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King James Version (KJV)
“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody
Scripture focus
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 — KJV
Hear another parable. [The Wicked Husbandmen, Matt. 21:33-46=Mark 12:1-12=Luke 20:9-19. Major comment: Matthew. See on parables pp. 203-207.] This, the second parable was addressed to the people who had been listening attentively to Jesus as He taught (see Luke 20:9), but it was aimed at their leaders. As in the parable of the Two Sons (see Matt. 21:31), these leaders are led to confess their own guilt and to pronounce upon themselves their own sentence of doom (see v. 41).
Householder. Gr. oikodespotes, that is, the “master of the house” (see on Luke 2:29).
A vineyard. The grapevine was one of the national symbols of Israel. Near the very spot where Christ now stood, at the entrance to the Temple, was a large, magnificent vine wrought in gold and silver that represented Israel (Josephus Antiquities xv. 11.3; see DA 575; see on John 15:1).
The words of Matt. 21:33 are borrowed largely from Isaiah’s allegory of the Lord’s vineyard (see Isa. 5:1-7).
This parable places emphasis on the rich blessings God had bestowed upon Israel, that they might provide the world with the fruit of divine character (see on Matt. 21:34). In health, intellect, skill, prosperity, and character the people of Israel were to become the greatest nation of the earth, revealing to all men the glory of God’s purpose. For an analysis of these blessings and a composite picture of the manner in which the nations of the world were to be brought to a knowledge of the true God see Vol. IV, pp. 26-30.
Hedged. Gr. phragmos, “a hedge,” or “a fence.” The hedge represents the precepts of the divine law, obedience to whose principles of truth and justice protects against all wrongdoing.
A winepress. This was usually a trough or tank hollowed out of solid rock. Such wine presses may be seen in Palestine even today.
Let it out. Or, “leased it.” In ancient times rent for a field was paid either in cash or in kind. In the latter case, either a specified amount of the harvest or a proportionate amount was stipulated in the agreement. The tenants in this parable were sharecroppers, which fact does not imply that the difficulties of some present-day sharecroppers were necessarily theirs.
Husbandmen. Or, “tenants” (RSV).
Far country. He was an absentee landlord.
By SdaBc
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