Matthew 21:33-39

Context

The Parable of the Tenants

21:33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner¹ who planted a vineyard.² He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then³ he leased it to tenant farmers⁴ and went on a journey. 21:34 When the harvest time was near, he sent his slaves⁵ to the tenants to collect his portion of the crop.⁶ 21:35 But the tenants seized his slaves, beat one,⁷ killed another, and stoned another. 21:36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them the same way. 21:37 Finally he sent his son to them,⁸ saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 21:38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and get his inheritance!’ 21:39 So⁹ they seized him,¹⁰ threw him out of the vineyard,¹¹ and killed him.

[21:33] ¹tn The term here refers to the owner and manager of a household.

[21:33] ²sn 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.

[21:33] ³tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[21:33] ⁴sn The leasing of land to tenant farmers was common in this period.

[21:34] ⁵tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.

[21:34] ⁶tn Grk “to collect his fruits.”

[21:35] ⁷sn The image of the tenants mistreating the owner’s slaves pictures the nation’s rejection of the prophets and their message.

[21:37] ⁸sn The owner’s decision to send his son represents God sending Jesus.

[21:39] ⁹tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the tenants’ decision to kill the son in v. 38.

[21:39] ¹⁰tn Grk “seizing him.” The participle λαβόντες (labontes) has been translated as attendant circumstance.

[21:39] ¹¹sn Throwing the heir out of the vineyard pictures Jesus’ death outside of Jerusalem.