Luke 20:25He said to them, "Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
The setting
Jerusalem temple, ~30 AD. Jesus delivers His brilliant response to the tax trap, stunning His opponents. Jerusalem, Israel.
The emotion here: masterful wisdom cutting through deception
The original word
apodidōmi (ἀπόδοτε) — give back, render what is owed, return
Why it matters
This answer satisfied both Roman sympathizers and Jewish nationalists simultaneously
Read with care
What most readers miss in Luke 20:25
Jesus implies humans bear GOD'S image, not Caesar's — we ultimately belong to God
Common misconceptionPeople think this separates church and state completely, but Jesus is actually saying God has ultimate authority over everything, including earthly governments.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Luke 20:25
Bible Genome reading
Luke 20:25 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Luke 20:25 comes from the book of Luke, written during the gospel period. The setting is the Temple. These words are attributed to Jesus. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include authority, obligation. Notable phrases: give to Caesar; give to God. This verse contains a command.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Luke 20:25 mean to you, today?
A short note. A question. A prayer. Saved privately to your Soul Garden, dated, and tied to this verse forever.
Speak your heart →Get 3 verses for "deciding"
Delivered to your inbox right now. Free.