Matthew 21:31

Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. WHETHER OF THEM TWAIN DID THE WILL OF HIS FATHER? THEY SAY UNTO HIM, THE FIRST. [Instead of ho (G3588) prootos (G4413), "the first," Tregelles reads ho (G3588) husteros (G5306), 'the latter,' contrary not only to the manifest sense of the parable, but to the decided preponderance, as we think, of manuscript authority. Tischendorf adheres to the Received Text.] Now comes the application. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto...

28-32 Parables which give reproof, speak plainly to the offenders, and judge them out of their own mouths. The parable of the two sons sent to work in the vineyard, is to show that those who knew not John's baptism to be of God, were shamed by those who knew it, and owned it. The whole human race are like children whom the Lord has brought up, but they have rebelled against him, only some are more plausible in their disobedience than others. And it often happens, that the daring rebel is brought to repentance and becomes the Lord's servant, while the formalist grows hardened in pride and enmity....

Verse 31. _THE PUBLICANS AND THE HARLOTS_] In all their former conduct they had said NO. Now they yield to the voice of truth when they hear it, and enter into the kingdom, embracing the salvation brought to them in the Gospel. The _others_, who had been always professing the most ready and willing obedience, and who pretended to be waiting for the kingdom of God, did not receive it when it came, but rather chose, while making the best professions, to continue members of the synagogue of Satan....

BUT WHAT THINK YE? - A way of speaking designed to direct them particularly to what he was saying, that they might be self-convicted. TWO SONS - By those two sons our Lord intends to represent the conduct of the Jews, and that of the publicans and sinners. IN MY VINEYARD - See the notes at Matthew 21:33. To work in the vineyard here represents the work which God requires man to do. I WILL NOT - This had been the language of the publicans and wicked men. They refused at first, and did not “profess” to be willing to go. REPENTED - Changed his mind. Afterward, at the preaching of John and Christ, the publicans - the wicked - repented and obeyed. The s

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 21:1 _Triumphal entry into Jerusalem_. (Mark 11:1; Luke 19:29; John 12:12.) MATTHEW 21:1 We have come to the last week of our Lord's earthly life, when he made his appearance in Jerusalem as Messiah, and suffered the penalty of death. If, as is believed, his crucifixion took place on the fourteenth day of the month Nisan, the triumphal entry must be assigned to the ninth, which day was reckoned to commence at one sunset and to continue till the follow-lug evening. Th

WHETHER OF THEM TWAIN DID THE WILL OF HIS FATHER?.... This is the question put by Christ, upon the preceding parable to the chief priests, elders, and Scribes; THEY SAY UNTO HIM, THE FIRST: an answer which natural reason, and common sense, directed them to; and therefore they give it out at once, directly, without staying upon it, and demurring about it; though they seemed not to be aware of the application of it to themselves, which follows: JESUS SAITH UNTO THEM, VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, THAT THE PUBLICANS AND THE HARLOTS; that is, such who had been so; Matthew 9:10. GO INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD BEFORE YOU. They are signified by the first son, who repenting went, and did the will of his father: these repented under John's ministry, were called, and brought to repentance by the preaching of Christ, and his apostles: these j

Matthew 21:23. _And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto, him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?_ Jesus knew that these men came to him for no good purpose, mad that willing were only trying to trip him up in his speech. He was always willing to teach when men were willing to learn, but he did not care to cast his pearls before swine. Therefore, mark the holy caution, the sacred ingenuity with which our Lord replied to these men. Matthew 21:24. And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or o

MATTHEW 21:29-31 ouv qe,lw( u[steron de. metamelhqei.j avph/lqen … e`te,rw| … evgw,( ku,rie\ kai. ouvk avph/lqen … o` prw/toj {C} The textual transmission of the parable of the two sons is very much confused (see also the comment on 21.32). Is the recusant but subsequently obedient son mentioned first or second (ver. Matthew 21:29)? Which of the two sons did the Jews intend to assert had done the father’s bidding (ver. Matthew 21:31), and what word did they use in their...

9. THE KING ENTERS INTO JERUSALEM. The Parables of the Two Sons and the Householder and His Vineyard. CHAPTER 21 1. The King Enters Jerusalem. (Matthew 21:1 .) 2. The Second Cleansing of the Temple. (Matthew 21:12 .) 3. The Fig tree Cursed. (Matthew 21:18 .) 4. His Authority Impeached and His Question. (Matthew 21:23 .) 5. The Parable of the Two Sons. (Matthew 21:28 .) 6. The Parable of the Householder. (Matthew 21:33 .)

MATTHEW 21:28 TO MATTHEW 22:14. A trilogy of parables, perhaps from Q, enforcing the implicit teaching of the fig-tree incident. MATTHEW 21:28. THE PARABLE OF THE TWO SONS. Mt. only. With Matthew 21:32 _cf._ Luke 7:29 f. Wellhausen points out that in Mt. the religious relationship between man and God is usually service, not sonship. God is King or householder; and though here He is Father, the sons are His servants. The parable is clear, its application ...