Mark 12:2

And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.

And {G2532} at the season {G2540} he sent {G649} to {G4314} the husbandmen {G1092} a servant {G1401}, that {G2443} he might receive {G2983} from {G3844} the husbandmen {G1092} of {G575} the fruit {G2590} of the vineyard {G290}.

When harvest-time came, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the crop from the vineyard.

At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard.

And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruits of the vineyard.

Context of Mark 12:2

This verse is a key part of Jesus' Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen (or Tenants), which immediately follows a confrontation where the chief priests, scribes, and elders challenged Jesus' authority. Jesus uses this parable to illustrate God's long-suffering patience with Israel and their religious leaders, who had consistently rejected His messengers throughout history. The vineyard represents Israel, the owner is God, and the husbandmen are the religious leaders entrusted with its care. The sending of servants foreshadows the sending of prophets.

Key Themes and Messages

  • God's Expectation and Ownership: The owner of the vineyard (God) rightfully expects a return from his investment. This signifies God's ownership over His people and His creation, and His just expectation for them to produce spiritual "fruit."
  • Divine Patience and Persistent Outreach: The owner sends a servant "at the season," indicating the appropriate time for the harvest. This highlights God's repeated attempts to reach His people through various messengers, demonstrating His patience and desire for their repentance and obedience. This act of sending servants mirrors God's consistent sending of prophets to Israel throughout the Old Testament, as seen in passages like Jeremiah 7:25.
  • Stewardship and Accountability: The husbandmen were tenants, not owners, entrusted with the vineyard's care. This emphasizes the theme of stewardship; believers are called to be faithful managers of God's blessings and resources, not to claim them as their own.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "at the season" (Greek: kairo) refers to the appointed or opportune time, specifically harvest time. It emphasizes the owner's rightful expectation at the proper moment for the fruit of his labor. The "husbandmen" (Greek: geōrgous) were tenant farmers, highlighting their responsibility to the owner for the produce of the vineyard. The "fruit of the vineyard" metaphorically represents the spiritual obedience, righteousness, and worship God expected from His chosen people, Israel, who were likened to a vineyard in Isaiah 5:7.

Reflection and Practical Application

Mark 12:2 serves as a timeless reminder of God's ongoing relationship with humanity. Just as the vineyard owner expected fruit, God expects a return from what He has entrusted to us—our lives, talents, resources, and spiritual gifts. We are called to be faithful stewards, producing "fruit" that glorifies Him, whether it be spiritual fruit like love, joy, and peace (Galatians 5:22-23) or actively participating in His kingdom work. The verse also underscores God's persistent grace, sending messengers to call us to account and to receive what is rightfully His. It challenges us to consider how we respond to God's overtures and His rightful claims on our lives.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • John 15:1

    I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

  • John 15:8

    Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

  • Micah 7:1

    ¶ Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: [there is] no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit.

  • 2 Kings 17:13

    Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, [and by] all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments [and] my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.

  • Luke 20:10

    And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent [him] away empty.

  • Zechariah 7:7

    [Should ye] not [hear] the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when [men] inhabited the south and the plain?

  • Jeremiah 44:4

    Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending [them], saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.

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