Luke 20:16

KJV

He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard [it], they said, God forbid.

KJV (with Strong's)

He shall come {G2064} and {G2532} destroy {G622} these {G5128} husbandmen {G1092}, and {G2532} shall give {G1325} the vineyard {G290} to others {G243}. And {G1161} when they heard {G191} it, they said {G2036}, God forbid {G3361}{G1096}.

Complete Jewish Bible

He will come and put an end to those tenants and give the vineyard to others!” When the people heard this, they said, “Heaven forbid!”

Berean Standard Bible

He will come and kill those tenants, and will give the vineyard to others.” And when the people heard this, they said, “May such a thing never happen!”

American Standard Version

He will come and destroy these husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Luke 20:16 concludes the climactic pronouncement within Jesus' Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers, revealing the severe judgment that the vineyard owner (God) would inflict upon the unfaithful husbandmen (the Jewish religious authorities). This judgment entails their destruction and the transfer of the vineyard (God's kingdom and its stewardship) to new, faithful stewards. The immediate and emphatic reaction of the audience, "God forbid," underscores their clear understanding that Jesus' pointed message was directed squarely at them and their impending accountability.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Luke 20:16 is the direct culmination of Jesus' Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers, found in [Luke 20:9-19](/luke/20-9-19 "Luke 20:9-19 - The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers"). This parable is delivered in the temple courts during Passion Week, immediately after the chief priests, scribes, and elders challenged Jesus' authority ([Luke 20:1-8](/luke/20-1-8 "Luke 20:1-8 - Jesus' Authority Challenged")). The parable itself is a thinly veiled allegory, with the vineyard representing Israel or God's kingdom, the owner representing God, the servants representing the prophets sent throughout history, and the beloved son representing Jesus Himself. The husbandmen are clearly the religious leaders who are entrusted with God's people but have consistently rejected His messengers and now plot to kill His Son. The verse directly follows Jesus' rhetorical question about what the owner will do to the wicked husbandmen, providing the answer and the parable's grim conclusion.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The setting is Jerusalem, during the Passover week, a time of heightened religious and political tension. Jesus is teaching in the temple, a central hub of Jewish life and religious authority. The audience includes the very religious leaders—chief priests, scribes, and elders—who are the targets of the parable. Vineyards were a common feature of the Judean landscape, and parables involving agricultural practices would have been readily understood by the agrarian society. The concept of a landowner entrusting his vineyard to tenants was also familiar. Furthermore, the imagery of Israel as God's vineyard was deeply rooted in Old Testament prophecy, notably in [Isaiah 5:1-7](/isaiah/5-1-7 "Isaiah 5:1-7 - The Song of the Vineyard"), which would have immediately resonated with the Jewish audience, making the parable's allegorical meaning unmistakable to those who heard it.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within Luke's Gospel and biblical theology. Foremost is the theme of **Divine Judgment and Justice**, demonstrating God's righteous response to persistent rebellion and rejection of His authority and messengers. It highlights that spiritual negligence and active opposition to God's plan incur severe consequences, as seen in the destruction of the husbandmen. Another crucial theme is the **Rejection of God's Son**, which is at the heart of the parable. The husbandmen's plot to kill the heir mirrors the religious leaders' intent to eliminate Jesus, believing they could then retain their power and control. This leads directly to the theme of the **Transfer of the Kingdom**, as the phrase "shall give the vineyard to others" signifies a monumental shift in stewardship and privilege. This points to the extension of God's kingdom beyond the unfaithful Jewish leadership to those who would genuinely receive the Son, including the early church composed of both Jews and Gentiles, a concept Jesus explicitly states in [Matthew 21:43](/matthew/21-43 "Matthew 21:43 - The Kingdom Taken Away from Unfaithful Stewards"). Finally, the audience's reaction, "God forbid," underscores the theme of **Human Resistance to Truth**, revealing their dismay and aversion to the judgment, rather than a posture of repentance.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **husbandmen (Greek, _geōrgós_):** Derived from words meaning "land" and "work," this term literally means "land-worker" or "farmer." In the parable, these are the tenants entrusted with the care and cultivation of the vineyard. The word highlights their role as stewards, implying responsibility and accountability for the produce of the vineyard. Their failure to fulfill this duty, culminating in violence against the owner's representatives and son, is the central indictment.
* **destroy (Greek, _apóllymi_):** This verb signifies to "destroy fully," "perish," or "lose." It conveys a sense of utter ruin and complete devastation. In the context of Luke 20:16, it denotes the decisive and severe judgment the owner will execute upon the unfaithful husbandmen, leading to their complete undoing and removal from their position of stewardship. It is a strong word emphasizing the finality and severity of the divine wrath.
* **God forbid (Greek, _mḗ gínomai_):** This powerful Greek idiom, _mē genoito_, is an optative negation meaning "may it never happen," "by no means," or "far be it." It expresses an emphatic rejection or aversion to a proposition. The religious leaders' use of this phrase in response to Jesus' pronouncement reveals their horror and dismay at the implications of the parable, which they clearly understood to be a direct condemnation of their own actions and a prophecy of their impending judgment. It is not an expression of repentance but of a desperate wish that such a fate would not befall them.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"He shall come and destroy these husbandmen":** This clause identifies the owner of the vineyard (representing God) as the active agent of judgment. The phrase "shall come" implies a decisive, future action, while "destroy" emphasizes the severity and finality of the retribution against the unfaithful stewards. This points to divine justice for their chronic rebellion and rejection of God's messengers and ultimately His Son.
* **"and shall give the vineyard to others.":** This second part of the owner's action signifies a transfer of stewardship and privilege. The "vineyard" (God's kingdom/Israel) will be taken from those who proved unfaithful and entrusted to "others"—those who will faithfully produce fruit and honor the owner. This foreshadows the inclusion of new, faithful people into God's covenant, extending beyond the current, unfaithful Jewish leadership.
* **"And when they heard [it], they said, God forbid.":** This final clause captures the immediate and visceral reaction of Jesus' audience, specifically the religious leaders. Their exclamation, _mē genoito_ ("God forbid" or "may it never be!"), is a strong expression of aversion, indicating that they fully grasped the parable's allegorical meaning and recognized themselves as the condemned "husbandmen." Their response is one of dismay and denial, rather than repentance or acceptance of the truth.

#### Literary Devices
Luke 20:16, as part of the larger parable, primarily employs **Allegory**, where the narrative elements (vineyard, owner, husbandmen, servants, son) systematically correspond to spiritual realities (Israel/God's kingdom, God, prophets, Jesus, Jewish leaders). The verse itself is a direct allegorical statement of divine judgment and the transfer of spiritual authority. **Foreshadowing** is also prominent, as Jesus' words here directly predict His own rejection and death at the hands of the religious leaders, as well as the subsequent shift in God's redemptive plan to include a broader community of believers. There is also a subtle **Irony** in the religious leaders' exclamation, "God forbid!" (or "May it never be!"), as their very rejection of Jesus and His message ensures that the judgment they dread will indeed come to pass.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Luke 20:16 stands as a stark warning about accountability and stewardship within God's kingdom. Theologically, it underscores God's absolute sovereignty and His righteous judgment against those who reject His authority and abuse the privileges He bestows. The transfer of the vineyard signifies that God's redemptive purposes will not be thwarted by human rebellion; if one group proves unfaithful, God will raise up others to fulfill His will. This passage highlights the profound shift from an exclusive focus on the unfaithful Jewish leadership to a more inclusive kingdom that embraces all who respond to God's call through His Son. It affirms that spiritual privilege is always accompanied by immense responsibility, and persistent unfaithfulness ultimately leads to severe consequences and the forfeiture of that privilege.

* [Isaiah 5:1-7](/isaiah/5-1-7 "Isaiah 5:1-7 - The Song of the Vineyard")
* [Matthew 21:43](/matthew/21-43 "Matthew 21:43 - The Kingdom of God Taken Away")
* [Romans 11:17-24](/romans/11-17-24 "Romans 11:17-24 - The Olive Tree and the Wild Branches")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Luke 20:16 serves as a profound call to self-examination for all who claim to be part of God's kingdom. It challenges us to consider whether we are faithfully stewarding the spiritual gifts, resources, and opportunities God has entrusted to us, or if we are, like the wicked husbandmen, seeking to exploit them for our own gain or resisting the authority of God's Son. The verse reminds us that genuine faith is demonstrated not merely by outward association with God's people, but by a heart that receives and obeys Jesus Christ and His teachings. It compels us to acknowledge that persistent rejection of God's truth and His Son will inevitably lead to divine judgment, while faithfulness opens the door to continued participation in His unfolding redemptive plan. Ultimately, this passage urges us to live lives that bear fruit for God's glory, recognizing that our ultimate responsibility is to honor the "owner" of the vineyard.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what ways might I, like the husbandmen, be tempted to resist God's authority or exploit spiritual privileges for personal gain?**
* **How am I currently stewarding the "vineyard" (my gifts, resources, relationships, time) that God has entrusted to me? Am I bearing fruit for Him?**
* **What does my response to God's truth reveal about my heart? Do I resist it, or do I humbly receive and obey it?**
* **Considering the transfer of the vineyard to "others," how does this verse encourage me to embrace the inclusive nature of God's kingdom and participate in its expansion?**

### FAQ
**What is the significance of the phrase "God forbid" in this verse?**

Answer: The phrase "God forbid" (Greek: _mē genoito_) is a strong expression of aversion or emphatic denial, meaning "may it never be!" or "by no means!" In [Luke 20:16](/luke/20-16 "Luke 20:16 - The Wicked Husbandmen's Fate"), it reveals that the religious leaders understood Jesus' parable was a direct indictment of them. Their exclamation was not an act of repentance but a desperate wish that the severe judgment Jesus pronounced would not fall upon them, highlighting their dismay and resistance to the truth.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Luke 20:16 finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in Jesus Himself, who is the "beloved son" of the vineyard owner, sent as the ultimate messenger of God's love and truth. His rejection and crucifixion by the very "husbandmen" (the religious leaders) who were entrusted with God's people directly fulfills the parable's narrative. However, the judgment pronounced in this verse also finds its fulfillment in Christ: His death, though orchestrated by wicked hands, was part of God's sovereign plan to "destroy" the power of sin and death ([Hebrews 2:14](/hebrews/2-14 "Hebrews 2:14 - Jesus Destroys the Power of Death")). Furthermore, the transfer of the "vineyard to others" is supremely fulfilled in the establishment of the New Covenant through Christ's blood and the birth of the Church, composed of both Jews and Gentiles ([Ephesians 2:11-22](/ephesians/2-11-22 "Ephesians 2:11-22 - Gentiles Are Fellow Citizens")), who now become the true "vine" of God, with Christ as the true Vine ([John 15:1-8](/john/15-1-8 "John 15:1-8 - Jesus the True Vine")). This signifies that God's redemptive work, though rejected by some, would ultimately be accomplished through the faithful stewardship of those who embrace Jesus as Lord and Savior, extending the kingdom to all who believe.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Luke 19:27

But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay [them] before me.

Matthew 21:41

They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out [his] vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

Acts 13:46

Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.

Nehemiah 9:36

Behold, we [are] servants this day, and [for] the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we [are] servants in it:

Nehemiah 9:37

And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we [are] in great distress.

Psalms 21:8

Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.

Psalms 21:10

Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men.