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American Standard Version
And they took him, and cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him.
World English Bible Messianic
So they took him, and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
Young's Literal Translation
and having taken him, they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him;
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Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers . Public domain.
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Origen of Alexandria (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 253
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Or, what He says, And cast him out of the vineyard, seems to me to be this; As far as they were concerned they judged Him a stranger both to the vineyard, and the husbandmen. When therefore the Lord of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
Hilary of Poitiers (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 367
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Or, He set forth the Prophets as it were winepresses, into which an abundant measure of the Holy Spirit, as of new wine, might flow in a teeming stream.
Or, The tower is the eminence of the Law, which ascended from earth to heaven, and from which, as from a watch-tower, the coming of Christ might be spied. And let it out to husbandmen.
These more than the first who were sent, denote that time, when, after the preaching of single Prophets, a great number was sent forth together.
By the Son sent at last, is denoted the advent of our Lord.
Christ was cast out of Jerusalem, as out of the vineyard, to His sentence of punishment.
He is become the head of the corner, because He is the union of both sides between the Law and the Gentiles.
John ChrysostomAD 407
Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 68
What then do these? When they ought to have run unto Him, when they ought to have asked pardon for their offenses, they even persist more strongly in their former sins, they proceed to add unto their pollutions, forever throwing into the shade their former offenses by their later; as also He Himself declared when He said, "Fill ye up the measure of your fathers." For from the first the prophets used to charge them with these things, saying, "Your hands are full of blood;" and, "They mingle blood with blood;" and, "They build up Sion with blood."
But they did not learn self-restraint, albeit they received this commandment first, "Thou shalt not kill;" and had been commanded to abstain from countless other things because of this, and by many and various means urged to the keeping of this commandment.
Yet, for all that, they put not away that evil custom; but what say they, when they saw Him? Come, let us kill Him. With what motive, and for what reason? what of any kind had they to lay to His charge, either small or great? Is it that He honored you, and being God became man for your sakes, and wrought His countless miracles? or that He pardoned your sins? or that He called you unto a kingdom?
But see together with their impiety great was their folly, and the reason of His murder was full of much madness. "For let us kill Him," it is said, "and the inheritance shall be ours."
And where do they take counsel to kill Him? "Out of the vineyard."
Seest thou how He prophesies even the place where He was to be slain. "And they cast Him out, and slew Him."
John Chrysostom (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 407
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(Hom. lxviii.) The design of this further parable is to show that their guilt was heinous, and unworthy to be forgiven.
Or, it applies to His long-suffering, in that He did not always bring down immediate punishment on their sins.
(non occ. ap. Chrys.) He calls the Prophets servants, who as the Lord's Priests offer the fruits of the people, and the proofs of their obedience in their works. But they showed their wickedness not only in refusing the fruits, but in having indignation against those that come to them, as it follows, And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
Wherefore then did He not send Him immediately? That from what they had done to the others they might accuse themselves, and putting away their madness they might reverence His Son when He came.
Or He speaks as declaring what ought to be; they ought to reverence Him; thus showing that their sin was great, and void of all excuse.
Or there is no contradiction, because both are right; they first made answer in these words, and then the Lord repeated them.
Or otherwise: the Lord proposed this parable to them with this intent, that not understanding it they should give sentence against themselves; as was done by Nathan to David. Again, when they perceived the meaning of the things that had been said against them, they said, God forbid.
Christ is the stone, the builders are the Jewish teachers who rejected Christ, saying, This man is not of God. (John 9:16.)
And that they might know that nothing that had been done was against God's will, He adds, It is the Lord's doing.
Or, He here points out their twofold destruction; first in their stumbling and being offended at Him, signified in that, Whosoever shall fall upon this stone; the other in the captivity that should come upon them, signified by that, But upon whomsoever it shall fall.
Jerome (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 420
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
He hath planted a vine of which Isaiah speaks, The vine of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel. (Isa. 5:7.) And hedged it round about; i. e. either the wall of the city, or the guardianship of Angels.
A winepress, that is to say, An altar; or those winepresses after which the three Psalms, the 8th, the 80th, and the 83d are entitleda, that is to say, the martyrs.
And built a tower therein, that is, the Temple, of which it is said by Micah, And thou, O cloudy tower of the daughter of Sion. (Mic. 4:8.)
Not a change of place, for God, by whom all things are filled, cannot be absent from any place; but He seems to be absent from the vineyard, that He may leave the vine-dressers a freedom of acting.
Beat them, as Jeremiah, killed them, as Isaiah, stoned them, as Naboth and Zacharias, whom they slew between the temple and the altar.
But when He says, They will reverence my Son, He does not speak as in ignorance. For what is there that this householder (by whom in this place God is intended) knows not? But God is thus spoken of as being uncertain, in order that free-will may be reserved for man.
Let us enquire of Arrius and Eunomius. See here the Father is said not to know somewhat. Whatever answer they make for the Father, let them understand the same of the Son, when He says that He knows not the day of the consummation of all things. (Mat. 22:36.)
The Lord asks them not as though He did not know what they would answer, but that they might be condemned by their own answer.
The same things are treated under various figures; whom above He called labourers and husbandmen, He now calls builders.
Whoso sinneth, yet believeth on Him, falls indeed upon a stone and is broken, yet is not altogether crushed, but is preserved to salvation through endurance. But on whomsoever it shall fall, that is, whomsoever this stone shall itself assault, and whosoever shall utterly deny Christ, it shall so crush him, that not a bone of him shall be left in which a drop of water could be taken up.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Matthew
(Verse 39) And they apprehended him, cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. And the Apostle speaks, that Jesus was crucified outside the gate (Heb. 13). We can also understand it differently; that he was cast out of the vineyard, and there he was killed: so that when the gentiles received him, the vineyard would be given to others.
Pseudo-Chrysostom (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 500
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
This He brings in because the Priests had asked not in order to learn, but to tempt Him. But of the common folk many had believed; and for that reason He brings forward the parable of the two sons, showing them therein that the common sort, who from the first professed secular lives, were better than the Priests who from the first professed the service of God, inasmuch as the people at length turned repentant to God, but the Priests impenitent, never left off to sin against God. And the elder son represents the people; because the people is not for the sake of the Priests, but the Priests are for the sake of the people.
He is called man, by title, not by nature; in a kind of likeness, not in verity. For the Son knowing that by occasion of His human name He himself should be blasphemed as though he were mere man, spoke therefore of the Invisible God the Father as man; He who by nature is Lord of Angels and men, but by goodness their Father.
Or, by the hedge understand the protection of the holy fathers, who were set as a wall round the people of Israel.
Or, the winepress is the word of God, which tortures man when it contradicts his fleshly nature.
When, that is, Priests and Levites were constituted by the Law, and undertook the direction of the people. And as an husbandman, though he offer to his Lord of his own stock, does not please him so much as by giving him the fruit of his own vineyard; so the Priest does not so much please God by his own righteousness, as by teaching the people of God holiness; for his own righteousness is but one, but that of the people manifold. And went into a far country.
At each step of their wickedness the mercy of God was increased, and at each step of the Divine mercy the wickedness of the Jews increased; thus there was a strife between human wickedness and Divine goodness.
He sent Him not as the bearer of a sentence of punishment against the guilty, but of an offer of repentance; He sent Him to put them to shame, not to punish them.
But some say, that it was after His incarnation, that Christ was called a Son in right of His baptism like the other saints, whom the Lord refutes by this place, saying, I will send my Son. Therefore when He thus meditated sending His Son after the Prophets, He must have been already His Son. Further, if He had been His Son in the same way as all the saints to whom the word of God was sent, He ought to have called the Prophets also His sons, as He calls Christ, or to call Christ His servant, as He calls the Prophets.
After His entry into the Temple, and having cast out those who sold the animals for the sacrifices, then they took counsel to kill Him, Come, let us kill him. For they reasoned among themselves, It will happen that the people hereby shall disuse the practice of sacrificing, which pertains to our gain, and shall be content to offer the sacrifice of righteousness, which pertains to the glory of God; and so the nation shall no more be our possession, but shall become God's. But if we shall kill Him, then there being none to seek the fruit of righteousness from the people, the practice of offering sacrifice shall continue, and so this people shall become our possession; as it follows, And the inheritance shall be ours. These are the usual thoughts of all worldly Priests, who take no thought how the people shall live without sin, but look to how much is offered in the Church, and esteem that the profit of their ministry.
That their answer is true, comes not of any righteous judgment in them, but from the case itself; truth constrained them.
Otherwise: Luke has given the answer of their lips, Matthew that of their hearts. For some made answer openly contradicting Him, and saying, God forbid, but their consciences took it up with He shall miserably destroy these wicked men. For so when a man is detected in any wickedness, he excuses himself in words, but his conscience within pleads guilty.
When they seemed discontent, He brings forward Scripture testimony; as much as to say, If ye understood not My parable, at least acknowledge this Scripture.
As much as to say, How do ye not understand in what building that stone is to be set, not in yours, seeing it is rejected, but in another; but if the building is to be other, your building will be rejected.
Christ is called A Stone, not only because of His strength, but because He mightily crushes His enemies; whence it follows, And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken, and on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder.
It is one thing to be broken, and another to be ground to powder. Of what is broken there remains something; but what is ground to powder is as it were converted into dust. And what falls upon a stone is not broken by any power of the stone, but because it fell heavily, either by reason of its weight, or of its fall from a great height. So a Christian in sinning, perishes, but not to the utmost that Christ can destroy; but only so far as he destroys himself, either by the greatness of his sin, or by his exalted rank. But the unbelievers perish to the utmost that Christ can destroy them.
Epiphanius ScholasticusAD 510
THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 68.2
The householder in this parable is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The vineyard he planted represents the Jewish people who were begotten from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, multiplied like the stars in the sky and the sand of the shore, liberated from the land of Egypt and the yoke of slavery, and led through the sea to the promised land, as the prophet said: “You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it.” The Lord planted the Jewish people in the promised land, flowing with milk and honey, so that they would bear the fruit of the commandments of God. “He surrounded it with a hedge” means that God fortified it with the protection of angels. The wine press he dug signifies the holy church, where the fruits of righteousness and holiness are gathered; just as the grapes are pressed only with great toil and effort, so also the holy martyrs are crushed like grapes and shed their blood only through great persecutions and tortures. The tower constructed in the middle of the vineyard is our Lord himself, who appeared like a strong tower in the midst of the holy church through the Virgin. Because of his presence, all the saints and martyrs are protected with spiritual weapons from their most wicked enemy, who is the devil. “When harvest time drew near, he sent his servants,” that is, the prophets, “to the tenants,” who were the teachers of the law, “to collect the fruit of the vineyard.” He had already sent the prophets to them repeatedly to collect his fruit, but they were disdainful and rebellious toward the Lord and greeted his prophets with swords, beatings, stonings and other persecutions. They killed Isaiah, stoned Jeremiah, pursued Elijah and beheaded John the Baptist. Every nation that persecutes its teachers and fails to produce the fruit of the gospel is an accomplice to the Jews. “Finally, therefore, he sent his only son to them, saying, ‘surely they will respect my son.’ ” The “only son” of the householder is the Lord, the Son of God, who came by the will of the Father to his vineyard, which is the Jewish people. “But when the tenants,” who are the teachers of the law, “saw his son, they said to themselves, ‘this is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours,’ and they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.” They also crucified our Lord outside the city, while they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Yet they did not in fact come to possess the inheritance of the law; instead, they sentenced themselves to death, for the Lord asked, “What will the owner of the vineyard do to the tenants when he comes?” They responded, “He will destroy the evil tenants and give the vineyard to other tenants who will produce its fruit in a timely manner.” They condemned themselves by their own words, as the Lord implies when he speaks about himself and their faithlessness: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; therefore, I say to you that the kingdom of God will be removed from you and given to a people producing its fruits.” INTERPRETATION OF THE GOSPELS 31.THEY CAST HIM OUT OF THE VINEYARD AND KILLED HIM. CHRYSOSTOMAnd where do they wish to kill him? “Outside the vineyard.” Do you see how he prophesies even the place where he was to be slain? Well, they did cast him out, and they killed him.
And Luke indeed says, “He declared what they must suffer.” When they heard this, they said, “God forbid!” He then asks them to remember the testimony of Scripture: “He looked at them and said, ‘What then is this that is written: The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.’ Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces.” Matthew’s account does not contradict Luke’s. They passed the sentence against themselves, as Matthew says, and again, when they perceived what they had said, they added, “God forbid.” By the words of the prophet against them, he sought to persuade them that this certainly would come to pass.
He signified only in a hidden way that he would “give the vineyard to others,” not mentioning the Gentiles and not affording his opponents a handle to use to attack him. It was for this reason that he spoke in parables, that they themselves might pass the sentence.
Rabanus Maurus (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 856
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
The season of fruit, He says, not of rent-paying, because this stiff-necked nation brings forth no fruit.
Or, the first servants who were sent were the Lawgiver Moses himself, and Aaron the first Priest of God; whom, having beaten them with the scourge of their tongue, they sent away empty; by the other servants understand the company of the Prophets.
By what they say, This is the Son, He manifestly proves that the rulers of the Jews crucified the Son of God, not through ignorance, but through jealousy. For they understood that it was He to whom the Father speaks by the Prophet, Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance (Ps. 2:8.) The inheritance given to the Son is the holy Church; an inheritance not left Him by His Father when dying, but wonderfully purchased by His own death.
Or, The Jews endeavoured by putting Him to death to seize upon the inheritance, when they strove to overthrow the faith which is through Him, and to substitute their own righteousness which is by the Law, and therewith to imbue the Gentiles. It follows, And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
Morally; a vineyard has been let out to each of us to dress, when the mystery of baptism was given us, to be cultivated by action. Servants one, two, and three are sent us when Law, Psalm, and Prophecy are read, after whose instructions we are to work well. He that is sent is beaten and cast out when the word is contemned, or, which is worse, is blasphemed. He kills (as far as in him lies) the heir, who tramples under foot the Son, and does despite to the Spirit of grace. The wicked husbandman is destroyed, and the vineyard is given to another, when the gift of grace which the proud has contemned is given to the lowly.
But despite of their displeasure, the same stone furnished the head stone of the corner, for out of both nations He has joined by faith in Him as many as He would.
Theophylact of OhridAD 1107
. "The time of the fruit drew near" during the years of the prophets. For the servants who were sent are the prophets who were abused in various ways by the husbandmen, that is, the false prophets and false teachers of those times. One they beat, as they did to Micah when Sedek struck him on the jaw (III Kings, or I Kings, 22:24); another they killed, as they did to Zechariah [the father of John the Forerunner] between the temple and the altar; another they stoned, as they did Zechariah, the son of Jodae the high priest (II Chron. 24:21). Later the Son of God was sent and He appeared in the flesh. He said, "They will reverence My Son," not unaware that they would kill Him, but signifying what ought to be. For, He says, they ought to honor the dignity of the Son even if they had killed the servants. But the husbandmen saw Him and said, "This is the heir; come, let us kill Him." The Jews, too, said, "This is the Christ," and they crucified Him. They cast Him out of the vineyard, for the Lord was slain outside of the city. But since we would also say that the vineyard is the people, Christ was slain by the Pharisees, the evil husbandmen, outside the vineyard, that is, outside and apart from the will of the guileless people.
Glossa Ordinaria (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 1274
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(ord.) Or, the Lord whom they killed, came immediately rising from the dead, and brought to an evil end those wicked husbandmen, and gave up His vineyard to other husbandmen, that is, to the Apostles.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Matthew 21:39 serves as the chilling climax of Jesus' Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers, depicting the ultimate act of rebellion by the tenants: the seizure, expulsion, and murder of the vineyard owner's son. This verse powerfully foreshadows Jesus' own rejection and crucifixion outside the city of Jerusalem, revealing the depth of human hostility towards God's final messenger and the divine plan for redemption accomplished through this very act of rejection.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Matthew 21:39 is rich in Allegory, where the entire parable functions as an extended metaphor. The "vineyard" symbolizes Israel, or more broadly, God's kingdom; the "owner" represents God; the "servants" are the prophets sent by God throughout Israel's history; the "tenants" are the religious leaders of Israel; and crucially, the "son" is Jesus Himself. This verse, therefore, is a powerful instance of Prophecy and Foreshadowing, directly predicting Jesus' impending crucifixion. The detail of being "cast out of the vineyard" before being slain is a specific prophetic detail, pointing to Jesus being crucified outside Jerusalem's city gate, a detail emphasized in Hebrews 13:12. The dramatic progression of the tenants' actions—from catching to casting out to slaying—also creates a sense of Dramatic Irony, as the audience knows the true identity of the Son and the tragic fulfillment of this parabolic event.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Matthew 21:39 profoundly connects to the broader biblical narrative of humanity's persistent rebellion against God's authority and His gracious, yet often rejected, overtures of salvation. The tenants' actions reflect the tragic history of Israel's rejection of God's prophets, culminating in their ultimate rejection of His Son. This verse underscores the immense cost of sin and the depth of human depravity, yet simultaneously highlights God's unwavering commitment to His redemptive plan, even through the suffering and death of His beloved Son. It reveals that Jesus' crucifixion was not an accident but a deliberate act of human wickedness, yet one that God sovereignly incorporated into His plan for the atonement of sins, thereby transforming an act of ultimate evil into the means of ultimate good.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Matthew 21:39 serves as a sobering mirror, inviting us to examine our own hearts and lives. Are we, like the wicked vinedressers, attempting to claim ownership over what rightfully belongs to God? Are we rejecting His authority, His Word, or His Son in subtle or overt ways? This verse compels us to consider the immense sacrifice of Christ, who, though the rightful heir, was seized, cast out, and slain for our redemption. It calls us to move beyond mere intellectual assent to Christ's Lordship and to embrace a life of faithful stewardship, recognizing that everything we have is a gift from God, to be managed according to His will. The parable warns against the dangers of spiritual pride, self-interest, and the refusal to acknowledge God's sovereignty, reminding us that persistent rejection of God's grace leads to severe consequences. Instead, we are called to be faithful tenants, bearing fruit for the Master and eagerly welcoming His Son.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did the tenants cast the son out of the vineyard before killing him?
Answer: This detail is highly symbolic and prophetic. In the context of the parable, casting the son "out of the vineyard" signifies a complete rejection of his authority and claim to the inheritance. It was an act of disinheritance and public shaming. Prophetic fulfillment points to Jesus being crucified outside the city gates of Jerusalem. This was a common practice for executions, especially for those deemed cursed or unworthy, emphasizing His rejection by the religious and political powers of His day. It underscores that His death was not just a murder, but an expulsion from the community that should have embraced Him.
Who do the "vinedressers" or "tenants" represent in this parable?
Answer: The "vinedressers" or "tenants" primarily represent the religious leaders of Israel (the chief priests and elders to whom Jesus was speaking, as indicated in Matthew 21:23). They were entrusted with the care and stewardship of God's people (the "vineyard"). The parable indicts them for their historical rejection of God's prophets (the "servants") and their impending rejection and murder of God's Son, Jesus. More broadly, the parable can also serve as a warning to all who are given spiritual responsibility but fail to acknowledge God's ultimate ownership and authority.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Matthew 21:39, though a parable, is a profound Christ-centered prophecy. The "son" who is seized, cast out, and slain is none other than Jesus Christ, the beloved Son of God. This verse vividly foreshadows His crucifixion, not as an unforeseen tragedy, but as the culmination of human rebellion and, paradoxically, the sovereign plan of God for redemption. The act of being "cast out of the vineyard" finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus' suffering outside the city gate, signifying His rejection by His own people, as prophesied in Psalm 118:22 and echoed by Peter in Acts 4:11. Yet, this very act of rejection and murder, born of human wickedness, becomes the means by which God accomplishes salvation. Jesus, the slain Son, is the Lamb of God whose blood atones for the sins of the world (John 1:29). His death, though a demonstration of humanity's sin, is the ultimate display of God's love (Romans 5:8), leading to reconciliation and new life for all who believe (Colossians 1:19-20). Thus, the rejected and murdered Son becomes the cornerstone of God's new spiritual house, establishing a new covenant through His sacrifice.