Matthew 21:34
New International Version
When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.

New Living Translation
At the time of the grape harvest, he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop.

English Standard Version
When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit.

Berean Standard Bible
When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit.

Berean Literal Bible
And when the season of the fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the farmers, to receive his fruits.

King James Bible
And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

New King James Version
Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.

New American Standard Bible
And when the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his fruit.

NASB 1995
“When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce.

NASB 1977
“And when the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now when the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his fruit.

Amplified Bible
When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his [share of the] fruit.

Christian Standard Bible
When the time came to harvest fruit, he sent his servants to the farmers to collect his fruit.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When the grape harvest drew near, he sent his slaves to the farmers to collect his fruit.

American Standard Version
And when the season of the fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, to receive his fruits.

Contemporary English Version
When it was harvest time, the owner sent some servants to get his share of the grapes.

English Revised Version
And when the season of the fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, to receive his fruits.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"When the grapes were getting ripe, he sent his servants to the workers to collect his share of the produce.

Good News Translation
When the time came to gather the grapes, he sent his slaves to the tenants to receive his share of the harvest.

International Standard Version
When harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenant farmers to collect his produce.

Majority Standard Bible
When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit.

NET Bible
When the harvest time was near, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his portion of the crop.

New Heart English Bible
When the season for the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to receive his fruit.

Webster's Bible Translation
And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

Weymouth New Testament
When vintage-time approached, he sent his servants to the vine-dressers to receive his share of the grapes;

World English Bible
When the season for the fruit came near, he sent his servants to the farmers to receive his fruit.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And when the season of the fruits came near, he sent his servants to the farmers, to receive the fruits of it,

Berean Literal Bible
And when the season of the fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the farmers, to receive his fruits.

Young's Literal Translation
'And when the season of the fruits came nigh, he sent his servants unto the husbandmen, to receive the fruits of it,

Smith's Literal Translation
And when the time of the fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the farmers, to receive his parts.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when the time of the fruits drew nigh, he sent his servants to the husbandmen that they might receive the fruits thereof.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then, when the time of the fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the farmers, so that they might receive its fruits.

New American Bible
When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.

New Revised Standard Version
When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And when the fruit season was at hand, he sent his servants to the laborers, that they might send him of the fruits of his vineyard.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“But when the fruit season had arrived, he sent his servants to the laborers so that they would send some of the fruit of the vineyard to him.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the vine-dressers to receive the fruits of it.

Godbey New Testament
And when the time of the fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, to receive his fruits;

Haweis New Testament
But when the season for fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen to receive his fruits.

Mace New Testament
and when the fruit-season came on, he sent his servants to the tenants, to receive the fruits of it.

Weymouth New Testament
When vintage-time approached, he sent his servants to the vine-dressers to receive his share of the grapes;

Worrell New Testament
And, when the season of the fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen to receive his fruits.

Worsley New Testament
And when the fruit-season drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, to receive the fruits of it:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
33Listen 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. 34 When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit. 35But the tenants seized his servants. They beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.…

Cross References
Mark 12:2-5
At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. / But they seized the servant, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. / Then he sent them another servant, and they struck him over the head and treated him shamefully. ...

Luke 20:10-12
At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed. / So he sent another servant, but they beat him and treated him shamefully, sending him away empty-handed. / Then he sent a third, but they wounded him and threw him out.

Isaiah 5:1-7
I will sing for my beloved a song of his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. / He dug it up and cleared the stones and planted the finest vines. He built a watchtower in the middle and dug out a winepress as well. He waited for the vineyard to yield good grapes, but the fruit it produced was sour! / “And now, O dwellers of Jerusalem and men of Judah, I exhort you to judge between Me and My vineyard. ...

Jeremiah 7:25-26
From the day your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets again and again. / Yet they would not listen to Me or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and did more evil than their fathers.

Jeremiah 25:4
And the LORD has sent all His servants the prophets to you again and again, but you have not listened or inclined your ear to hear.

2 Chronicles 36:15-16
Again and again the LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to His people through His messengers because He had compassion on them and on His dwelling place. / But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy.

Nehemiah 9:26
But they were disobedient and rebelled against You; they flung Your law behind their backs. They killed Your prophets, who had admonished them to return to You. They committed terrible blasphemies.

Hebrews 11:36-37
Still others endured mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. / They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were put to death by the sword. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, oppressed, and mistreated.

Acts 7:52
Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers—

1 Thessalonians 2:15
who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and drove us out as well. They are displeasing to God and hostile to all men,

Matthew 23:34-37
Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town. / And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. / Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation. ...

John 15:20
Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well.

John 10:31-33
At this, the Jews again picked up stones to stone Him. / But Jesus responded, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone Me?” / “We are not stoning You for any good work,” said the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because You, who are a man, make Yourself out to be God.”

2 Kings 17:13-14
Yet through all His prophets and seers, the LORD warned Israel and Judah, saying, “Turn from your wicked ways and keep My commandments and statutes, according to the entire Law that I commanded your fathers and delivered to you through My servants the prophets.” / But they would not listen, and they stiffened their necks like their fathers, who did not believe the LORD their God.

2 Chronicles 24:19-21
Nevertheless, the LORD sent prophets to bring the people back to Him and to testify against them, but they would not listen. / Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has forsaken you.’” / But they conspired against Zechariah, and by order of the king, they stoned him in the courtyard of the house of the LORD.


Treasury of Scripture

And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the farmers, that they might receive the fruits of it.

he sent.

2 Kings 17:13,14
Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets…

2 Chronicles 36:15,16
And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: …

Nehemiah 9:29,30
And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear…

that.

Song of Solomon 8:11,12
Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver…

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?

Jump to Previous
Approached Bondmen Collect Drew Farmers Fruit Fruits Grapes Harvest Husbandmen Nigh Produce Receive Season Servants Share Slaves Tenants Time Vine-Dressers Vine-Growers Vintage-Time Workmen
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Approached Bondmen Collect Drew Farmers Fruit Fruits Grapes Harvest Husbandmen Nigh Produce Receive Season Servants Share Slaves Tenants Time Vine-Dressers Vine-Growers Vintage-Time Workmen
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.














When the harvest time drew near
This phrase sets the stage for the parable of the tenants, illustrating a critical moment of expectation and fulfillment. The Greek word for "harvest" (θερισμός, therismos) signifies not just the physical gathering of crops but also a time of reckoning and judgment. In the biblical context, harvest often symbolizes the end of an age or a divine assessment of human actions. Historically, harvest time was a period of great anticipation and labor, reflecting the culmination of a season's work. Spiritually, it reminds believers of the eventual return of Christ and the final judgment, urging readiness and faithfulness.

he sent his servants
The "he" in this context refers to the landowner, symbolizing God. The act of sending servants (δοῦλοι, douloi) is significant, as it represents the prophets and messengers God sent to Israel throughout history. These servants were tasked with calling the people back to faithfulness and righteousness. The sending of servants underscores God's persistent and patient outreach to humanity, despite repeated rejections. It highlights the divine initiative in seeking reconciliation with His people, emphasizing God's grace and mercy.

to the tenants
The "tenants" (γεωργοί, geōrgoi) in the parable represent the leaders of Israel, particularly the religious authorities who were entrusted with the care of God's vineyard, symbolizing His people. This imagery draws from Isaiah 5, where Israel is depicted as a vineyard. The tenants' role was to cultivate and produce fruit, reflecting the responsibility of spiritual leaders to guide and nurture the faith community. Historically, this points to the covenant relationship between God and Israel, where the leaders were expected to lead the people in obedience and worship.

to collect his share of the fruit
The "fruit" (καρπός, karpos) signifies the spiritual and moral outcomes expected from God's people. In a broader sense, it represents the fruits of righteousness, justice, and faithfulness that God desires. The collection of fruit implies accountability and stewardship, reminding believers that they are to bear fruit in keeping with repentance (Matthew 3:8). This phrase challenges Christians to examine their lives for evidence of spiritual growth and alignment with God's will. It also serves as a reminder of the ultimate accountability before God, who rightfully seeks the fruits of His investment in our lives.

(34) When the time of the fruit drew near.--We must be content here with following the general drift of the parable, and cannot find any exact parallel in the history of Israel to the successive sendings of the servants of the householder. It is enough to see in them the general expectation (comp. the language of Isaiah 5:4, "I looked that it should bring forth grapes") that the developed life of Israel should be worthy of its calling, and the mission of the prophets who. as the servants of Jehovah, were sent from time to time to call the people to bring forth the fruits of righteousness.

Verse 34. - When the time of the fruit drew near. The vintage season, when the rent, whether in money or kind, became due. In the Jewish history no particular time seems to be signified, but rather such periods or crises which forced God's claims upon men's notice, and made them consider what fruits they had to show for all the Lord's care, how they had lived after receiving the Law. Such times were the ages of Samuel, Elijah, the great prophets, the Maccabees, and John the Baptist. His servants. The prophets, good kings, priests, and governors. "I have sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings" (Jeremiah 35:15). To receive the fruits of it (τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτοῦ); or, his fruits, as rent.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
When
Ὅτε (Hote)
Adverb
Strong's 3753: When, at which time. From hos and te; at which too, i.e. When.

the
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

harvest time
καιρὸς (kairos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2540: Fitting season, season, opportunity, occasion, time. Of uncertain affinity; an occasion, i.e. Set or proper time.

drew near,
ἤγγισεν (ēngisen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1448: Trans: I bring near; intrans: I come near, approach. From eggus; to make near, i.e. approach.

he sent
ἀπέστειλεν (apesteilen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 649: From apo and stello; set apart, i.e. to send out literally or figuratively.

his
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

servants
δούλους (doulous)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1401: (a) (as adj.) enslaved, (b) (as noun) a (male) slave. From deo; a slave.

to
πρὸς (pros)
Preposition
Strong's 4314: To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.

the
τοὺς (tous)
Article - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

tenants
γεωργοὺς (geōrgous)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1092: From ge and the base of ergon; a land-worker, i.e. Farmer.

to collect
λαβεῖν (labein)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 2983: (a) I receive, get, (b) I take, lay hold of.

his
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

share of the crop.
καρποὺς (karpous)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2590: Probably from the base of harpazo; fruit, literally or figuratively.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 21:34 When the season for the fruit drew (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 21:33
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