When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit.
Parallel translations
- WEB When the season for the fruit came near, he sent his servants to the farmers, to receive his fruit.
- 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.
- NKJV Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.
- NASB And when the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his fruit.
- NLT At the time of the grape harvest, he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop.
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
At harvest the owner sends servants to collect his fruit. They picture the prophets God sent to call Israel to faithfulness.
Overview
The owner's rightful claim to the vineyard's fruit represents God's expectation of righteousness and obedience from His people. The servants stand for the long line of prophets sent throughout Israel's history. The scene anticipates the tragic pattern of how those messengers were received.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Luke 20:10–19At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed.
- Zech 1:3–6So tell the people that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Return to Me, declares the LORD of Hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of Hosts.’
- 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?
- Neh 9:29–30You admonished them to turn back to Your law, but they were arrogant and disobeyed Your commandments. They sinned against Your ordinances, by which a man will live if he practices them. They stubbornly shrugged their shoulders; they stiffened their necks and would not obey.
- Song 8:11–12Solomon had a vineyard in Baal-hamon. He leased it to the tenants. For its fruit, each was to bring a thousand shekels of silver.
- Zech 7:9–13“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Administer true justice. Show loving devotion and compassion to one another.
- Mark 12:2–5At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard.
- Matt 22:3He sent his servants to call those he had invited to the banquet, but they refused to come.
- 2 Kgs 17:13–23Yet through all His prophets and seers, the LORD warned Israel and Judah, saying, “Turn from your wicked ways and keep My commandments and statutes, according to the entire Law that I commanded your fathers and delivered to you through My servants the prophets.”
- 2 Chr 36:15–16Again and again the LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to His people through His messengers because He had compassion on them and on His dwelling place.
- Jer 25:3–7“From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah until this very day—twenty-three years—the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened.
- Jer 35:15Again and again I have sent you all My servants the prophets, proclaiming: ‘Turn now, each of you, from your wicked ways, and correct your actions. Do not go after other gods to serve them. Live in the land that I have given to you and your fathers.’ But you have not inclined your ear or listened to Me.
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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 21:34 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.