Mark 12:7 Meaning and Explanation
“But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be our’s.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The tenants recognize the son as the heir and plot to kill him so the inheritance will be theirs.
What Does Mark 12:7 Mean?
Instead of reverence, the son's arrival awakens greed. The tenants reason that with the heir dead, the vineyard may fall to those who hold it. Their words echo Joseph's brothers: "Come now therefore, and let us slay him" (Genesis 37:20).
Here is sin's oldest logic laid bare: do away with the rightful owner's claim, and the gift becomes mine. It never works -- grasping at the inheritance forfeits it. The leaders listening in the temple court were at that very moment plotting this very thing (Mark 11:18). The verse searches every heart that wants God's gifts without God's lordship, the vineyard without its owner.
Mark 12:7 in the Original Language
kleronomos (κληρονόμος), 'heir' -- the one to whom the inheritance rightfully falls.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mark 12:7
What does Mark 12:7 mean?
The tenants recognize the son as the heir and plot to kill him so the inheritance will be theirs.