Matthew 21:41

“They say unto him, etc.] Either the common people that were about him; or rather the chief priests, scribes, and elders, to whom he put the question; little thinking then, that they were the persons intended in this parable: he will miserably destroy those wicked men: in saying which, they own that persons guilty of such crimes, as beating, killing, and stoning, servants sent to them by the proprietor of the vineyard, to receive his due and proper fruit, and at last murdering his son and heir, were very wicked persons, and deserved the severest punishments to be inflicted upon them, and that without mercy; nor could it be thought, but this must and would be unavoidably their case, when the…”

“They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men--an emphatic alliteration not easily conveyed in English: "He will badly destroy those bad men," or "miserably destroy those miserable men," is something like it. and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons--If this answer was given by the Pharisees, to whom our Lord addressed the parable, they thus unwittingly pronounced their own condemnation: as did David to Nathan the prophet (Sa2 12:5-7), and Simon the Pharisee to our Lord (Luk 7:43, &c.). But if it was given, as the two other Evangelists agree in representing it, by our Lord Himself, and the explicitness of the…”

“The parable of the vineyard - This is also recorded in Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19. Matthew 21:33 Hear another parable - See the notes at Matthew 13:3. A certain householder - See the notes at Matthew 20:1. Planted a vineyard - A place for the cultivation of grapes. It is often used to represent the church of God. as a place cultivated and valuable. Judea was favorable to vines, and the figure is frequently used, therefore, in the sacred writers. See Matthew 20:1. It is used here to represent the “Jewish people” - the people chosen of the Lord, cultivated with care, and signally favored; or perhaps more definitely, “the city of Jerusalem.” Hedged it round about - This means he enclosed it,…”

“They say - Perhaps some of the by - standers, not the chief priests or Pharisees; who, as St. Luke relates, said, God forbid, Luk 20:16. Matthew 21:42”

“21:41 The Jewish religious leaders pronounced their own condemnation.”

“they say: Our Lord here causes them to pass that sentence of destruction upon themselves which was literally executed about forty years afterwards by the Roman armies. He will: Mat 3:12, Mat 22:6, Mat 22:7, Mat 23:35-38, Mat 24:21, Mat 24:22; Lev. 26:14-46; Deu 28:59-68; Psa 2:4, Psa 2:5, Psa 2:9; Isa 5:5-7; Dan 9:26; Zac 11:8-10, Zac 12:12, Zac 13:8, Zac 14:2, Zac 14:3; Mal 4:1-6; Luk 17:32-37, Luk 19:41-44, Luk 21:22-24; Th1 2:16; Heb 2:3, Heb 12:25 and will let out: Mat 21:43, Mat 8:11; Isa 49:5-7, Isa 65:15, Isa 66:19-21; Luk 13:28, Luk 13:29, Luk 14:23, Luk 14:24, Luk 21:24; Act 13:46-48, Act 15:7, Act 18:6, Act 28:8; Rom. 9:1-11:36, Rom 15:9-18 Matthew 21:42”