The Meaning of Matthew 21:35 Explained

Matthew 21:35

KJV: And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

YLT: and the husbandmen having taken his servants, one they scourged, and one they killed, and one they stoned.

Darby: And the husbandmen took his bondmen, and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.

ASV: And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  the husbandmen  took  his  servants,  and beat  one,  and  killed  another,  and  stoned  another. 

What does Matthew 21:35 Mean?

Context Summary

Matthew 21:33-46 - Rejecters Themselves Rejected
This parable is based on Isaiah 5:1-7. The husbandmen are the religious leaders of the people. The vineyard is of course the Hebrew nation. The servants sent for the produce refer to the prophets and others raised up from time to time to speak for God and to demand "fruits meet for repentance." Notice that when He speaks of the mission of the Son, our Lord severs Himself, by the sharpest possible line, from all merely human messengers and claims sonship in the most intimate and lofty sense of the word.
It is said that in the building of Solomon's Temple, a curiously shaped stone, sent from the quarry, was left to lie for many months in the entangled undergrowth, till suddenly its fitness was discovered for a place in the Temple walls. Then it was put into its right position, which it occupied thenceforward. This incident may be referred to in Psalms 118:22. How truly it portrays men's treatment of our Lord! Is He your corner-stone?
The questions on Section 36-74, to be found on pp. 73-75, will serve as a review at this point. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 21

1  Jesus rides into Jerusalem upon a donkey
12  drives the buyers and sellers out of the temple;
17  curses the fig tree;
23  puts to silence the priests and elders,
28  and rebukes them by the parable of the two sons,
33  and the husbandmen who slew such as were sent to them

Greek Commentary for Matthew 21:35

They will reverence my son [εντραπησονται τον υιον μου]
Second future passive from εντρεπω — entrepō to turn at, but used transitively here as though active or middle. It is the picture of turning with respect when one worthy of it appears. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 21:35

Mark 12:5 Beating some and killing some [ους μεν δεροντεσ ους δε αποκτεννυντες]
This distributive use of the demonstrative appears also in Matthew 21:35 in the singular Originally αποκτεννυμι — derō in Homer meant to skin, flay, then to smite, to beat. Apoktennuntes is a mi form of the verb (apoktennumi) and means to kill off. [source]
Mark 12:6 Last [εσχατον]
Only in Mark. See Matthew 21:35 for discussion of “reverence.” [source]
Luke 12:47 Shall be beaten with many stripes [δαρησεται πολλας]
Second future passive of δερω — derō to skin, to beat, to flay (see on Matthew 21:35; Mark 12:3, Mark 12:5). The passive voice retains here the accusative πολλας — pollas (supply πληγας — plēgas present in Luke 10:30). The same explanation applies to ολιγας — oligas in Luke 12:48. [source]
John 18:23 If I have spoken evil [ει κακως ελαλησα]
Condition of first class (assumed to be true), with ει — ei and aorist active indicative. Jesus had not spoken evilly towards Annas, though he did not here turn the other cheek, one may note. For the sake of argument, Jesus puts it as if he did speak evilly. Then prove it, that is all. Bear witness of the evil First aorist active imperative of μαρτυρεω — martureō to testify. This is the conclusion (apodosis). Jesus is clearly entitled to proof of such a charge if there is any. But if well Supply the same verb ελαλησα — elalēsa The same condition, but with a challenging question as the apodosis. Smitest Old verb δερω — derō to flay, to skin, to beat, as in Matthew 21:35; Luke 22:63; 2 Corinthians 11:20 (of an insulting blow in the face as here). [source]
Acts 14:5 To entreat them shamefully [υβρισαι]
First aorist active infinitive of υβριζω — hubrizō old verb to insult insolently. See Matthew 22:6; Luke 18:32. To stone (λιτοβολησαι — lithobolēsai). First aorist active infinitive of λιτοβολεω — lithoboleō late verb from λιτοβολος — lithobolos (λιτος — lithos stone, βαλλω — ballō to throw) to pelt with stones, the verb used of the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58). See Matthew 21:35. The plan to stone them shows that the Jews were in the lead and followed by the Gentile rabble. “Legal proceedings having failed the only resource left for the Jews was illegal violence” (Rackham). [source]
Acts 14:5 To stone [λιτοβολησαι]
First aorist active infinitive of λιτοβολεω — lithoboleō late verb from λιτοβολος — lithobolos See Matthew 21:35. The plan to stone them shows that the Jews were in the lead and followed by the Gentile rabble. “Legal proceedings having failed the only resource left for the Jews was illegal violence” (Rackham). [source]
Acts 22:19 Imprisoned and beat [ημην πυλακιζων και δερων]
Periphrastic imperfect active of πυλακιζω — phulakizō (lxx and late Koiné, here alone in the N.T.) and δερω — derō (old verb to skin, to beat as in Matthew 21:35 which see). [source]
Colossians 3:24 Of the inheritance []
Which consists or is in the inheritance. Compare the similar construction, Colossians 1:12. See Matthew 21:35-38, where the δοῦλος bond-servantand the κληρονόμος heirare contrasted; and Romans 8:15-17; Galatians 4:1-7. [source]
Hebrews 11:37 They were stoned [ελιταστησαν]
Like Zechariah son of Jehoiada (2 Chronicles 24:20). “A characteristic Jewish punishment” (Vincent). First aorist passive indicative of λιταζω — lithazō (John 10:31). They were sawn asunder First aorist passive indicative of πριω — priō or πριζω — prizō old verb Cruel Jewish punishment (Amos 1:3) said to have been inflicted on Isaiah. They were tempted First aorist passive indicative of πειραζω — peirazō The MSS. vary greatly in the text here and the order of these two items. This mild word seems an anticlimax after επριστησαν — epristhēsan One of the seven brothers was fried (2Macc 7:4) and so επρηστεσαν — eprēsthesan (were burned) from πιμπραω — pimpraō (Acts 28:6) has been suggested. With the sword “In (by) slaughter of the sword” (Ionic form of the genitive μαχαιρες — machaires as in Exodus 17:13; Numbers 21:24). The fate of unpopular prophets (1 Kings 10:10; Jeremiah 26:23). They went about Constative aorist active indicative of περιερχομαι — perierchomai (picturesque compound verb). Here the sufferings of the living. In sheep skins Late word from μηλον — mēlon (sheep), rough garment of prophets as Elijah (1 Kings 19:13, 1 Kings 19:19), here only in N.T. In Byzantine Greek a monk‘s garb. In goatskins Δερμα — Derma old word from δερω — derō to flay (Matthew 21:35), here only in N.T. Αιγειος — Aigeios old adjective (from αιχ — aix goat), here only in N.T. Being destitute Present passive participle of υστερεω — hustereō old verb to be left behind, used by Paul of himself (2 Corinthians 11:9). Afflicted Present passive participle of τλιβω — thlibō common verb to oppress. Evil entreated Present passive participle of κακουχεω — kakoucheō late compound verb from obsolete κακουχος — kakouchos (κακος — kakos and εχω — echō), in lxx (1Kings 2:26), in N.T. only here and Hebrews 13:3. See συνκακουχεισται — sunkakoucheisthai in Hebrews 11:25. [source]
Hebrews 12:20 For they could not endure [ουκ επερον γαρ]
Imperfect active of περω — pherō “for they were not enduring (bearing).” That which was enjoined Present passive articular participle of διαστελλω — diastellō old verb to distinguish, to dispose, to order. The quotation is from Exodus 19:12. The people appealed to Moses (Exodus 20:19) and the leaders did so also (Deuteronomy 5:23.), both in terror. If even “Even if.” Condition of third class with second aorist active subjunctive of τιγγανω — thigganō as in Hebrews 11:28, followed by genitive ορους — orous (mountain). It shall be stoned From Exodus 19:13. Late compound verb from λιτοβολος — lithobolos (from λιτοσ βαλλω — lithos class="translit"> ballō) as in Matthew 21:35. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 21:35 mean?

And having taken the farmers the servants of him one - they beat then they killed they stoned
καὶ λαβόντες οἱ γεωργοὶ τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ ὃν μὲν ἔδειραν δὲ ἀπέκτειναν ἐλιθοβόλησαν

λαβόντες  having  taken 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: λαμβάνω  
Sense: to take.
γεωργοὶ  farmers 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: γεωργός  
Sense: a husbandman, tiller of the soil, a vine dresser.
δούλους  servants 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: δοῦλοσ1 
Sense: a slave, bondman, man of servile condition.
αὐτοῦ  of  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ὃν  one 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
μὲν  - 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: μέν  
Sense: truly, certainly, surely, indeed.
ἔδειραν  they  beat 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: δέρω  
Sense: to flay, skin.
ἀπέκτειναν  they  killed 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἀποκτείνω 
Sense: to kill in any way whatever.
ἐλιθοβόλησαν  they  stoned 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: λιθοβολέω  
Sense: to kill by stoning, to stone.