Luke 20:14

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants · Luke 20:9–18
Read Luke 20

Translations

Modern
But when the tenants saw the son, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
Traditional
But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.
Literal
But having seen him, the farmers were reasoning with one another, saying, ‘This is the heir; let us kill him, so that the inheritance might become ours.’
Latin
Quem cum vidissent coloni, cogitaverunt intra se, dicentes: Hic est hæres, occidamus illum, ut nostra fiat hæreditas.

Original

Greek
English
But when the tenants saw the son, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’

Notes

Let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours: They believed that killing the heir would give them power over the estate. They foolishly failed to realize that the owner was still alive and would demand justice. Similarly, the religious leaders thought that they could keep their authority over the people of Israel by killing Jesus.

This story adapts Isaiah’s Song of the Vineyard (Isaiah 5:1–7) to describe the rejection of Jesus by Israel’s leaders. In Isaiah’s story, the vineyard owner represents God, and the vineyard represents Israel, which failed to produce good fruit and would be judged.

Jesus added new characters to the story. The tenant farmers represent Israel’s unrighteous leaders, the servants represent the Old Testament prophets who were repeatedly rejected, and the son represents Jesus. God would judge Israel’s leaders for rejecting and killing his Son.

In this series of controversies between Jesus and the religious leaders of Jerusalem, they repeatedly questioned and challenged him, and he repeatedly outmatched them with his spiritual wisdom, insight, and authority.

Events

Parallels

Matthew 21:33–46 Mark 12:1–12

Glossary

Heir Inheritance Luke, Gospel of Scribe Vines, Vineyard

Topics

Capital and Labor: Strife Between Debtor: Unclassified Scriptures Relating To God: Longsuffering of Instruction in Religion Jesus, the Christ: Parable of The Evil Sharecroppers Jesus, the Christ: Rejected Jesus, the Christ: The Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen (In Jerusalem) Land: Leased Lease of Real Estate Malfeasance in office: The Leasees of the Vineyard, in One of the Parables of Jesus Renting: Land Reproof: Faithfulness In of the Vineyard