| 25. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the narrative marker ho de eipen {ὁ δὲ εἶπεν | ho dè eî-pen} ‘but He said’, which introduces an authoritative response and contrasts with the preceding dialogue. The prepositional phrase pros autous {πρὸς αὐτούς | prós au-toús} ‘to them’ explicitly marks the dialogue participants. The inferential particle toinun {Τοίνυν | toî-nun} ‘therefore’ signals that what follows is a logical conclusion drawn from the interlocutors’ answer about the coin. The aorist imperative apodote {ἀπόδοτε | apó-do-te} ‘give back’ conveys a decisive, comprehensive command rather than an ongoing process. The two coordinated accusative phrases ta Kaisaros Kaisari {τὰ Καίσαρος Καίσαρι | tà Kaísar-os Kaísar-i} and ta tou theou tō theō {τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τῷ θεῷ | tà toû the-oû tôi the-ō} form a balanced, parallel structure: each begins with the neuter plural article ta functioning substantivally (‘the things’), followed by a genitive of possession (Kaisaros, theou) and then a corresponding dative (Kaisari, theō) indicating the rightful recipient. This parallelism sharply distinguishes responsibilities toward imperial authority from those owed directly to God, while the shared syntax suggests that both obligations are real, though not equal. In translation, the possessive nuance of the genitives is rendered with “the things that are Caesar’s” and “the things that are God’s” or “what belongs to,” preserving both the structure and the emphasis on proper ownership and due return. |