Matthew 21:33-45 Jesus Makes a Marvelous Poem

In Matthew 21:33-45, Jesus makes an incredibly complex poem using six interwoven wordplays. This parable is one of the most poetically complex passages in the gospel of Matthew and is on a par with the Sermon on the Mount, the Olivet Discourse, and the Passion.

33 “Built” ויבן
35 “Stone” אבן
37 “Son” בנו
37 “Son” בנו
38 “Son” בנו
42 “Stone” אבן
42 “Builders” הבונים
42 “In Our Eyes” בעינינו
44 “Stone” אבן
46 “Prophet” נביא

43 “Bearing Fruit” פרי עשו
45 “Pharisees” פרושים

37 “Honor” יראו
38 “Saw” ויראו
46 “Feared” ויראו

43 “Kingdom” מלכות
43 “Off you” מעליכם

41 “Wicked” הרעים
41 “Misery” ברעה

42 “Corner or Pinnacle” פנה
42 “Marvel” נפלאת
44 “Falling” והנופל
44 “Falls” יפול

Matthew 21:33 “Hear another parable: there was a landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it and built {“Built” (ויבן)} a tower. And he leased it to vine dressers and went into a far country. 34 When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit. 35 And the tenants took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned {“Stone” (אבן)} another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did the same to them. 37 Last of all, he sent his son {“Son” (בנו)} to them saying, ‘They will respect {“Honor” (יראו)} my son {“Son” (בנו)},’ 38 But when the tenants saw {“Saw” (ויראו)} the son {“Son” (בנו)}, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches {“Wicked” (הרעים)} to a miserable {“Misery” (ברעה)} death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
‘The stone {“Stone” (אבן)} which the builders {“Builders” (הבונים)} rejected
has become the chief cornerstone {“Corner or Pinnacle” (פנה)}.
This was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous {“Marvel” (נפלאת)} in our eyes’ {“In Our Eyes” (בעינינו)}?
43 “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom {“Kingdom” (מלכות)} of God will be taken away from you {“Off you” (מעליכם)} and given to a nation bearing the fruits {“Bearing Fruit” (פרי עשו)} of it. 44 [And he who falls {“Falling” (והנופל)} on this stone {“Stone” (אבן)} will be broken to pieces. But on whomever it falls {“Falls” (יפול)}, it will crush him.]”
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees {“Pharisees” (פרושים)} heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 But when they tried to arrest him, they feared {“Feared” (ויראו)} the multitudes, because they held him to be a prophet {“Prophet” (נביא)}.

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament