MAT 21:33-46

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

33Jesus said: "Hear another parable. There was a master of a household who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower, and leased it to tenant farmers and went away.

34When the appointed season of the fruit drew near, he sent his slaves to the tenant farmers to receive his fruits.

35And the tenant farmers, seizing his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned another.

36Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they did the same to them.

37Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will feel shame before my son.'

38But when the tenant farmers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take his inheritance.'

39And they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

40When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenant farmers?"

41They said to him, "He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and lease the vineyard to other tenant farmers who will give him the fruits in their appointed seasons."

42Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this came from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?

43Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people producing its fruits.

44And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him."

45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they recognized that he was speaking about them.

46And while they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because the crowds held him to be a prophet.

In the world it was spoken into

In 1st-century Judea, landownership and tenant farming were central to the agrarian economy. Wealthy landowners often leased vineyards to tenants, who were expected to pay a portion of the harvest as rent. This parable reflects this system but subverts expectations. The vineyard owner’s actions—planting, fencing, digging a winepress, and building a tower—mirror Isaiah 5:1-7, where the vineyard symbolizes Israel. The owner’s repeated sending of servants (, slaves) and finally his son reflects the honor-shame dynamics of Roman patronage. Slaves were extensions of their master’s authority, and harming them was a direct affront to the owner. The tenants’ escalating violence—beating, killing, and stoning—reveals their rejection of the owner’s claims. The son’s arrival would have signaled the owner’s ultimate authority, but the tenants’ murder of him underscores their defiance. For Jewish listeners, this parable would evoke prophetic critiques of Israel’s leaders and their failure to steward God’s vineyard. For Roman listeners, it would highlight the audacity of rejecting a patron’s authority.

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How other translations render this

MAT 21:33

KJV: Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
BSB: Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey.
Koinōnos: Jesus said: "Hear another parable. There was a master of a household who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower, and leased it to tenant farmers and went away.

MAT 21:34

KJV: And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
BSB: When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit.
Koinōnos: When the appointed season of the fruit drew near, he sent his slaves to the tenant farmers to receive his fruits.

MAT 21:35

KJV: And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
BSB: But the tenants seized his servants. They beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.
Koinōnos: And the tenant farmers, seizing his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned another.

MAT 21:36

KJV: Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
BSB: Again, he sent other servants, more than the first group. But the tenants did the same to them.
Koinōnos: Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they did the same to them.

MAT 21:37

KJV: But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
BSB: Finally, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
Koinōnos: Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will feel shame before my son.

MAT 21:38

KJV: But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.
BSB: But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take his inheritance.’
Koinōnos: But when the tenant farmers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take his inheritance.

MAT 21:39

KJV: And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
BSB: So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
Koinōnos: And they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

MAT 21:40

KJV: When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
BSB: Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard returns, what will he do to those tenants?”
Koinōnos: When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenant farmers?

MAT 21:41

KJV: They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
BSB: “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and will rent out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his share of the fruit at harvest time.”
Koinōnos: They said to him, "He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and lease the vineyard to other tenant farmers who will give him the fruits in their appointed seasons.

MAT 21:42

KJV: Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
BSB: Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
Koinōnos: Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this came from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?

MAT 21:43

KJV: Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
BSB: Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
Koinōnos: Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people producing its fruits.

MAT 21:44

KJV: And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
BSB: He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”
Koinōnos: And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.

MAT 21:45

KJV: And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.
BSB: When the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they knew that Jesus was speaking about them.
Koinōnos: When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they recognized that he was speaking about them.

MAT 21:46

KJV: But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.
BSB: Although they wanted to arrest Him, they were afraid of the crowds, because the people regarded Him as a prophet.
Koinōnos: And while they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because the crowds held him to be a prophet.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

MAT 21:33

a vineyard:The word translated 'a vineyard' here refers to a cultivated plot of land, often for grapes, but also for other crops, implying significant investment and care.

MAT 21:34

season:The word translated 'season' refers to a specific, opportune, or appointed time, not just any period of time. It implies a critical moment for action or fulfillment.
servants:The word translated 'servants' here specifically means 'slaves' in the ancient world, indicating a person who was the property of another and entirely subject to their will.

MAT 21:37

They will respect:The phrase translated 'They will respect' carries the stronger sense of feeling shame or awe in the presence of someone, implying a deep reverence or even fear that compels proper behavior.