“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country.
English Standard Version (ESV)
While the parable recounts the extensive preparations of the landowner, the most striking detail is the "winepress" dug into the ground. This wasn't just a simple tool, but a significant, permanent fixture requiring considerable effort to create, highlighting the deep investment and expectation the owner had for this vineyard.
“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Just before this, Jesus had publicly challenged the religious leaders in the temple. Now, he tells another parable, painting a vivid picture of a landowner who meticulously prepared a vineyard, leased it to tenants, and then left the country, intending to collect the fruits later. This parable is a direct continuation of Jesus' confrontation with the authorities, setting the stage to expose their unfaithfulness as stewards of God's people.
Imagine a homeowner planting a vineyard. It's not just a casual hobby; it's an investment of significant care and resources. This parable begins by detailing just how much effort went into preparing this vineyard.
The parable opens with a detailed picture of meticulous preparation:
This isn't a picture of neglect, but of generous investment and careful protection, all designed to ensure the vineyard's success and fruitfulness.
After all this meticulous preparation, the owner doesn't stick around to manage every detail. He leaves. What does this 'leaving' signify, and what does it say about the trust placed in the tenants?
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The parable states that the master 'leased it to tenants, and went into another country.' This signifies several important things:
This setup highlights a system of stewardship, where those put in charge are expected to be faithful caretakers and produce according to the owner's investment and purpose.
Understand the original words
parabolē · Greek Noun
A short, earthly story used to illustrate a deeper spiritual truth, often involving a comparison between familiar aspects of life and the realities of God's kingdom.
ampelōn · Greek Noun
An agricultural plot used to produce grapes for wine; symbolically, it often represents Israel or the people of God whom He cultivates and expects to bear fruit.
geōrgos · Greek Noun
A person who cultivates land owned by another in exchange for a portion of the produce; in parables, they often represent stewards or leaders entrusted with divine authority.
This parable wasn't just a quaint story; it was a direct, challenging accusation against the religious leaders of Jesus' day. By using familiar imagery of a vineyard—a symbol deeply woven into Israel's identity and even appearing on their coins—Jesus powerfully illustrated their failure to produce the 'fruits' God expected and their impending judgment for rejecting His Son.
c. 8th century BC
Isaiah's Vineyard Parable
The prophet Isaiah uses the imagery of a vineyard planted and tended by a master, but yielding wild grapes, to illustrate God's disappointment with Israel's unfaithfulness. This sets a literary precedent for later vineyard parables.
c. 4th century BC
Maccabean Coins Feature Vine
The vine becomes a national symbol for the Jewish people, appearing on Maccabean coins. This demonstrates the cultural and national significance of the vineyard in Jewish identity.
c. 1st century AD
Roman Land Tenure in Judea
The Roman Empire often restored conquered lands to local rulers or tenants with the expectation of receiving a portion of the produce (the metayer system). This practice was familiar in Judea during Jesus' time.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus Teaches the Parable
Jesus, facing opposition from the religious leaders in Jerusalem, tells the parable of the wicked tenants of the vineyard. He directly challenges their authority and foreshadows their rejection of him and his impending judgment.
c. AD 33
Jesus is Crucified
The religious leaders, acting as the wicked tenants, reject and kill Jesus, the Son of the vineyard owner. This event fulfills the parable's central conflict and sets the stage for divine judgment.
c. AD 70
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Roman army destroys Jerusalem and the Temple, fulfilling Jesus' prophecy and the parable's judgment upon the wicked tenants. The vineyard is taken from them and given to others.
This passage is the direct Old Testament source for Jesus' parable, clearly laying out the imagery of God's people as a vineyard and His diligent care for it.
Psalm 80:8-16This psalm poetically describes Israel as a vine brought out of Egypt and pleads for God's restoration, echoing the theme of God's careful cultivation and the vineyard's vulnerability.
Jeremiah 2:21This verse directly rebukes Israel for turning into a 'wild vine of degenerate plants,' highlighting the theme of unfaithfulness and the failure of the 'husbandmen' to produce good fruit.
Ezekiel 15:1-8Here, Israel is compared to a vine that is good for nothing if it doesn't produce fruit, emphasizing the expectation of yield from the vineyard and the consequences of barrenness.
vincentMatthew 21:33: "Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:"
Hedged it round about (φραγμὸν αὐτῷ περιέθηκεν)Rev., more literally, set a hedge about it; possibly of the thorny wild aloe, common in the East.Digged a wine-press (ὤρυξεν ληνὸν)In Isaiah 5:1, Isaiah 5:2, which this parable at once recalls, the Hebrew word r…
bensonMatthew 21:33: "Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:"
Matthew 21:33 . Hear another parable — In which you are very nearly concerned, as your own consciences must quickly tell you. In the preceding parable of the two sons, our Lord convicted the Pharisees, the chief priests, and elders, of absolute disobedience to God,…
While the parable recounts the extensive preparations of the landowner, the most striking detail is the "winepress" dug into the ground. This wasn't just a simple tool, but a significant, permanent fixture requiring considerable effort to create, highlighting the deep investment and expectation the owner had for this vineyard.
Just before this, Jesus had publicly challenged the religious leaders in the temple. Now, he tells another parable, painting a vivid picture of a landowner who meticulously prepared a vineyard, leased it to tenants, and then left the country, intending to collect the fruits later. This parable is a direct continuation of Jesus' confrontation with the authorities, setting the stage to expose their unfaithfulness as stewards of God's people.
Just before this, Jesus had publicly challenged the religious leaders in the temple. Now, he tells another parable, painting a vivid picture of a landowner who meticulously prepared a vineyard, leased it to tenants, and then left the country, intending to collect the fruits later. This parable is a direct continuation of Jesus' confrontation with the authorities, setting the stage to expose their unfaithfulness as stewards of God's people.
"“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country." — While the parable recounts the extensive preparations of the landowner, the most striking detail is the "winepress" dug into the ground. This wasn't just a simple tool, but a significant, permanent f…
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Last reviewed October 2026