Matthew 21 · Verse 37

Matthew 21:37

But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
Matthew 21:37, King James Version

Matthew 21:37 in other translations

BSBFinally, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
WEBBut afterward he sent to them his son, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
ASVBut afterward he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
YLT‘And at last he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son;
DARBYAnd at last he sent to them his son, saying, They will have respect for my son.
BBEBut after that he sent his son to them, saying, They will have respect for my son.
WebsterBut last of all he sent to them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

What does Matthew 21:37 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
37. But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son--In Mark (Mr 12:6) this is most touchingly expressed: "Having yet therefore one son, His well-beloved, He sent Him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence My Son." Luke's version of it too (Lu 20:13) is striking: "Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send My beloved Son: it may be they will reverence Him when they see Him." Who does not see that our Lord here severs Himself, by the sharpest line of demarcation, from all merely human messengers, and claims for Himself Sonship in its loftiest sense? (Compare He 3:3-6). The expression, "It may be they will reverence My Son," is designed to teach the almost unimaginable guilt of not reverentially welcoming God's Son.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 37. Last of all, etc. Mark adds, that this was an only son, greatly beloved. This beautifully and most tenderly exhibits the love of God, in sending his only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to die for men. Long had he sent the prophets, and they had been persecuted and slain. There was no use in sending any more prophets to the people. They had done all they could do. God had one only-begotten and well-beloved Son, whom he might send into the world, and whom the world ought to reverence, even as they should the Father, Jn 5:23. To reverence, denotes honour, esteem, deference--that feeling which we have in the presence of one greatly our superior;--to give such a person, in our feelings and by our deportment, the honour which is due to his rank and character. God is often represented in the Bible as giving his Son, his only-begotten and well-beloved Son, for a lost world, Jn 3:16,17, 1Jn 4:9,14, Rom 8:3,32, Gal 4:4.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 37 Last of all he sent - his son - This requires no comment. Our Lord plainly means himself. They will reverence - Εντραπησονται, they will reflect upon their conduct and blush for shame because of it, when they see my son. So the Syric and Persic.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 21:33-46

This parable plainly sets forth the sin and ruin of the Jewish nation; and what is spoken to convict them, is spoken to caution all that enjoy the privileges of the outward church. As men treat God's people, they would treat Christ himself, if he were with them. How can we, if faithful to his cause, expect a favourable reception from a wicked world, or from ungodly professors of Christianity! And let us ask…

Read the full comment on Matthew 21:33-46 →

Matthew 21:37 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ὕστερονhusteronAfterwardG5306
δὲdethenG1161
ἀπέστειλενapesteilenhe sentG649
πρὸςprostoG4314
αὐτοὺςautousthemG846
τὸνtontheG3588
υἱὸνhuionsonG5207
αὐτοῦautouof himG846
λέγων·legōnsaying;G3004
ἐντραπήσονταιentrapēsontaiThey will respectG1788
τὸνtontheG3588
υἱόνhuionsonG5207
μου.¶mouof mine.G3165

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 21:37

  • John 3:16

    For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

  • Zephaniah 3:7

    I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.

  • John 3:35-36

    The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

  • Matthew 3:17

    And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

  • Luke 20:13

    Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him.

  • Isaiah 5:4

    What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?

  • Mark 12:6

    Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.

  • Hebrews 1:1-2

    God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

  • John 1:34

    And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

  • Jeremiah 36:3

    It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.

  • John 1:18

    No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
last.
3:17; Mr 12:6; Lu 20:13; Joh 1:18,34; 3:16,35,36; Heb 1:1,2
They.
Isa 5:4; Jer 36:3; Zep 3:7

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 21:36

    Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.

  • Matthew 21:37

    But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

  • Matthew 21:38

    But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.

Read all of Matthew 21

Matthew 21:37 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y á la postre les envió su hijo, diciendo: Tendrán respeto á mi hijo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et enfin, il envoya auprès d’eux son fils, disant: Ils auront du respect pour mon fils.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Zuletzt aber sandte er seinen Sohn zu ihnen, indem er sagte: Sie werden sich vor meinem Sohne scheuen!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Novissime autem misit ad eos filium suum, dicens: Verebuntur filium meum.