Very often we hear various proverbs and sayings, but we do not always fully understand their meaning. It is one thing to give a superficial explanation of a statement, as it usually happens in everyday life. And quite another thing is that side of the meaning of what was said, which opens up to us when we begin to delve deeper into the historical meaning of words, their origin and what they could mean before.
For example, everyone knows the expression "God's God's, Caesar's Caesar's." It is usually used when they want to emphasize that each thing should have its place and you should not claim what does not belong to you. Caesar is a historical concept, the meaning of which you will find below.
Biblical meaning of the proverb
The above statement has a biblical origin, as well as a large number of other expressions that we hear in everyday life. Thus, many say these words without knowing who Caesar is. Not everyone knows that this statement is more of an everyday than a philosophical origin. According to the biblical texts, the Pharisees (in the teachings of the earlyChristians, this concept was tantamount to a hypocrite and a hypocrite), the opponents of Christ asked whether it was necessary to pay tribute to the Caesars (Caesar is the Roman emperor), who ruled in Judea.
The hypocrisy of this question, asked by them, is perceived unambiguously. If Jesus said that it was necessary to do this, it would mean that he wanted to sell himself to Rome. And, in turn, if Christ had answered that this was not necessary, then he could safely be declared hostile to official power. Thus, Christ risked whatever answer the Pharisees expected to hear.
However, they did not take into account how the situation could turn and how Jesus would get out of this situation. He took a Roman coin with the image of Caesar Augustus (we remind you that Caesar is an emperor), and gave an answer to the Pharisees in a way that they could not at all expect. Christ asked about whose image is contained on such coins. The Pharisees replied that it was Caesar's. It was in response to this phrase, according to legend, that the famous expression was uttered. Christ said that Caesar must be given what is Caesar's, and what is God's must be given to God.
Value of expression
So, in that situation, Christ's response phrase meant that everything in the world has its place and purpose. And if the one whose title is Caesar reigns on earth, then there is also another world and another sphere of life where other priorities operate. Today, we can interpret this phrase like the well-known expression "to each his own." This is what it means in today's world.corresponds to this statement in Russian.
Who is Caesar?
You can refer to historical information to understand the meaning of this word. Its origins stem from the name given to Julius Caesar. Thus, the Latin letter C in another language or dialect took on the sound of Ts or K. This fact is a natural assimilation, if you look at the situation from the point of view of linguistics.
If you look at the personality of Julius Caesar, you can understand why his name has become a household name. He became famous for the fact that he killed his internal enemies, and after a successful foreign policy, which had a positive impact on the life of the Romans, he was given the title of emperor. In addition, it was Caesar who had the right to lifelong dictatorship, and also the functions of military, judicial and administrative power were concentrated in his hands. After achieving such successes, the name acquired the character of a title. Caesar is not so much a name as a kind of title for rulers who had a similar rank and authority.
The influence of the word "Caesar" on history
There is an opinion that it is from Caesar that the name of the Russian tsars comes. Before the reign of Ivan IV, who is better known as the Terrible, the rulers in the Russian state called themselves the "Grand Duke". However, it was Ivan the Terrible who first began to call himself tsar.
This fact also has an explanation that fits into this concept. Ivan the Terribleconcentrated in his person huge powers in Russia, like Caesar in Rome. This word also influenced the concept of "Kaiser" (the title of the monarch in Germany, which is equated to the emperor).
