Matthew 21:33 kjv
Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
Matthew 21:33 nkjv
"Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.
Matthew 21:33 niv
"Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.
Matthew 21:33 esv
"Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country.
Matthew 21:33 nlt
"Now listen to another story. A certain landowner planted a vineyard, built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country.
Matthew 21 33 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mk 12:1 | Then He began to speak to them in parables: “A man PLANTED a VINEYARD... leased it to TENANTS... went into a far country.” | Parallel Account: Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers |
| Lk 20:9 | Then He began to tell the people this PARABLE: “A certain man PLANTED a VINEYARD... leased it to TENANTS... went into a far country for a long time.” | Parallel Account: Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers |
| Is 5:1-7 | Now let me sing... A song of my Beloved regarding His VINEYARD... He DUG it up and CLEARED out its stones, and PLANTED it with the choicest vine. He built a TOWER in its midst... | Old Testament Imagery: Israel as God's Vineyard |
| Ps 80:8-19 | You have brought a VINE out of Egypt; You have cast out the nations and PLANTED it... The mountains were COVERED with its shade, and the mighty cedars with its boughs. | Old Testament Imagery: Israel as God's Vineyard |
| Jer 2:21 | Yet I had PLANTED you a noble VINE, a seed of highest quality. How then have you turned into the degenerate plant of an alien VINE to Me? | Old Testament Imagery: Israel's degradation |
| Dt 32:6 | Do you thus repay the Lord, O foolish and unwise people? Is He not your Father, who bought you? Has He not made you and established you? | God's proprietorship and care |
| 2 Sam 7:10 | Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will PLANT them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more... | God's commitment to Israel |
| Ez 15:1-8 | Son of man, how is the wood of the VINE, more than any other wood, the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest?... Fit for no work. | Vineyard that is fruitless or worthless |
| Jer 7:25-26 | Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have even SENT to you all My servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them. Yet they did not obey Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. | Rejection of God's messengers |
| Mt 21:34-39 | When the time of fruit drew near, he SENT his servants to the TENANTS, that they might receive its FRUIT... | Subsequent events of the parable: Sending of servants and Son |
| Neh 9:26 | Nevertheless they were disobedient and rebelled against You, cast Your law behind their backs and SLAUGHTERED Your PROPHETS... | Historical pattern of rejecting prophets |
| Acts 7:51-53 | You always RESIST the HOLY SPIRIT... Which of the PROPHETS did your fathers not PERSECUTE? And they MURDERED those who foretold the coming of the Just One... | Stephen's sermon condemning Israel's rejection |
| Rom 11:25-26 | For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery... that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. | Israel's temporary hardening, linking to judgment in parable |
| Gal 4:4 | But when the fullness of the time had come, God SENT forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law... | God sending His Son |
| Heb 1:1-2 | God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the PROPHETS, has in these last days spoken to us by His SON... | Succession of divine messengers: prophets then the Son |
| Jn 15:1-8 | I am the true VINE, and My Father is the vinedresser... Every branch in Me that does not bear FRUIT He takes away; and every branch that bears FRUIT He prunes... | Jesus as the true vine; bearing fruit is key |
| Mt 3:8 | Therefore bear FRUITS worthy of repentance... | Call for bearing good fruit |
| Mt 21:43 | Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the FRUITS of it. | Consequence: Kingdom transferred due to lack of fruit |
| Rom 9:4 | ...who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises... | Privileges given to Israel |
| Lk 13:6-9 | He spoke this parable: “A certain man had a FIG TREE planted in his vineyard... and he came seeking FRUIT on it and found none... For three years I have come seeking FRUIT on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down...” | Parable on lack of fruitfulness and coming judgment |
Matthew 21 verses
Matthew 21 33 Meaning
Matthew 21:33 introduces the Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers (also known as the Parable of the Tenants). Jesus recounts how a landowner meticulously prepares a vineyard by planting it, building a protective fence, digging a winepress for production, and erecting a tower for observation. After fully equipping it for fruitfulness, he leases it to tenants and travels to a distant land. This verse sets the scene for a foundational allegory concerning God's relationship with Israel, His meticulous care for His people, and the stewardship entrusted to its religious leaders, who would subsequently fail in their responsibility and reject God's messengers.
Matthew 21 33 Context
Matthew 21:33 is spoken by Jesus in the Temple courts in Jerusalem during the final week before His crucifixion. It directly follows His triumphal entry (Mt 21:1-11), His cleansing of the Temple (Mt 21:12-17), and His cursing of the fig tree (Mt 21:18-22). Immediately before this parable, the chief priests and elders confront Jesus, challenging His authority to perform these actions (Mt 21:23-27). Jesus responds with the Parable of the Two Sons (Mt 21:28-32), which indicts the religious leaders for their hypocrisy. The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers then escalates Jesus' condemnation, laying bare their rebellion against God and foreshadowing God's impending judgment upon them and the transfer of His covenantal blessings to a new group who would bear fruit. The audience would recognize the vineyard imagery from Old Testament prophecies, particularly Isaiah 5, and would have understood the strong implied polemic against the Jewish leadership.
Matthew 21 33 Word analysis
- Hear another parable: Indicates a continuation of Jesus' teaching method, which often used narrative to convey profound spiritual truths and challenges, often veiling them from those unwilling to understand, yet revealing them to those with discerning hearts. The phrase suggests this parable builds on the previous one.
- There was a master of a house: (Greek: oikodespótes - οἰκοδεσπότης). This term refers to the head of a household, a property owner, or master. Here, it clearly represents God as the absolute owner and sovereign over His creation and, specifically, over Israel.
- who planted a vineyard: (Greek: ampelōn - ἀμπελών). The imagery of a vineyard in the Old Testament is a well-established metaphor for the nation of Israel, as seen prominently in Is 5:1-7 and Ps 80:8-19. Planting implies careful selection, nurturing, and an expectation of fruitfulness. It signifies God's deliberate and purposeful establishment of Israel.
- and put a fence around it: (Greek: phragmón - φραγμόν). This signifies protection. In the context of Israel, it symbolizes God's protective measures for His people, such as the Law, the covenant, the prophetic word, and His divine hedge of protection, safeguarding them from external corruption and internal decay, intended to create a holy people distinct from the nations.
- dug a winepress in it: (Greek: lēnon - ληνόν). A winepress consists of a vat where grapes were trodden, and a lower receptacle for the juice. This equipment symbolizes preparation for production and fruitfulness. It indicates that the vineyard was fully equipped for yielding its produce—the spiritual fruits God expected from Israel, like justice, righteousness, and obedience.
- and built a tower: (Greek: pyrgon - πύργον). A watchtower was common in vineyards for guarding the harvest against thieves, animals, or invaders. It represents oversight, vigilance, and safety. Theologically, this could symbolize the Temple, the prophetic institution, or the divine care provided by God to safeguard His people and His expectations.
- and leased it to tenants: (Greek: geōrgois - γεωργοῖς). Literally "earth-workers" or "farmers." In this parable, these represent the religious leaders of Israel (e.g., chief priests, elders, scribes) who were entrusted with the spiritual care, cultivation, and stewardship of God's people. They were expected to manage the vineyard responsibly and yield fruit to the owner.
- and went into a far country: This act symbolizes God's patience and forbearance, allowing the tenants the freedom to work the vineyard, and also sets the stage for a period of time during which the tenants' true intentions and stewardship would be tested before the reckoning. It implies that while God is distant, He is not disengaged, and a day of accounting will come.
Matthew 21 33 Bonus section
The structure of this verse mirrors the "Song of the Vineyard" in Isaiah 5:1-7 almost exactly, confirming that Jesus' original audience, particularly the Jewish leaders, would immediately recognize its source and its implication: that God expected fruit from His people, represented by the vineyard, and their failure would lead to devastating consequences. The comprehensive provision by the master underscores not just His care, but His rightful expectation of return; it was not a vineyard left unattended or unprepared. This parable served not only as a theological indictment but also as a powerful and direct confrontation to the chief priests and elders who had just questioned Jesus' authority, showing them He understood their roles better than they did and exposed their spiritual malfeasance before God.
Matthew 21 33 Commentary
Matthew 21:33 acts as the foundational exposition for one of Jesus' most direct and piercing parables of judgment against the religious authorities of His day. Every element the master provides—the vineyard, fence, winepress, and tower—underscores God's generous and meticulous provision for Israel. He left nothing undone to ensure their potential for fruitfulness. The act of "leasing" the vineyard to tenants signifies God's delegation of stewardship and responsibility, primarily to the spiritual leaders. His "going into a far country" highlights a period of their independent management and a coming day of reckoning for their actions and the expected yield. The entire setup emphasizes the incredible investment of the Master and the great privilege entrusted to the tenants, setting up the severe consequences that would follow their rebellion and failure to produce the expected fruit. The parable functions as a sharp warning of judgment and the transfer of divine privilege due to spiritual unfaithfulness.