Mark 12:1 Meaning and Explanation
“And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Jesus begins teaching the temple leaders through a parable: a man plants a vineyard with great care, leases it to tenant farmers, and departs into a far country.
What Does Mark 12:1 Mean?
It is the final week before the crucifixion. Jesus is teaching in the temple courts, where the chief priests, scribes, and elders have just demanded to know by what authority he acts (Mark 11:27-33). He answers with a story built on Isaiah 5, the song of the Lord's vineyard. The hedge, the winepress, the tower -- every detail shows an owner who spared no expense before entrusting his vineyard to tenants.
The vineyard is God's people; the tenants are the leaders charged with its care. Everything they manage is leased, not owned. The same is true of all of us: our gifts, our influence, our very years are entrusted things, planted and fenced by Someone else's labor. The parable begins with generosity, and that is the right place to begin -- before accountability ever comes, there is gift.
Mark 12:1 in the Original Language
parabole (παραβολή), 'parable' -- a comparison laid alongside life so the truth can be seen.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mark 12:1
What does Mark 12:1 mean?
Jesus begins teaching the temple leaders through a parable: a man plants a vineyard with great care, leases it to tenant farmers, and departs into a far country.