Luke 20:11 kjv
And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.
Luke 20:11 nkjv
Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.
Luke 20:11 niv
He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed.
Luke 20:11 esv
And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.
Luke 20:11 nlt
So the owner sent another servant, but they also insulted him, beat him up, and sent him away empty-handed.
Luke 20 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 21:35 | "The tenants seized his servants, beat one, killed another..." | Parallel parable highlighting rejection of servants/prophets. |
| Mark 12:4 | "Again he sent him another servant; and him they wounded in the head..." | Parallel parable, escalating violence against servants. |
| Lk 20:10 | "he sent a servant... but the vinedressers beat him..." | Immediate context, first servant also beaten and sent away. |
| 2 Chr 36:15-16 | "The LORD... sent messengers again and again... but they mocked..." | God's continuous sending of prophets despite rejection. |
| Neh 9:26 | "They were disobedient and rebelled... and killed Your prophets..." | Israel's historical pattern of killing God's prophets. |
| Jer 7:25-26 | "Since the day that your fathers came forth... I have sent to you all My servants the prophets... yet they did not obey." | God's persistent sending and Israel's disobedience. |
| Jer 25:4-7 | "The LORD has sent to you all His servants the prophets... but you have not listened..." | Another witness to God's warnings through prophets being ignored. |
| Matt 23:31-36 | "you are sons of those who murdered the prophets... upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth..." | Jesus' denunciation of Jewish leaders for inheriting rejection of prophets. |
| Acts 7:51-53 | "You always resist the Holy Spirit... which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?" | Stephen's accusation echoing Israel's history of persecuting prophets. |
| 1 Thes 2:15 | "who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us..." | Paul's similar charge against those who persecuted God's messengers. |
| Heb 11:36-38 | "others endured mockings and floggings, and even chains and imprisonment... tortured, sawn in two..." | Suffering and persecution endured by God's messengers/prophets. |
| Isa 5:1-7 | "My beloved had a vineyard... and he looked for good grapes, but it yielded only wild grapes." | The "Song of the Vineyard" identifying Israel as God's vineyard, failing to produce fruit. |
| Jer 2:30 | "In vain have I struck your children; they received no instruction..." | God's judgment/correction of Israel not leading to repentance. |
| Zech 1:4-6 | "Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed..." | Call to repentance by remembering past generations' failure to listen to prophets. |
| Gal 4:2-3 | "but is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father." | Analogy of a son inheriting, implying "vinedressers" were stewards, not owners. |
| Lk 13:6-9 | "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none." | Parable of barren fig tree, theme of expecting fruit and patience. |
| Rom 2:4 | "Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?" | God's long-suffering and patience in sending messengers. |
| 2 Pet 3:9 | "The Lord is not slow... but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish..." | Emphasizes God's patience, giving opportunity for repentance. |
| Rev 11:7 | "When they finish their testimony, the beast... will attack them and conquer them and kill them." | Prophets/witnesses continually face persecution. |
| Matt 21:43 | "Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you..." | The consequence of the vinedressers' rejection: judgment and kingdom transfer. |
Luke 20 verses
Luke 20 11 Meaning
Luke 20:11 describes the second servant sent by the vineyard owner to the wicked tenants. Like the first, this servant was severely mistreated—beaten, dishonored, and sent away with nothing for the owner. This action reveals the increasing depravity and resistance of the tenants to the owner's rightful demands for fruit from his vineyard. Allegorically, it signifies God's persistent sending of prophets to Israel, only for them to be continually rejected, abused, and sent back without the spiritual "fruit" of repentance and obedience from the religious leadership.
Luke 20 11 Context
The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers (Luke 20:9-19) is narrated by Jesus immediately after His authority is challenged by the chief priests, scribes, and elders in the temple (Luke 20:1-8). This confrontation sets the stage for Jesus' allegory, which directly addresses the Jewish religious leaders who questioned Him. The parable draws on the Old Testament imagery of Israel as God's vineyard (e.g., Is 5:1-7; Ps 80:8-16), and the tenants represent the religious authorities tasked with caring for God's people. The servants sent by the owner symbolize the succession of prophets whom God had sent throughout Israel's history. Verse 11 continues to demonstrate the escalating hostility of these leaders towards God's messengers, foreshadowing their ultimate rejection of Jesus Himself, the owner's beloved Son. Historically, Israel had a pattern of resisting, persecuting, and even killing the prophets sent to call them to repentance. The parable serves as a sharp critique and a prophetic warning to the current religious leaders of Jesus' day, revealing their unfaithfulness and foreshadowing the consequences.
Luke 20 11 Word analysis
- And again he sent: (καὶ πάλιν ἀπέστειλεν, kai palin apesteilen).
- And again (palin): Denotes repetition and continued effort. This emphasizes the owner's remarkable patience and perseverance despite the prior failure. It highlights God's continuous outreach to Israel.
- he sent (apesteilen): From apostellō, meaning to send off, send away, or send on a mission. It carries a sense of authority and purpose behind the sending. It reiterates the divine initiative.
- another servant: (ἕτερον δοῦλον, heteron doulon).
- another (heteron): Implies "another of a different kind" but here it primarily functions to mean "another in succession," further emphasizing the owner's renewed attempt with a different messenger.
- servant (doulon): Literally "slave" or "bond-servant." This term highlights the subordinate status of the messenger to the owner and their absolute dedication to fulfilling the owner's will. These represent the faithful prophets of God in the Old Testament.
- and they beat him also: (οἱ δὲ καὶ τοῦτον ἐδείραν, hoi de kai touton edeiran).
- they (hoi de): Refers to the tenants, specifically highlighting their agency and shared culpability in the ill-treatment.
- beat (edeiran): From derō, which means "to flay," "to skin," or "to flog severely." This is a strong word, suggesting extreme and painful physical abuse, possibly worse than the "beating" (v. 10, deiro) of the first servant, or at least a repeated, harsh flogging. It shows an escalation of violence and malice.
- also (kai touton): Signifies that the ill-treatment was not an isolated incident but a consistent pattern of hostility directed at every messenger sent.
- and treated him shamefully: (καὶ ἀτιμάσαντες ἀπέστειλαν, kai atimasantes apesteilan).
- treated... shamefully (atimasantes): From atimazō, meaning "to dishonor," "to disgrace," "to insult," or "to treat with contempt." This suggests not just physical violence but an intentional act of public humiliation and degradation. The intent was to strip the messenger of their dignity and discredit their authority.
- sent him away (apesteilan): Again, the verb apostellō. Here, it denotes dismissal after abuse, highlighting that the servant was removed from the vineyard without having accomplished his mission.
- empty-handed: (κενόν, kenon).
- empty-handed (kenon): Adjective meaning "empty," "vain," "futile," or "without result." This vividly portrays the failure of the mission from the tenants' perspective; they provided no produce, and they also gave nothing of value to the messenger. The servant left with nothing for the owner and endured suffering for naught, signifying the complete refusal of the tenants to yield fruit and their utter contempt for the owner's authority. Spiritually, it signifies the religious leaders producing no good fruit of repentance and righteousness.
Luke 20 11 Bonus section
The recurring Greek verb apostellō (to send) for the owner's action, is significant. It links the sending of servants to the later sending of the Beloved Son, Jesus, emphasizing divine initiative and a clear line of authority and succession from the Father. The progressive nature of the violence—first a beating (v. 10), then being beaten again and treated shamefully (v. 11), followed by wounding and casting out (v. 12) before the son's ultimate demise (v. 13)—illustrates the hardening of hearts against divine appeals. The ultimate sending of the "beloved son" in contrast to mere "servants" signifies the climactic nature of Jesus' advent and highlights the unspeakable evil of those who would then kill even the heir. The rejection of the prophets meant rejection of the divine message; the rejection of the Son means rejection of God Himself.
Luke 20 11 Commentary
Luke 20:11 continues to build the parable's grim narrative, showing an unwavering escalation of the tenants' wickedness. God's divine patience is underscored by His repeated sending of "another servant," representing His successive appeals through the prophets throughout Israel's history. Despite previous rejection and abuse, the owner provides further opportunity. However, the tenants' response intensifies from beating to shamefully treating, illustrating a deepening rebellion not just against the messengers, but against the owner's authority. "Empty-handed" powerfully conveys the barrenness of the Jewish leadership's spiritual state—they withheld the expected "fruit" from God, inflicted suffering, and contemptuously dismissed His appeals. This parable exposes the long history of Israel's unfaithfulness to God through the actions of its leaders, laying a clear foundation for the ultimate rejection of God's final messenger, His Son, Jesus.