‘What shall I do?’ asked the owner of the vineyard. ‘I will send my beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him.’
Parallel translations
- WEB The lord of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. It may be that seeing him, they will respect him.’
- KJV Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him.
- NKJV “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.’
- NASB Now the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What am I to do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’
- NLT “‘What will I do?’ the owner asked himself. ‘I know! I’ll send my cherished son. Surely they will respect him.’
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The owner resolves to send his beloved son, hoping the tenants will respect him. God's final messenger is his own Son.
Overview
The "beloved son" clearly points to Jesus, echoing the Father's words at his baptism (3:22). The sending of the son marks God's climactic and costly appeal to his people. The verse reveals both the dignity of Christ and the depth of God's gracious initiative toward sinners.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Matt 3:17And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”
- John 3:16–17For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
- Jer 36:3Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about all the calamity I plan to bring upon them, each of them will turn from his wicked way. Then I will forgive their iniquity and their sin.”
- Jer 36:7Perhaps they will bring their petition before the LORD, and each one will turn from his wicked way; for great are the anger and fury that the LORD has pronounced against this people.”
- 1 Jn 4:9–15This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.
- Luke 9:35And a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, whom I have chosen. Listen to Him!”
- John 1:34I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”
- Hos 6:4What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? For your loyalty is like a morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes.
- Hos 11:8How could I give you up, O Ephraim? How could I surrender you, O Israel? How could I make you like Admah? How could I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned within Me; My compassion is stirred!
- Isa 5:4What more could I have done for My vineyard than I already did for it? Why, when I expected sweet grapes, did it bring forth sour fruit?
- Rom 8:3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh,
- Gal 4:4But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
- Matt 17:5While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”
- John 3:35–36The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in His hands.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 20:13 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.