
Acts 4:19
But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
Malachi 1:6-8
A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts.
Matthew 22:37
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
1 Peter 2:13-17
Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. …
Daniel 6:20-23
And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.
Luke 23:2
And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.
Acts 5:29
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
Matthew 17:25-27
He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.
Matthew 4:10
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Daniel 3:16-18
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Render.
17:25-27; Pr 24:21; Lu 23:2; Ro 13:7
are Caesar's.This conclusion is drawn from their own maxims and premises. They held that "wherever the money of any king is current, there the inhabitants acknowledge that king for their lord." Now, by admitting that this was Cæsar's coin, and by consenting to receive it as the current coin of their country, they in fact acknowledged their subjection to his government, and of course their obligation to pay the tribute demanded of them. This answer was full of consummate wisdom, and it completely defeated the insidious designs of his enemies. He avoided rendering himself odious to the Jewish people by opposing their notions of liberty, or appearing to pay court to the emperor, without exposing himself to the charge of sedition and disaffection to the Roman government.
and.
37; 4:10; Da 3:16-18; 6:10,11,20-23; Mal 1:6-8; 3:8-10; Ac 4:19; 5:29
1Pe 2:13-17

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Matthew 22:20
And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?
Matthew 22:21
They say unto him, Cesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Cesar the things which are Cesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.
Matthew 22:22
When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

Read all of Matthew 22

Matthew 22:21 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Dícenle: De César. Y díceles: Pagad pues á César lo que es de César, y á Dios lo que es de Dios.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Ils lui disent: De César. Alors il leur dit: Rendez donc les choses de César à César, et les choses de Dieu à Dieu.
German Elberfelder 1871	Sie sagen zu ihm: Des Kaisers. Da spricht er zu ihnen: Gebet denn dem Kaiser, was des Kaisers ist, und Gott, was Gottes ist.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Dicunt ei: Cæsaris. Tunc ait illis: Reddite ergo quæ sunt Cæsaris, Cæsari: et quæ sunt Dei, Deo.