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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mar_12:1-11
1And He began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard and put a wall around it, and dug a vat under the wine press and built a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey. 2At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, in order to receive some of the produce of the vineyard from the vine-growers. 3They took him, and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4Again he sent them another slave, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. 5And he sent another, and that one they killed; and so with many others, beating some and killing others. 6He had one more to send, a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 7But those vine-growers said to one another, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!' 8They took him, and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. 9What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine-growers, and will give the vineyard to others. 10Have you not even read this Scripture: 'The stone which the builders rejected, This became the chief corner stone; 11This came about from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes'?"
Mar_12:1 "to speak to them in parables" "Them" refers directly to the representatives from the Sanhedrin (cf. Mar_11:27), but indirectly to the large crowd.
This whole chapter is a series of questions from the religious leaders:
1. from the Sanhedrin (Mar_11:27 to Mar_12:12)
2. from the Pharisees and Herodians (Mar_12:13-17)
3. from the Sadducees (Mar_12:18-27)
4. from a scribe (Mar_12:28-34)
5. from Jesus (Mar_11:29-33; Mar_12:9; Mar_12:35-37)
▣ "'planted a vineyard and put a wall around it, and dug a vat under the wine press and built a tower'" This is a quote from the Septuagint of Isa_5:1-2. The grapevine was one of the symbols for the nation of Israel (as was the fig tree in Mar_11:12-14; Mar_11:20-25). Isaiah 5 uses a vineyard folk song to address Israel. Matthew includes several other parables that also address the nation of Israel (cf. Mat_22:1-14). It is hard to determine whether God rejected
1. Israel's illegal, non-Aaronicc leaders
2. her self-righteous, judgmental legalism
3. the unbelief of the nation as a whole. Israel, with all her covenantal privileges (cf. Rom_9:4-5), was also held responsible for the Mosaic covenant responsibilities (cf. Deuteronomy 27-28)
It is striking how different Isaiah 5's procedure in describing God's free and available love for all who would come is compared to the stringency and violence of these tenant farmers in this parable.
Mar_12:2 "'At the harvest time'" Usually it took at least five years for grapevines to begin to produce at commercial levels. The owner expected to participate in his investment.
Mar_12:2; Mar_12:4-6 "'sent'" God attempted to communicate by sending several representatives, even His own son. This represents the longsuffering of God and His desire to establish a covenantal relationship.
Mar_12:2; Mar_12:4-5 "'a slave'" These slaves represent the OT prophets. Matthew, as is characteristic, has two slaves (cf. Mat_21:34). This text clearly shows how Matthew combines Mark's account of several slaves one at a time into one occurrence.
Mar_12:3 "'beat'" This refers to a severe beating. It literally means "to skin" or "to flay" (cf. Mar_13:9).
Mar_12:4 "'wounded him in the head'" This refers to being repeatedly struck on the head. It shows the abuse suffered by those who represented God and spoke for Him (i.e., the OT prophets) to His rebellious covenant people.
▣ "'and treated him shamefully'" This is a verbal form of the name Timothy, which means "honor" or "worth" with the alpha privative. It connotes "to treat with contempt" or "total disrespect" (cf. Jas_2:6).
Mar_12:5 Why did God send servant after servant? God created humanity for a purpose—fellowship with Himself. He wants to establish a people like Himself, but they/we will not. Yet, God tries again and again to reach us! He has a "love that will not let go" for His creation.
Mar_12:6 "'He had one more to send, a beloved son'" This obviously refers to Jesus. This same phrase is used by the Father at Jesus' baptism (Mat_1:11; Mat_3:17) and transfiguration (Mar_9:7; Mat_17:5). This same truth is seen in Joh_3:16 and Heb_1:1-2. It is a combination of a Royal Psalm (i.e., Mar_2:7) and a Suffering Servant passage (i.e., Isa_42:1).
Mar_12:7 "'and the inheritance will be ours'" This refers legally to the Jewish law of "ownerless property" that could be claimed by right of possession. It reflects mankind's fallen attitude of "more and more for me at any cost." Humanity wants to be its own god (cf. Genesis 3).
Mar_12:8 "'threw him out of the vineyard'" Improper burial shows the tenant's complete contempt for the owner and his son!
The Gospel parallels describe the sequence as they threw the son out of the vineyard and then killed him (cf. Mat_21:39; Luk_19:15). This was probably to identify further with Jesus' death outside of the city walls of Jerusalem.
Mar_12:9 This verse shows God's response toward those who killed His only Son. In Mark's Gospel Jesus asks the crowd a question. This reflects Isa_5:3-4, where the prophet asks a question. The hearers are condemned out of their own mouths (i.e., Mat_21:41). God will hold all conscious creation accountable for the gift of life. We will reap what we sow (cf. Mar_4:21-25; Mat_13:12; Mat_25:14-30; Gal_6:7).
▣ "will give the vineyard to others" The "others" seems to refer to the church, made up of believing Jews and Gentiles (cf. Eph_2:11 to Eph_3:13).
Mar_12:10 "'Have you not even read this Scripture'" This is Jesus' introduction to a verse that was used every year in their processionals welcoming pilgrims into Jerusalem (i.e., Psa_118:22-23). This question is a recurrent theme in the NT (cf. Mat_21:42; Luk_20:17; Act_4:11; Rom_9:32-33; 1Pe_2:7). It explains the problem of how Israel could miss her Messiah (cf. Romans 9-11). This statement was a slap in the face to the very ones who claimed to know the Scriptures!
▣ "stone" This is a quote of Psa_118:22-23 from the Septuagint. In rabbinical writings, this stone referred to Abraham, David, or the Messiah (cf. Dan_2:34-35). This same Psalm was quoted as part of the Hallel Psalms, used to welcome the pilgrims coming to Jerusalem for the Passover.
▣ "builders" In rabbinic writing this term referred to the scribes. The comments Jesus added are recorded in Mat_21:43-44. Notice here the builders are condemned for missing the most important truth: Jesus is the promised Messiah.
▣ "'the chief corner stone'" The metaphor of the Messiah as a stone comes from several OT usages.
1. YHWH's strength and stability (cf. Psa_18:1-2)
2. Daniel's vision in chapter 2 (cf. Dan_2:34-35; Dan_2:48)
3. the building component which either
a. starts the building (i.e., cornerstone)
b. holds the weight of the building (i.e., center stone or keystone in the arch)
c. finishes the building (i.e., top stone or cap stone)
The building refers metaphorically to the people of God, the true temple (cf. 1Co_3:16-17; 2Co_6:16; Eph_2:19-22).
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Mar_12:11 This verse implies that everything which occurred in the rejection and death of Jesus was foreknown and prophesied (cf. Isa_53:10; Luk_22:22; Act_2:23; Act_3:18; Act_4:28; 1Pe_1:20).