render unto Caesar

verb

To give (something) to one's state or government, especially in the form of a tax payment.

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Meanings

verbrender unto Caesar (third-person singular simple present renders unto Caesar, present participle rendering unto Caesar, simple past and past participle rendered unto Caesar)

present singular third person renders unto Caesar · participle present rendering unto Caesar · participle past rendered unto Caesar · past rendered unto Caesar

  1. idiomaticTo give (something) to one's state or government, especially in the form of a tax payment.

    They fear that trying to find the homeless homes translates into raising the taxes they must render unto Caesar.

    2008 January 21, Sarah Vowell, “Radical love gets a holiday”, in New York Times, retrieved 01 Jul 2016
    2 more examples

    [S]he . . . made a note to suggest that her client ease some of the last quarter's profits into tax-free bonds. Render unto Caesar, sure, she thought, but not one damn penny more than necessary.

    1997, Nora Roberts, Holding the Dream, →ISBN

    Still, the ideal solution, I think, would be to render unto Caesar an affirmation of flag and country but to keep God in our hearts.

    2002 July 1, Lance Morrow, “God Knows What the Court Was Thinking”, in Time, retrieved 01 Jul 2016

Origin

From the Holy Bible (Matthew, 22:21): Then he said to them, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.” (KJV; spelling modernized)

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ἀπόδοτε οὖν τὰ Καίσαρος Καίσαρι καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ Θεῷ
  • ἀπόδοτε οὖν τὰ Καίσαρος Καίσαρι καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ Θεῷ (apódote oûn tà Kaísaros Kaísari kaì tà toû Theoû tōî Theōî)to give (something) to one's state or government, especially in the form of a tax payment
French rendre à César ce qui est à César
  • rendre à César ce qui est à Césarto give (something) to one's state or government, especially in the form of a tax payment
German gebt dem Kaiser, was des Kaisers ist
  • gebt dem Kaiser, was des Kaisers istto give (something) to one's state or government, especially in the form of a tax payment
Hindi जो क़ैसर का है, उसे क़ैसर को दो
  • जो क़ैसर का है, उसे क़ैसर को दो (jo qaisar kā hai, use qaisar ko do)to give (something) to one's state or government, especially in the form of a tax payment
Hungarian adjátok meg a császárnak, ami a császáré
  • adjátok meg a császárnak, ami a császáréto give (something) to one's state or government, especially in the form of a tax payment
Japanese 皇帝のものは皇帝に
  • 皇帝のものは皇帝に (kōtei no mono wa kōtei ni)to give (something) to one's state or government, especially in the form of a tax payment
Portuguese dai a César o que é de César
  • dai a César o que é de Césarto give (something) to one's state or government, especially in the form of a tax payment
Spanish dar a César lo que es de César
  • dar a César lo que es de Césarto give (something) to one's state or government, especially in the form of a tax payment
Cite this entry
APA

render unto Caesar. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/render%20unto%20Caesar

MLA

“render unto Caesar.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/render%20unto%20Caesar. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “render unto Caesar,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/render%20unto%20Caesar.

Source: render unto Caesar on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.