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Mark 12

And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.

And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.

And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.

And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled.

And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.

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

But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.

And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.

What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.

And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:

This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.

And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.

And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?

Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it.

And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar's.

And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.

Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,

Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man's brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed.

And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise.

And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also.

In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.

And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?

For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.

And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?

He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.

And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:

And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David?

For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.

David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly.

And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,

And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts:

Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.

And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.

And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

What does Mark 12:5 mean?

Explanation

Mark 12:5 presents a continuation of Jesus' parable of the wicked tenants, which began a few verses earlier.

In this parable, a man plants a vineyard and rents it out to some farmers before leaving the country.

The owner then sends various servants to collect some of the fruit of the vineyard as his share of the crop.

However, the tenants mistreat or kill each servant sent to them.

The verse in question describes the growing brutality of the tenants as they receive each subsequent servant; not only do they refuse to give the owner his due, but their violence escalates, culminating in the killing of multiple servants.

This verse represents the ongoing rejection and mistreatment of prophets sent by God to Israel throughout history.

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Historical Context

The Gospel of Mark is believed to have been written around 66-70 AD, a time of great turmoil for the Jewish community, including the destruction of the Second Temple.

This parable would have resonated strongly with early Christian communities who saw themselves as suffering at the hands of both Jewish authorities and Roman persecutors.

In this historical context, the parable illustrates the failure of Israel's religious leaders to heed the messengers (prophets) and predicts the coming of God's judgment upon them.

Theological Insights

Different theological viewpoints interpret this verse and the parable as a whole in various ways.

Traditional Christian interpretation sees the servants as representing the prophets sent by God throughout the Old Testament era, who were often rejected and mistreated by the people of Israel.

Jesus himself is then identified with the son who is later sent by the owner and killed by the tenants (Mark 12:6-8), pointing to the ultimate rejection of God's son by humanity.

The parable serves as a warning and also as a revelation of God's patience and judgment.

Practical Applications

This verse invites reflection on how individuals and communities respond to the messages and messengers of God.

The practical application may involve self-examination and communal introspection regarding the acceptance of guidance, correction, and wisdom that comes through various channels.

It encourages listeners to be open to God's voice, however it may be delivered, and to treat messengers with respect and consideration.

Cross-References

Matthew 21:35-36: "And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another."
Hebrews 11:36-37: "And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;"
2 Chronicles 24:21: "And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD."
Jeremiah 7:25-26: "Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them: Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers."

Language Study

In this verse, the verbs "beat" (Greek: "dérontes") and "killed" (Greek: "apokteínantes") emphasize the action taken against the servants.

The repetitive use of these verbs in different forms throughout the parable highlights the increasing violence.

The original language accentuates both the physical and metaphorical violence against those sent by God.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

This parable can be compared to other ancient religious narratives where a prophet or emissary is mistreated or killed.

For example, the Egyptian story of Osiris features the god being killed by his brother Set, which could be seen as an early parallel to the idea of a rejected and killed divine figure.

However, a direct correlation between these is speculative and not commonly accepted in scholarly circles.

Scientific Perspectives

The verse itself does not directly intersect with modern scientific understandings as it is a narrative from a parable.

However, one could explore the impact of violence on societies from a sociological and psychological perspective, analyzing how rejection of moral and prophetic messages might correlate with social decay or transformation.

Commentaries

Commentators interpret this verse within the larger narrative of the parable and its symbolic meanings.

William Barclay notes the patience and love of God in continuing to send messengers despite repeated rejections.

Craig S.

Keener points to the historical context of prophets who were persecuted.

R.T.

France highlights Jesus as the climactic messenger whose fate reflects and surpasses that of past prophets.

Various commentators agree that this parable contains a prophetic critique of the religious leadership and a foreshadowing of Jesus' own rejection and crucifixion.

Mark 12

Mark 12

What does Mark 12:5 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Mark 12:5 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?