Matthew 21:37

KJV

But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

KJV (with Strong's)

But {G1161} last of all {G5305} he sent {G649} unto {G4314} them {G846} his {G846} son {G5207}, saying {G3004}, They will reverence {G1788} my {G3450} son {G5207}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Finally, he sent them his son, saying, `My son they will respect.'

Berean Standard Bible

Finally, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

American Standard Version

But afterward he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
In the climactic moment of the Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen, Matthew 21:37 depicts the vineyard owner's ultimate and final act of sending his beloved son to the rebellious tenants, expressing a profound hope that the son's unique status would elicit the respect and reverence that his previously sent servants had been denied. This act signifies God's persistent patience and ultimate revelation in sending His Son, Jesus Christ, as the final messenger to humanity, anticipating a response of honor and submission.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is the dramatic turning point in the Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen, narrated by Jesus in [Matthew 21:33-46](/matthew/21-33-46 "Matthew 21:33-46 - Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen"). Preceding this, the landowner (representing God) had repeatedly sent servants (representing prophets) to collect his due, only for them to be brutally mistreated and killed by the tenants (representing the religious leaders of Israel). The sending of the son, therefore, is not merely another attempt but the final, most significant, and most vulnerable act, escalating the stakes of the parable and setting the stage for the son's tragic fate and the tenants' subsequent judgment.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** Jesus tells this parable in the temple courts in Jerusalem, directly addressing the chief priests and elders ([Matthew 21:23](/matthew/21-23 "Matthew 21:23 - Jesus' Authority Questioned")). The audience would have immediately recognized the symbolism: the "vineyard" often represented Israel ([Isaiah 5:1-7](/isaiah/5-1-7 "Isaiah 5:1-7 - The Song of the Vineyard")), the "landowner" was God, and the "tenants" were the religious leaders entrusted with God's people. The practice of leasing vineyards was common, and the expectation of a share of the produce was standard. The repeated rejection and murder of the servants would have been shocking, yet it mirrored Israel's historical rejection and persecution of God's prophets, as lamented in [Matthew 23:37](/matthew/23-37 "Matthew 23:37 - Jesus' Lament Over Jerusalem").
* **Key Themes:** Matthew 21:37 significantly contributes to several key themes within Matthew's Gospel and the broader biblical narrative. It underscores **God's Patience and Persistent Pursuit** of His people, culminating in His ultimate self-revelation. The sending of the son highlights **Jesus' Unique Divine Sonship and Authority**, positioning Him not merely as another prophet but as the rightful heir and the very embodiment of the Father's will, as seen in [Matthew 3:17](/matthew/3-17 "Matthew 3:17 - The Father's Affirmation of Jesus"). Furthermore, the landowner's expectation of reverence, contrasted with the tenants' actual response in [Matthew 21:38-39](/matthew/21-38-39 "Matthew 21:38-39 - The Tenants' Wicked Plan"), powerfully foreshadows the **Rejection and Crucifixion of Jesus** by the very religious leaders to whom the parable was addressed, a central theme throughout the Passion narrative.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **sent (Greek, _apostéllō_):** This verb signifies "to send out, properly on a mission." It implies a deliberate commissioning with authority and purpose. In this context, it underscores the landowner's intentional and final act, dispatching his son with the expectation that his unique status would command respect and achieve the mission of receiving the vineyard's fruit. The sending of the son is not a casual act but a strategic, ultimate deployment.
* **son (Greek, _huiós_):** While a common word for "child," its use here is profoundly significant. It denotes immediate, familial kinship, establishing the son's unique relationship to the landowner as heir and beloved. In the allegorical context, this word unequivocally points to Jesus' divine Sonship, distinguishing Him from all previous messengers (the servants/proph ets) and establishing His supreme authority and inherent right to the inheritance.
* **reverence (Greek, _entrépō_):** This word carries a dual meaning: "to respect, to have regard for" and "to be ashamed before, to put to shame." The landowner's hope was that the tenants would be awestruck, humbled, or shamed into proper behavior by the presence of his own son, recognizing his authority and their obligation. This implies a moral and ethical recognition of the son's status, leading to a change in behavior, rather than mere acknowledgment.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"But last of all he sent unto them his son":** This phrase emphasizes the climactic nature of the landowner's action. "Last of all" (G5305, _hýsteron_) highlights that this is the final, ultimate, and most significant attempt. After all previous efforts with servants had failed, the landowner exhausts his options by sending the most precious person to him—his own son. This act signifies the profound depth of the landowner's patience and his unwavering desire to receive what is rightfully his, even at immense personal risk.
* **"saying":** This simple participle introduces the landowner's internal thought process and expressed hope. It reveals his expectation and the rationale behind sending his son. It's a statement of anticipation, setting up the dramatic irony that will unfold as the tenants' actions directly contradict this hope.
* **"They will reverence my son":** This is the landowner's hopeful declaration. The word "reverence" (G1788, _entrépō_) implies a deep respect, a sense of shame or awe that would compel the tenants to acknowledge the son's authority and treat him appropriately. It reflects the landowner's belief that the sheer identity and relationship of the son would be enough to overcome the tenants' previous wickedness, compelling them to honor him and, by extension, the father.

#### Literary Devices
Matthew 21:37 is rich with literary devices, primarily functioning as a powerful **Allegory**. The entire parable is an extended metaphor where elements directly correspond to spiritual realities: the landowner is God, the vineyard is Israel, the servants are the prophets, the tenants are the religious leaders, and the son is Jesus. This allegorical structure allows Jesus to convey profound theological truths in a relatable narrative form. Furthermore, the verse employs **Foreshadowing**, as the landowner's hopeful statement "They will reverence my son" immediately sets up the tragic reality of the son's rejection and murder in the subsequent verses, predicting Jesus' own crucifixion. There is also a strong element of **Dramatic Irony**, where the audience (and indeed, Jesus' immediate listeners) knows the outcome of the story, making the landowner's hopeful utterance deeply poignant and tragic, highlighting the profound blindness and wickedness of the tenants.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Matthew 21:37 stands as a powerful testament to God's ultimate self-revelation and His unwavering pursuit of humanity. After a long history of sending prophets and messengers, God's final and most profound act was to send His own Son. This demonstrates the immeasurable value God places on His relationship with humanity and His desire for reconciliation. The expectation of "reverence" for the Son underscores the inherent authority and divine nature of Jesus, who is worthy of all honor and submission. The tragic irony of the parable, where the Son is rejected, highlights humanity's persistent rebellion against God's loving overtures, yet it also sets the stage for God's redemptive plan through that very rejection.

* [Hebrews 1:1-2](/hebrews/1-1-2 "God's Revelation Through His Son"): "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds."
* [John 3:16-17](/john/3-16-17 "God's Love in Sending His Son"): "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
* [Luke 13:34](/luke/13-34 "Jesus' Lament Over Jerusalem's Rejection"): "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!"

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Matthew 21:37 challenges us to deeply consider our own response to God's ultimate revelation in Jesus Christ. The landowner's final, desperate act of sending his son, believing "They will reverence my son," mirrors God's profound hope for humanity's response to Jesus. This verse invites us to examine whether we, unlike the wicked tenants, truly reverence the Son. Do we acknowledge His divine authority, embrace His teachings, and submit to His Lordship? Or do we, perhaps subtly, reject His claims for our own selfish desires, seeking to seize our own "inheritance" apart from His rule? This passage reminds us that God's patience is immense, culminating in the sending of His most precious gift. Our eternal destiny hinges on our response to Jesus, the Son whom God sent. It calls us to a posture of humility, awe, and obedience, recognizing the immense privilege of knowing and being known by the Son of God.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what ways do I, like the tenants, resist God's authority or reject His messengers in my own life?**
* **How does my daily life demonstrate a true "reverence" for Jesus, the Son whom God sent?**
* **Considering God's immense patience in sending His Son, how does this truth deepen my appreciation for His love and grace?**
* **What are the "fruits" that God, the vineyard owner, is seeking from my life, and am I faithfully producing them?**

### FAQ
**What is the significance of the landowner sending his "son" after the servants?**

Answer: The sending of the son signifies the landowner's ultimate and final appeal, demonstrating the depth of his patience and the supreme value of his relationship with his son. In the allegory, it represents God's final and most profound revelation to humanity by sending His own Son, Jesus Christ, after a long history of sending prophets (the servants). This act underscores Jesus' unique divine identity and authority, distinguishing Him from all previous messengers. It also highlights the extreme measure God took to seek reconciliation and receive the "fruit" from His people, even at the cost of His Son's life.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Matthew 21:37 finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ, the beloved Son whom God sent into the world. The landowner's hopeful declaration, "They will reverence my son," tragically gives way to the historical reality of Jesus' rejection and crucifixion at the hands of the very religious leaders to whom this parable was addressed. Jesus, the true Son and Heir of all things ([Hebrews 1:2](/hebrews/1-2 "The Son, Heir of All Things")), was indeed sent as God's final and ultimate messenger, embodying the fullness of God's revelation ([John 1:18](/john/1-18 "No One Has Seen God, Except the Son")). His coming marked the culmination of God's patient pursuit of humanity, yet He was "despised and rejected by men" ([Isaiah 53:3](/isaiah/53-3 "He Was Despised and Rejected")). The tenants' wicked plot to kill the son to seize the inheritance ([Matthew 21:38](/matthew/21-38 "The Tenants' Plot")) perfectly foreshadowed the Jewish leaders' conspiracy to crucify Jesus, believing they could thereby maintain their power and control. However, this act of ultimate rejection, far from thwarting God's plan, became the very means of salvation. Through the Son's death and resurrection, God established a new covenant, making a way for all who believe to become His children and inherit eternal life, fulfilling the true purpose of the vineyard—to bear abundant fruit for God's glory ([John 15:5](/john/15-5 "Abiding in Christ to Bear Fruit")). Thus, the Son, though rejected by many, is now the cornerstone of God's eternal kingdom ([Matthew 21:42](/matthew/21-42 "The Stone the Builders Rejected")).

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

Zephaniah 3:7

I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, [and] corrupted all their doings.

Mark 12:6

Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.

Matthew 3:17

And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Hebrews 1:1

¶ God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

Hebrews 1:2

Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

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?