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Glite Dictionary
to render unto Caesar

to render unto Caesar

1 9.9
Give what you owe to the government, especially taxes
  • idiom
  • Literature
translation icon : dar a César lo que es de César
  • Christ said, "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and unto God that which is God's."
  • said, 'Render unto Caesar'

Examples

  • Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's.

    Iron Man (2008)

  • Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's is often cited when discussing the importance of paying taxes.

  • "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's."

    Risen (2016)

  • So when Jesus says, "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and to God that which is God's," he is not saying some things belong to Caesar and some to God—and we choose which is which.

    Blog text (5)

  • In discussions about civic duty, people often refer to the principle of rendering unto Caesar.

  • When we talk about fulfilling our responsibilities, we must remember to render unto Caesar our civic obligations.

Synonyms

to render
vsto render unto Caesar
53 3.9

To give something to another person or authority, often formally

is about giving what is owed specifically to authorities or for taxes

Antonyms

to keep
∞ 1.0

To continue doing something or stay in the same state

to refuse
716 1.7

To say no to a request or offer

Surface Forms

render unto Caesar infinitive
rendered unto Caesar past
rendered unto Caesar past participle
rendering unto Caesar present participle
renders unto Caesar third person singular

Morphology

render + unto + Caesar

The phrase is directly compositional: 'render' (give) + 'unto' (to) + 'Caesar' (the ruler/authority) straightforwardly yields the sense 'give to the authorities what is due'. Although the wording is archaic and biblical in register, the underlying logic is literal and mirrored in many languages, so a learner who knows the constituents can derive the meaning.

Etymology

Render unto Caesar comes from a story in the Bible where Jesus was asked about paying taxes and pointed to a coin with Caesar's picture, saying 'give to Caesar what is Caesar's'. So the clear image of handing back a coin explains why the phrase means 'to give what is due to those in charge or the government'.