Mark 12:2
in Mark 12At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruits of the vineyard.
KJV
And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.
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This verse in Mark 12
Commentary
11 notes on this verse(ubi sup.) By the servant who was first sent, we must understand Moses, but they beat him, and sent him away empty, because they angered Moses in the tents. (Ps. 106:6)
This site's exposition
he sent to the husbandmen a servant
on Mark 12:2-5
He sent to the husbandmen a servant to receive the fruit, and the tenants beat him and sent him away empty, then wounded a second in the head, then killed a third, a rising pattern of violence against a rising number of messengers. The bench reads the repeated sending as God's own patience across the generations of the prophets, each one refused and some killed outright while the owner keeps sending rather than acting at once. Israel's long history of resisted prophets stands behind every verse of the escalation.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church4 voices
Or, the hedge is the law, which prohibited their mingling with strangers. There follows, And went into a far country. Or else, By the first servant, understand the prophets who lived about the time of Elias, (2 Chron. 18:23.) for Zedekiah the false prophet beat Micaiah; and by the second servant whom they wounded in the head, that is, evil entreated, we may understand the prophets who lived about the time of Hosea and Isaiah; but by the third servant understand the prophets who flourished about the time of Daniel and Ezekiel.
The vineyard signifies the Jewish people, which the Lord planted: "Protect," it is said, "that which Thy right hand hath planted" (Ps. 79:16), and Moses says: "Bring him in and plant him in the mountain of Thine inheritance" (Ex. 15:17). By the "hedge" is understood …
The servants who were sent were the prophets, the fruit of the vineyard is obedience; some of the prophets were beaten, others wounded, others slain. Wherefore it goes on, And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.
And he sent a servant to the tenants at the proper time to receive from the tenants some of the fruit of the vineyard. But they seized him, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. Indeed, he set the time for the fruit, not for …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And at the season he sent unto the husbandman a servant,.... The Evangelist Matthew says, "when the time of the fruit drew near", Mat 21:34; and so the Persic version here reads. The Syriac and Ethiopic versions read, "in its own time", or "season", which was the fourth year from the planting of it; and then it was holy to the Lord; and might not be eaten until the fifth year, Lev 19:
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Many that seem careful to give to men their due, are in no care to give God the glory due to his name; whereas our hearts and best affections are as much due to him as ever rent was to a landlord, or tribute to a prince.
It is sad to think what base usage God's faithful ministers have met with, in all ages, from those that have enjoyed the privileges of the church, and have not brought forth fruit answerable.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
The verses before us contain a historical parable. The history of the Jewish nation, from the day that Israel left Egypt down to the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, is here set before us as in a mirror. Under the figure of the vineyard and the husbandmen, the Lord Jesus tells the story of God's dealings with His people for fifteen hundred years. Let us study it attentively, and apply it to ourselves. Let us observe, in the first place, God's special kindness to the Jewish Church and nation . He gave to them peculiar privileges.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
The verses before us contain a historical parable. The history of the Jewish nation, from the day that Israel left Egypt down to the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, is here set before us as in a mirror. Under the figure of the vineyard and the husbandmen, the Lord Jesus tells the story of God's dealings with His people for fifteen hundred years. Let us study it attentively, and apply it to ourselves. Let us observe, in the first place, God's special kindness to the Jewish Church and nation . He gave to them peculiar privileges. He dealt with them as a man deals with a piece of land which he separates and hedges in for "a vineyard." He gave them good laws and ordinances. He planted them in a goodly land, and cast out seven nations before them. He passed by greater and mightier nations to show them favor. He let alone Egypt, and Assyria, and Greece, and Rome, and showered down mercies on a few million people in Palestine. The vineyard of the Lord was the house of Israel. No family under heaven ever received so many signal and distinguishing privileges as the family of Abraham. And we too, who live in Great Britain, can we say that we have received no special mercies from God? We cannot say so. Why are we not a heathen country, like China? Why are we not a land of idolaters, like Hindostan? We owe it all to the distinguishing favor of God. It is not for our goodness and worthiness, but of God's free grace, that England is what England is among the nations of the earth. Let us be thankful for our mercies, and know the hand from which they come. Let us not be high-minded, but humble, lest we provoke God to take our mercies away. If Israel had peculiar national privileges, so also has England. Let Englishmen mark this well, and take heed lest that which happened to Israel should happen also to them.
The words behind it
18 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἀπέστειλεν | apesteilen | he sent | G649 → | 132 times |
| πρὸς | pros | to | G4314 → | 700 times |
| τοὺς | tous | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γεωργοὺς | georgous | farmers | G1092 → | 19 times |
| τῷ | to | at the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| καιρῷ | kairo | due time | G2540 → | 84 times |
| δοῦλον | doulon | a servant | G1401 → | 129 times |
| ἵνα | ina | that | G2443 → | 668 times |
| παρὰ | para | from | G3844 → | 192 times |
| τῶν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γεωργῶν | georgon | farmers | G1092 → | 19 times |
| λάβῃ | labe | he may receive | G2983 → | 257 times |
| ἀπὸ | apo | from | G575 → | 640 times |
| τῶν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| καρπῶν | karpon | fruits | G2590 → | 66 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀμπελῶνος. | ampelonos | vineyard. | G290 → | 23 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀπέστειλενhe sent
apesteilenG649 →132 times
πρὸςto
prosG4314 →700 times
τοὺςthe
tousG3588 →19766 times
γεωργοὺςfarmers
georgousG1092 →19 times
τῷat the
toG3588 →19766 times
καιρῷdue time
kairoG2540 →84 times
δοῦλονa servant
doulonG1401 →129 times
ἵναthat
inaG2443 →668 times
παρὰfrom
paraG3844 →192 times
τῶνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
γεωργῶνfarmers
georgonG1092 →19 times
λάβῃhe may receive
labeG2983 →257 times
ἀπὸfrom
apoG575 →640 times
τῶνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
καρπῶνfruits
karponG2590 →66 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
ἀμπελῶνος.vineyard.
ampelonosG290 →23 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 1:3He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 17:8
He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It does not…
- Ezekiel 47:12
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of all kinds will grow. Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. Each month they will bear fruit, because the water from…
- Psalms 92:14
In old age they will still bear fruit; healthy and green they will remain,
- John 15:6
If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.
- Ezekiel 19:10
Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches because of the abundant waters.
- Jeremiah 17:8
Through
Jeremiah 44:4Yet I sent you all My servants the prophets again and again, saying: ‘Do not do this detestable thing that I hate.’
it leads to
- Jeremiah 26:5
and if you do not listen to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I have sent you again and again even though you did not listen,
- Jeremiah 7:25
From the day your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets again and again.
- Jeremiah 26:5
Through
Luke 20:10At 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.
it leads to
- Nehemiah 9:26
But they were disobedient and rebelled against You; they flung Your law behind their backs. They killed Your prophets, who had admonished them to return to You. They committed terrible blasphemies.
- Nehemiah 9:26
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Mark
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bede, On the Gospel of Mark; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Pseudo-Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark.