Matthew 21:33

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:

Hear {G191} another {G243} parable {G3850}: There was {G2258} a certain {G444}{G5100} householder {G3617}, which {G3748} planted {G5452} a vineyard {G290}, and {G2532} hedged {G5418} it {G846} round about {G4060}, and {G2532} digged {G3736} a winepress {G3025} in {G1722} it {G846}, and {G2532} built {G3618} a tower {G4444}, and {G2532} let {G1554} it {G846} out {G1554} to husbandmen {G1092}, and {G2532} went into a far country {G589}:

"Now listen to another parable. There was a farmer who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower; then he rented it to tenants and left.

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 tower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey.

Hear another parable: There was a man that was a householder, who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into another country.

Commentary on Matthew 21:33 (KJV)

Matthew 21:33 introduces the Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen (or Tenants), one of Jesus' most pointed parables, delivered during His final week in Jerusalem. This verse sets the scene for a narrative that powerfully illustrates God's relationship with His people, particularly Israel, and the rejection of His messengers.

Context

This parable is spoken by Jesus in the Temple courts, directly after His cleansing of the Temple and His authority being questioned by the chief priests and elders (Matthew 21:23). It follows the Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32), continuing Jesus' direct challenge to the religious leaders who claimed authority but failed to produce the fruit of righteousness. The audience, especially the Jewish leaders, would have immediately recognized the vineyard imagery from Old Testament prophecies.

Key Themes

  • Divine Ownership and Provision: The "householder" clearly represents God, who meticulously prepares and equips His "vineyard" (symbolizing Israel or His kingdom). The extensive preparations – hedging, digging a winepress, and building a tower – signify God's complete and generous provision for His people to be fruitful and protected.
  • Stewardship and Responsibility: The "husbandmen" (tenants) are entrusted with the vineyard, implying a grave responsibility to manage it well and render the due portion to the owner. This highlights the role of the religious leaders of Israel as stewards of God's covenant and His people.
  • Patience and Longsuffering of God: The householder's departure "into a far country" indicates a period of time and the owner's trust, setting the stage for the subsequent sending of servants and, ultimately, the son. This foreshadows God's long history of sending prophets and messengers to Israel.

Linguistic Insights

The term "householder" (Greek: oikodespotēs) emphasizes the absolute authority and ownership of the property. The "vineyard" (Greek: ampelōn) is a powerful and familiar metaphor in Jewish tradition, often used by Old Testament prophets, most notably in Isaiah 5:1-7, where it represents Israel. The details of the vineyard's preparation—the hedge for protection, the winepress for processing fruit, and the tower for observation—all underscore the thoroughness of the owner's investment and expectation of a harvest.

Practical Application

While directly addressed to the religious leaders of Jesus' day, this parable carries timeless lessons. It reminds us that God has provided everything necessary for us to bear spiritual fruit in our lives. We are all stewards of His gifts, whether they be talents, resources, or opportunities, and are called to live in a way that honors Him and produces righteousness. The parable also sets the stage for understanding the profound consequences of rejecting God's messengers and His ultimate provision in His Son, Jesus Christ.

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.

  • Isaiah 5:1

    ¶ Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:

  • Isaiah 5:4

    What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?

  • Mark 12:1

    ¶ And he began to speak unto them by parables. A [certain] man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about [it], and digged [a place for] the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.

  • Mark 12:12

    And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.

  • Luke 20:9

    ¶ Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time.

  • Luke 20:19

    And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.

  • Jeremiah 2:21

    Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?

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