Mark 11:27--12:12

Context

The Authority of Jesus

11:27 They came again to Jerusalem.¹ While Jesus² was walking in the temple courts,³ the chief priests, the experts in the law,⁴ and the elders came up to him 11:28 and said, “By what authority⁵ are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?” 11:29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question. Answer me and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: 11:30 John’s baptism – was it from heaven or from people?⁶ Answer me.” 11:31 They discussed with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 11:32 But if we say, ‘From people – ’” (they feared the crowd, for they all considered John to be truly a prophet). 11:33 So⁷ they answered Jesus,⁸ “We don’t know.”⁹ Then Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you¹⁰ by what authority¹¹ I am doing these things.”

The Parable of the Tenants

12:1 Then¹² he began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard.¹³ He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then¹⁴ he leased it to tenant farmers¹⁵ and went on a journey. 12:2 At harvest time he sent a slave¹⁶ to the tenants to collect from them¹⁷ his portion of the crop.¹⁸ 12:3 But¹⁹ those tenants²⁰ seized his slave,²¹ beat him,²² and sent him away empty-handed.²³ 12:4 So²⁴ he sent another slave to them again. This one they struck on the head and treated outrageously. 12:5 He sent another, and that one they killed. This happened to many others, some of whom were beaten, others killed. 12:6 He had one left, his one dear son.²⁵ Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 12:7 But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and the inheritance will be ours!’ 12:8 So²⁶ they seized him,²⁷ killed him, and threw his body²⁸ out of the vineyard.²⁹ 12:9 What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy³⁰ those tenants and give the vineyard to others.³¹ 12:10 Have you not read this scripture:

‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.³²

12:11 This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”³³

12:12 Now³⁴ they wanted to arrest him (but they feared the crowd), because they realized that he told this parable against them. So³⁵ they left him and went away.³⁶

[11:27] ¹map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[11:27] ²tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:27] ³tn Grk “the temple.”

[11:27] ⁴tn Or “the chief priests, the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.

[11:28] ⁵tn On this phrase, see BDAG 844 s.v. ποῖος 2.a.γ.

[11:30] ⁶tn The plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) is probably used here (and in v. 32) in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NAB, NRSV, “of human origin”; TEV, “from human beings”; NLT, “merely human”).

[11:33] ⁷tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

[11:33] ⁸tn Grk “answering, they said to Jesus.” The participle ἀποκριθέντες (apokriqentes) is redundant, but the syntax of the phrase has been modified to conform to English style.

[11:33] ⁹sn Very few questions could have so completely revealed the wicked intentions of the religious leaders. Jesus’ question revealed the motivation of the religious leaders and exposed them for what they really were – hypocrites. They indicted themselves when they cited only two options and chose neither of them (“We do not know”). The point of Mark 11:27-33 is that no matter what Jesus said in response to their question they were not going to believe it and would in the end use it against him.

[11:33] ¹⁰sn Neither will I tell you. Though Jesus gave no answer, the analogy he used to their own question makes his view clear. His authority came from heaven.

[11:33] ¹¹tn On this phrase, see BDAG 844 s.v. ποῖος 2.a.γ. This is exactly the same phrase as in v. 28.

[12:1] ¹²tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[12:1] ¹³sn The vineyard is a figure for Israel in the OT (Isa 5:1-7). The nation and its leaders are the tenants, so the vineyard here may well refer to the promise that resides within the nation. The imagery is like that in Rom 11:11-24.

[12:1] ¹⁴tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[12:1] ¹⁵sn The leasing of land to tenant farmers was common in this period.

[12:2] ¹⁶tn See the note on the word “slave” in 10:44.

[12:2] ¹⁷tn Grk “from the tenants,” but this is redundant in English, so the pronoun (“them”) was used in the translation.

[12:2] ¹⁸tn Grk “from the fruits of the vineyard.”

[12:3] ¹⁹tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[12:3] ²⁰tn Grk “But they”; the referent (the tenants, v. 1) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:3] ²¹tn Grk “seizing him, they beat and sent away empty-handed.” The referent of the direct object of “seizing” (the slave sent by the owner) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The objects of the verbs “beat” and “sent away” have been supplied in the translation to conform to English style. Greek often omits direct objects when they are clear from the context.

[12:3] ²²sn The image of the tenants beating up the owner’s slave pictures the nation’s rejection of the prophets and their message.

[12:3] ²³sn The slaves being sent empty-handed suggests that the vineyard was not producing any fruit – and thus neither was the nation of Israel.

[12:4] ²⁴tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the tenants’ mistreatment of the first slave.

[12:6] ²⁵tn Grk “one beloved son.” See comment at Mark 1:11.

[12:8] ²⁶tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

[12:8] ²⁷tn Grk “seizing him.” The participle λαβόντες (labontes) has been translated as attendant circumstance.

[12:8] ²⁸tn Grk “him.”

[12:8] ²⁹sn Throwing the heir’s body out of the vineyard pictures Jesus’ death outside of Jerusalem.

[12:9] ³⁰sn The statement that the owner will come and destroy those tenants is a promise of judgment; see Luke 13:34-35; 19:41-44.

[12:9] ³¹sn The warning that the owner would give the vineyard to others suggests that the care of the promise and the nation’s hope would be passed to others. This eventually looks to Gentile inclusion; see Eph 2:11-22.

[12:10] ³²tn Or “capstone,” “keystone.” Although these meanings are lexically possible, the imagery in Eph 2:20-22 and 1 Cor 3:11 indicates that the term κεφαλὴ γωνίας (kefalh gwnia") refers to a cornerstone, not a capstone.

[12:11] ³³sn A quotation from Ps 118:22-23.

[12:12] ³⁴tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to introduce a somewhat parenthetical remark by the author.

[12:12] ³⁵tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

[12:12] ³⁶sn The point of the parable in Mark 12:1-12 is that the leaders of the nation have been rejected by God and the vineyard (v. 9, referring to the nation and its privileged status) will be taken from them and given to others (an allusion to the Gentiles).