Then the man went to the second son and told him the same thing. ‘I will, sir,’ he said. But he did not go.
Parallel translations
- WEB He came to the second, and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but he didn’t go.
- KJV And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
- NKJV Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go.
- NASB And the man came to his second son and said the same thing; and he replied, ‘I will, sir’; and yet he did not go.
- NLT Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go.
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 second son politely agrees but never goes. He represents those who profess obedience yet never truly follow God.
Overview
This son's courteous 'I go, sir' masks a heart that has no intention of obeying. He pictures the religious leaders, outwardly respectful of God yet refusing the repentance John demanded. The contrast warns that verbal assent without obedience is worthless in God's sight.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Titus 1:16They profess to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.
- Ezek 33:31So My people come to you as usual, sit before you, and hear your words; but they do not put them into practice. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue dishonest gain.
- Matt 23:3So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
- Rom 2:17–25Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 21:30 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.