“But when the tenant farmers saw his son coming, they said to one another, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Come on, let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’
Parallel translations
- WEB But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and seize his inheritance.’
- 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.’
- NKJV But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’
- NASB But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let’s kill him and take possession of his inheritance!’
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 tenants plot to kill the heir to seize his inheritance. This foretells the leaders' conspiracy to put Jesus to death.
Overview
The tenants' scheming reveals deliberate, willful rebellion against the owner's rightful claim. Recognizing the son as the heir, they choose murder out of greed for what is not theirs. Jesus prophetically describes the religious leaders' own plot against Him, exposing the malice behind their opposition.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Luke 20:14“But when the farmers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’
- Gen 37:18–20They saw him afar off, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him.
- Mark 12:7–8But those farmers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
- Heb 1:2has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds.
- Matt 26:3–4Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas.
- Acts 4:27–28“For truly, in this city against your holy servant, Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together
- John 11:47–53The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, “What are we doing? For this man does many signs.
- Ps 2:2–8The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers take counsel together, against Yahweh, and against his Anointed, saying,
- Matt 2:13–16Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.”
- Acts 5:24–28Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these words, they were very perplexed about them and what might become of this.
- Matt 27:1–2Now when morning had come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:
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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 21:38 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
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