Mark 12:7

7 "But those workers said to one another, 'This is the heir. Let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'

Mark 12:7 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 12:7

But those husbandmen said among themselves
This, in the Persic version, is introduced thus, "when the vine dressers saw the son of the lord of the vineyard": agreeably to ( Matthew 21:38 ) . The Ethiopic version renders it, "and the servants said"; not the servants that had been sent, but the workmen in the vineyard:

this is the heir;
that is, "of the vineyard", as the Persic version expresses it they knew him by the prophecies of the Old Testament which had described him, and by the miracles which were wrought by him; and they could not deny but that the vineyard of the house of Judah belonged to him, and he was right heir to the throne of Israel; though they refused to embrace him, confess him, and declare for him: but, on the other hand, said,

come let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours;
that is, "the vineyard", and the Persic version again read. The priests, Scribes, and elders of the people consulted together to take away his life, with this view: that they might continue in the quiet possession of their nation, temple, and worship, in the office they bore, and in the privileges they partook of; and that the Romans might not come, and take away their place and nation, ( John 11:47 John 11:48 ) ; (See Gill on Matthew 21:38).

Mark 12:7 In-Context

5 The man sent another, and they killed that servant. Then he sent many other servants. Some of these they beat, and others they killed.

6 "He had one more person to send. That person was his son, whom he loved. Finally, he sent his son to them. He thought, 'They will respect my son.'

7 "But those workers said to one another, 'This is the heir. Let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'

8 So they took him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

9 "What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the workers and give the vineyard to others.