Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 20:13
Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence [him] when they see him.
13. What shall I do? ] Gen 1:26; Gen 6:7.
I will send my beloved son ] who “took on Him the form of a servant.” Our Lord’s teaching respecting His own divine dignity advanced in distinctness as the end was approaching.
it may be ] Literally, “ perhaps.” It occurs here alone in the N. T. and once only in the LXX., 1Sa 25:21 (Heb. E. V. ‘surely’). This ‘perhaps’ belongs of course only to the parable, but it (i) indicates their free will, and (ii) enhances their awful crime to represent it as having seemed all but inconceivable.
when they see him ] Omitted in , B, C, D, L, Q.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
13. my beloved sonMark (Mr12:6) still more affectingly, “Having yet therefore one son,his well-beloved”; our Lord thus severing Himself from allmerely human messengers, and claiming Sonship in itsloftiest sense. (Compare Heb3:3-6.)
it may be“surely”;implying the almost unimaginable guilt of not doing so.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then said the Lord of the vineyard,…. Who planted it, and let it out to husbandmen, and expected fruit from it, and sent his servants from time to time for it:
what shall I do? or what can be done more than has been done? Isa 5:4 who else can be sent that is likely to do any good with such an ungrateful and unfruitful people?
I will send my beloved Son; the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who lay in his bosom, was the darling of his soul, and the delight of his heart; him he determined to send, and him he did send to the lost sheep of the house of Israel:
it may be they will reverence him, when they see him: it might be thought after the manner of men, that considering the greatness of his person, as the Son of God, the nature of his office, as the Redeemer and Saviour of men, the doctrines which he preached, the miracles which he wrought, and the holiness and harmlessness of his conversation, and the great good he did both to the bodies and souls of men, that he would have been had in great esteem and veneration with the men, to whom he was sent, and among whom he conversed: but, alas! when they saw him, they saw no beauty, comeliness, and excellency in him, and nothing on account of which he should be desired by them.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
What shall I do? ( ;). Deliberative future indicative or aorist subjunctive (same form). This detail only in Luke. Note the variations in all three Gospels. All three have “will reverence” () for which see Matthew and Mark.
It may be (). Perhaps, from , equal. Old adverb, but only here in the N.T.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
It may be [] . Only here in New Testament. The adverb of isov, equal. It expresses more than perhaps, implying rather a strong probability. Compare the phrase, it is an even chance that.
Reverence. See on Mt 21:37.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Then said the lord of the vineyard,” (eipenm de ho kurios tou ampelonos) “Then the master (owner) of the vineyard said,” the owner who planted the vineyard, in response to the violent treatment the husbandmen-stewards had treated his servants who had gone to them to receive dividend of the annual fruit from the vineyard, 1Co 4:2.
2) “What shall I do?” (ti poieso) “Just what may I do?” as he meditated. There is mercy yet considered, Isa 5:1-7.
3) I will send my beloved son” (pempso ton huion mou ton agapeton) “I will just send my beloved heir-son,” Isa 7:14; Jesus Christ, whom He had now sent, even Jesus Christ, Joh 1:14; Joh 3:16; Rom 4:4-5; 1Ti 3:16; Heb 1:2; Mat 21:37 a; Heb 3:5-6; Mar 12:6.
4) “It may be they will receive him when they see him.” (isos touton entrapesontai) “Perhaps they will regard this one,” or hold my son with respect or esteem when they see him, face to face, Mat 21:37; Yet, the Son came and took-the “form of a servant,” Php_2:7; Mar 12:6; Joh 3:16.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(13) It may be.The doubt implied in the qualification is a feature peculiar to St. Lukes report. The better MSS. omit the clause when they see him.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
“And the lord of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. It may be that they will reverence him.’ ”
Finally the owner of the vineyard decided that He would give them one last chance. He would send to them his beloved son. This was with the twofold hope, firstly that they would acknowledge the potential owner as having the right to collect payment, and secondly in the hope that their consciences might be moved at the thought of the special and precious beloved son, with the result that that they would repent and respond to Him. They would recognise that while they might get away with illtreating servants, it would be a very different matter with the only son. In Isa 5:1-7 the Beloved was God Himself. Here the Beloved is His Son. Compare also Luk 3:22, ‘You are My beloved Son’. The implication was clear for all who had eyes to see. It is as clear a declaration of Jesus’ uniqueness, and of His Sonship as it is possible to have. Only the spiritually and obstinately blind could fail to see it.
And yet, as was necessary at this time of such bitterness, His claim was couched in such a way that it could not be used as an instrument against Him. All knew, however, that if they questioned Him about it He would come back with one of His devastating questions, such as, ‘Why do you think that this applies to Me?’ All would know that it did, and they would simply be left looking foolish. But it would equally appear foolish to charge Him with blasphemy on account of it unless they were willing to admit His claim.
The sending of the Son is seen as God’s final act towards men. If they will not respond to Him, and to those who go out in His Name, they will not respond to anyone. Heb 1:1-3 may well have partly resulted as a consequence of this parable.
Some may argue that no father in his right senses would do such a thing, and they would, of course, be right. But this is not speaking of any father. It is speaking of God. And this is precisely what God amazingly did do. It is meant to sound remarkable. It was remarkable (Joh 3:16; 1Jn 4:9-10; Rom 5:8; Gal 4:4-5; Heb 1:1-3).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The climax of the story and its application:
v. 13. Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; it may be they will relevance him when they see him.
v. 14. But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.
v. 15. So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them?
v. 16. He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid!
v. 17. And He beheld them and said, What is this, then, that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?
v. 18. Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. The patience of the master of the vineyard is brought out with remarkable power. He deliberates upon the situation with himself, finally concluding to send his only, his beloved son. Surely the vine-dressers would not be so lacking in all qualities of decency and honorable dealing as to show disrespect and relevance for the son of the owner, whose authority stood second to that of his father: I should think that without doubt they will relevance him. But his kindness had not reckoned with the utter depravity of the wicked husbandmen. For, seeing the son coming, the renters immediately held a consultation, with the result that they determined to kill the heir and to put themselves into possession of the property. And, acting upon this heinous plan, they took the son, cast him out of the vineyard, and put him to death.
The explanation of the parable must have been evident to the leaders of the Jews at once. The owner of the vineyard is God. The vineyard, as Isaiah says in his song, is the kingdom of God, which He had planted in the midst of His people, the children of Israel. God had made Israel His people by the covenant of Mount Sinai. And His people had lacked nothing under His fatherly care. He had planted the hedge of His Law around them, He had given them the tower of the kingdom of David, and the wine of the Word of God flowed in streams of unchanging richness. But the great benefits which God showered upon His people were not repaid by them in kind. The vinedressers are the individual members of the Jewish congregation, especially the leaders of the nation. When God sent them His servants, the prophets, expecting from them the fruit, the obedience they owed Him, these servants were treated with contempt and every form of hatred. They were despised, derided, mistreated and even put to death, 2Ki 17:13-14; 2Ch 36:15-16. Isaiah, Amos, Micah, Jeremiah, Zechariah, the son of Jehoiadah, and others were obliged to feel the murderous hatred of the Jews, Heb 11:36; Act 7:52. When all other means had failed, God sent His only-begotten Son. But against Him their enmity rose to heights hitherto untouched. They held councils against Him to kill Him. They did not want Him to rule over their nation as the King of grace and mercy. The Jewish leaders wanted to rule the people in their own selfish way, for their own sinful gain. And so the murder of Christ was the climax of their wickedness.
Instead of ending the parable in the usual narrative style, Jesus, for the sake of emphasis, put the direct question to His hearers as to what the owner of the vineyard would do to those wicked vine-dressers. And He answered Himself, saying that he would come and destroy those husbandmen, and give the vineyard to others. This answer was echoed by some of the bystanders, though the chief priests and scribes felt that the parable was spoken for them. Some of them, therefore, called out in apparent horror: Let it not be done! Since the Jews rejected Christ and His Gospel, the Lord carried out His judgment against them by taking from them the proclamation of His love and giving it to the heathen, many of whom heeded His call and brought forth fruits meet for the kingdom of God. Undisturbed by their shocked objection, therefore, Jesus fixed His eyes upon the Jews and reminded them of the words of the prophet, in the very Hallel Psalm which they sang with so much show of sincerity on their great festivals, Psa 118:22. The chosen people rejected the Chosen Stone, and were. therefore rejected by God. Christ is the Corner-stone of His Church, Eph 2:20. By faith in His atonement there is salvation for both Jew and Gentile. But everyone that rejects the salvation through His blood must take the bitter consequences which he thus brings upon himself. It is a peculiar, a paradox judgment that falls upon the opponents of the Gospel. Foolish, mentally deranged, and spiritually blind people they are that want to run their heads, with the product of man’s wisdom, against the rock of the eternal Wisdom of God. Instead of making so much as a dent in the Rock of Ages, they find themselves staggering back with badly battered heads. And their rejection, in turn, reacts upon them, for the Stone falls on them with crushing judicial effect. They have their sentence of condemnation even here in time. And they will find out, in a dreadful eternity, what it means to reject the mercy of God. These solemn words of warning may well be brought to the attention of many people in our days that think the world has outgrown the old Gospel of salvation through the redemption of the blood of Jesus.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Luk 20:13. It may be they will Numberless predictions in the Old and New Testament, as well as the nature of Deity, plainly shew that the Divine Nature foresaw Christ’s death as a certain event: this therefore like many others is merely an ornamental circumstance, which cannot, without absurdity, be applied in the interpretation of the parable. The reader will refer to Mat 21:33; Mat 21:46.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Luk 20:13 . ; deliberative subjunctive, serving to make the step next taken appear something extraordinary. In Mt. it appears simply as the next (final) step in common course. In Mk. the son is the only person left to send. He had yet one, a beloved son, “beloved” added to bring out the significance of sending him. In Lk. the reference to the son has a theological colour: . : more than “perhaps” or “it may be” (A.V [162] , R.V [163] ), and less than “without doubt” (“sine dubio,” Wolf). It expresses what may naturally and reasonably be expected = (Hesychius), or (Bornemann) = I should think (they will reverence him). Here only in N.T.
[162] Authorised Version.
[163] Revised Version.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
the lord. Greek. ho Kurios. App-98. A.
What shall I do? Compare Gen 1:26; Gen 6:7.
beloved. Greek. agapetos. App-135.
it may be = surely. Greek. isos. Occurs only here; and only once in O.T. where it is Septuagint for Hebrew. ‘ak (1Sa 25:21).
reverence. See note on Mat 21:37. see. App-133.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Luk 20:13. ) occurs once in the New Testament, and once in the LXX. for , 1Sa 25:21. It denotes, humanly speaking, an opinion, conjecture, or hope, which might reasonably be entertained (as also profane authors employ for per chance, it may be that); in the present case there is signified the altogether wise frankness (sincerity) of the Divine goodness.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
What: Isa 5:4, Hos 6:4, Hos 11:8
I will: Luk 9:35, Mat 3:17, Mat 17:5, Joh 1:34, Joh 3:16, Joh 3:17, Joh 3:35, Joh 3:36, Rom 8:3, Gal 4:4, 1Jo 4:9-15
it may: Jer 36:3, Jer 36:7
Reciprocal: Gen 37:13 – come Eze 12:3 – it may Mat 21:37 – last Joh 1:11 – and Act 4:27 – the people
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Luke cast the owner’s thought in the form of a soliloquy, which he liked to do (cf. Luk 16:3-4; Luk 18:4-5). This literary device adds pathos to the story. The term "beloved" (Gr. agepeton) son identifies the owner’s son as unique from his viewpoint, but it also identified him as God’s Son to perceptive listeners and to Luke’s readers (cf. Luk 3:22). Evidently the tenants believed they could conceal the murder, and the owner would turn the vineyard over to them having no other heir. This was very bad stewardship of what belonged to the owner.
"Tenants were known to claim possession of land they had worked for absentee landlords (Talmud, Baba Bathra 35b, 40b). In a day when title was sometimes uncertain, anyone who had had the use of land for three years was presumed to own it in the absence of an alternative claim (Mishnah, Baba Bathra Luk 3:1)." [Note: Morris, p. 285.]