Matthew 21:37
New International Version
Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

New Living Translation
“Finally, the owner sent his son, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’

English Standard Version
Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

Berean Standard Bible
Finally, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

Berean Literal Bible
And afterward he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'

King James Bible
But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

New King James Version
Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

New American Standard Bible
But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

NASB 1995
“But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

NASB 1977
“But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

Legacy Standard Bible
But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

Amplified Bible
Finally he sent his own son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son and have regard for him.’

Christian Standard Bible
Finally, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Finally, he sent his son to them. They will respect my son,’ he said.

American Standard Version
But afterward he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

Contemporary English Version
Finally, the owner sent his own son to the renters, because he thought they would respect him.

English Revised Version
But afterward he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Finally, he sent his son to them. He thought, 'They will respect my son.'

Good News Translation
Last of all he sent his son to them. 'Surely they will respect my son,' he said.

International Standard Version
Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, 'They will respect my son.'

Majority Standard Bible
Finally, he sent his son to them. ?They will respect my son,? he said.

NET Bible
Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'

New Heart English Bible
But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, 'They will respect my son.'

Webster's Bible Translation
But last of all he sent to them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

Weymouth New Testament
Later still he sent to them his son, saying, "'They will respect my son.'

World English Bible
But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And at last he sent to them his son, saying, They will respect my son;

Berean Literal Bible
And afterward he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'

Young's Literal Translation
'And at last he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son;

Smith's Literal Translation
And afterwards he sent to them his son, saying, They will be changed by my son.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And last of all he sent to them his son, saying: They will reverence my son.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then, at the very end, he sent his son to them, saying: ‘They will revere my son.’

New American Bible
Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’

New Revised Standard Version
Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
At last he sent his son to them, saying, They might feel ashamed before my son.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Finally, he sent to them his son as he said, 'Doubtless they will reverence my son.'”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

Godbey New Testament
And afterward he sent to them his own son, saying, They will reverence my son.

Haweis New Testament
Then at last he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

Mace New Testament
but last of all, he sent his son, saying, they will reverence my son.

Weymouth New Testament
Later still he sent to them his son, saying, "'They will respect my son.'

Worrell New Testament
But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, 'They will reverence my son.'

Worsley New Testament
At last he sent unto them his Son, saying, They will reverence my Son.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
36Again, he sent other servants, more than the first group. But the tenants did the same to them. 37 Finally, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. 38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take his inheritance.’…

Cross References
Mark 12:6
Finally, having one beloved son, he sent him to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

Luke 20:13
‘What shall I do?’ asked the owner of the vineyard. ‘I will send my beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him.’

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Hebrews 1:1-2
On many past occasions and in many different ways, God spoke to our fathers through the prophets. / But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe.

Romans 8:32
He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?

Galatians 4:4
But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

John 1:11
He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

Acts 2:36
Therefore let all Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ!”

John 5:23
so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

John 15:23-24
Whoever hates Me hates My Father as well. / If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father.

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. ...

Psalm 2:7
I will proclaim the decree spoken to Me by the LORD: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.

Isaiah 53:3
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.

Zechariah 12:10
Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

Genesis 37:18-20
Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him. / “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another. / “Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!”


Treasury of Scripture

But last of all he sent to them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

last.

Matthew 3:17
And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Mark 12:6
Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.

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.

They.

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?

Jeremiah 36:3
It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.

Zephaniah 3:7
I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.

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Afterward Last Respect Reverence They
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.














Finally
The word "finally" indicates the culmination of a series of actions. In the context of the parable of the tenants, it signifies the last and most significant attempt by the landowner to reach out to the tenants. This word underscores the patience and long-suffering nature of God, who, throughout history, has made numerous attempts to reach humanity through prophets and messengers. The Greek word used here, "ὕστερον" (hysteron), implies a finality and a decisive moment in God's redemptive plan.

he sent his son
This phrase is central to the Christian understanding of Jesus as the Son of God. The act of sending the son represents the ultimate expression of the landowner's (God's) love and authority. In the historical context, this reflects the Jewish expectation of a Messiah, a divine figure who would come to restore Israel. The Greek word for "sent," "ἀπέστειλεν" (apesteilen), is the same root used for "apostle," indicating a mission or purpose. This highlights the intentionality and significance of Jesus' mission on earth.

to them
The phrase "to them" refers to the tenants, symbolizing the religious leaders of Israel. This highlights the direct and personal nature of God's outreach to His people. The historical context here is crucial, as it reflects the tension between Jesus and the religious authorities of His time. The message is clear: God's revelation is not abstract but directed towards specific individuals and communities, calling them to accountability and relationship.

‘They will respect my son,’ he said
This statement reflects the hope and expectation of the landowner that the tenants will honor his son. The Greek word for "respect," "ἐντραπήσονται" (entrapēsontai), carries the connotation of reverence and acknowledgment of authority. In the broader biblical narrative, this expectation is tragically unmet, as the religious leaders ultimately reject and crucify Jesus. This serves as a poignant reminder of humanity's tendency to reject divine authority and the call to repentance and faith. The historical and scriptural context here is rich with prophetic fulfillment, as Jesus' rejection was foretold in the Old Testament, yet it also opens the door to the hope of redemption through His sacrifice.

(37) Last of all.--The variations in the other Gospels are noticeable as more vivid and dramatic. "He had yet one son, his beloved" (Mark 12:6). "He said, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son, it may be they will reverence him" (Luke 20:13). The language of deliberation and doubt is evidently inapplicable, except by a bold anthropomorphism, to divine acts, but it sets forth (1) the gradually ascending scale of those who were sent, culminating in a difference not of degree only, but of kind, like the contrast between the prophets and the Son in Hebrews 1:1-2; and (2) the employment by God, in His long-suffering pity, of all possible means to lead His people to repentance.

Verse 37. - Last of all; ὕστερον: afterwards, later on. The parable now allegorizes the near present, and future, in such a way as for the moment to conceal its bearing, and to lead the hearers to pronounce their own condemnation: His son. Even Jesus Christ, who was now among them, incarnate, teaching, and demanding of them fruits of righteousness. Here was the authorization which they had required (ver. 23). God sent his Son. They will reverence my Son. God condescends to speak in human language, as hoping for a good result from this last effort for man's salvation. He, as it were, puts aside his foreknowledge, and gives scope to man's free will. Though the sad issue is known to him, he often acts towards men as if he had hope that they would still use the occasion profitably. In the present case, whereas the immediate result of the last measure was disastrous, the expectation was ultimately realized in the conversion of many Jews to Christianity, which led to the bringing of all nations to the obedience of the faith.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Finally,
Ὕστερον (Hysteron)
Adverb
Strong's 5305: Lastly, afterward, later. Neuter of husteros as adverb; more lately, i.e. Eventually.

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.

son
υἱὸν (huion)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5207: A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.

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

them.
αὐτοὺς (autous)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
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.

‘They will respect
Ἐντραπήσονται (Entrapēsontai)
Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1788: From en and the base of trope; to invert, i.e. in a good sense, to respect; or in a bad one, to confound.

my
μου (mou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

son,’
υἱόν (huion)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5207: A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.

he said.
λέγων (legōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 21:37 But afterward he sent to them his (Matt. Mat Mt)
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