render unto Caesar
verbEtymology 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)
1
Idiomatic To give (something) to one's state or government, especially in the form of a tax payment.
- [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:
1 more example
- 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: