Keraia
Luke 20

Luke 20:25

Paying Taxes to Caesar · Luke 20:19–26
Read Luke 20

Translations

Modern
So Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
Traditional
And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Cesar the things which be Cesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s.
Literal
And He said to them, “Therefore give back the things of Caesar to Caesar, and the things of God to God.”
Latin
Et ait illis: Reddite ergo quæ sunt Cæsaris, Cæsari: et quæ sunt Dei, Deo.

Original

Greek
English
So Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

Notes

Luke 20:25

Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s: Jesus gave a clever answer. There are two ways to understand this statement. On the surface, he said that the coin belonged to Caesar and should be given to him. But his Jewish listeners also understood that, in the end, nothing truly belongs to Caesar, because everything belongs to God.

Luke 20:20–26

The religious leaders asked this question to trap Jesus, but he answered in a way that avoided their trap.

Luke 20:1–47

In this series of controversies between Jesus and the religious leaders of Jerusalem, they repeatedly questioned and challenged him, and he repeatedly outmatched them with his spiritual wisdom, insight, and authority.

Theme notes and profiles

The Stone the Builders Rejected

Events

Parallels

Matthew 22:15–22 Mark 12:13–17

People

Tiberius: Roman emperor during Jesus' ministry and death

Glossary

Luke, Gospel of Tax, Taxation

Topics

Citizens: Duties of Craftiness: Jews, in Seeking to Entangle the Master Government: Duty of Citizens To Jesus, the Christ: Tested by the Pharisees and the Herodians Law: General Scriptures Concerning Obeying Man's Law Obeying the Law