independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionaldashed = verbless / suspended
Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)
The entry into Jerusalem — the king on a donkey 21:1–11
vv. 1–3 — the commission: two disciples, two animals, and a password
1
Καὶ ὅτε ἤγγισαν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα καὶ ἦλθον εἰς Βηθφαγὴ εἰς τὸ ὄρος τῶν ἐλαιῶν,conditional — temporal ὅτε (typed cnd; no temporal key) — Olivet, the mount of the Messiah's appearing (Zech 14:4); leans on ἀπέστειλεν
τότε Ἰησοῦς ἀπέστειλεν δύο μαθητὰςindependent — Matthew's τότε — Jesus stage-manages his own entry
2
λέγων αὐτοῖς·participial — speech-participle — the frame for the instructions
Πορεύεσθε εἰς τὴν κώμην τὴν κατέναντι ὑμῶν,content — the dispatch
καὶ εὐθέως εὑρήσετε ὄνον δεδεμένην καὶ πῶλον μετ’ αὐτῆς·content — predictive future — the foreknowledge; two animals, mother and foal, where Mark has one
λύσαντες ἀγάγετέ μοι.content — attendant λύσαντες folded into the command — the requisition
3
καὶ ἐάν τις ὑμῖν εἴπῃ τι,conditional — protasis inside quoted speech — leans forward on ἐρεῖτε; the objection foreseen
ἐρεῖτε ὅτιcontent — imperatival future with recitative ὅτι — the commanded reply
Ὁ κύριος αὐτῶν χρείαν ἔχει·content — the password — ὁ κύριος: Jesus' self-designation, or ambiguously the animals' owner
εὐθὺς δὲ ἀποστελεῖ αὐτούς.content — predictive future — the objector will release them at once
vv. 4–5 — the formula quotation: Zech 9:9, the humble king
4
Τοῦτο δὲ γέγονενindependent — the narrator steps forward — consummative perfect γέγονεν: the event stands accomplished as fulfilment
ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος·purpose — the fulfilment formula — Matthew's ἵνα πληρωθῇ; the prophet is Zechariah, opened with a line of Isaiah
5
Εἴπατε τῇ θυγατρὶ Σιών·content — Isa 62:11 — the herald's command spliced onto Zechariah's oracle
Ἰδοὺ ὁ βασιλεύς σου ἔρχεταί σοιcontent — Zech 9:9 — ὁ βασιλεύς σου: the entry read as royal arrival
πραῢς καὶ ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἐπὶ ὄνον καὶ ἐπὶ πῶλον υἱὸν ὑποζυγίου.participial — πραΰς, the Beatitude word (5:5) — the war-horse refused; Matthew reads the Hebrew parallelism as two animals
vv. 6–9 — the errand done, the garments spread, the Hosanna (Ps 118:25–26)
6
πορευθέντες δὲ οἱ μαθηταὶ καὶ ποιήσαντεςparticipial — double preposed participle — obedience before the main verb strikes; leans on ἤγαγον
καθὼς συνέταξεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦςcomparative — καθὼς συνέταξεν — word and deed align; the fulfilment refrain in miniature
7
ἤγαγον τὴν ὄνον καὶ τὸν πῶλον,independent — the errand completed — both animals of v. 2
καὶ ἐπέθηκαν ἐπ’ αὐτῶν τὰ ἱμάτια,independent — the improvised saddle — homage before the throne he never mounts
καὶ ἐπεκάθισεν ἐπάνω αὐτῶν.independent — ἐπάνω αὐτῶν — on the garments, not the two animals; the variant ἐπεκάθισαν ('they set him') is attested
8
ὁ δὲ πλεῖστος ὄχλος ἔστρωσαν ἑαυτῶν τὰ ἱμάτια ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ,independent — constructio ad sensum (ὄχλος with plural verb) — garments under the king's feet (2 Kgs 9:13)
ἄλλοι δὲ ἔκοπτον κλάδους ἀπὸ τῶν δένδρωνindependent — iterative imperfect — the repeated cutting of festal greenery
καὶ ἐστρώννυον ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ.independent — coordinate imperfect — the road carpeted like a coronation route
9
οἱ δὲ ὄχλοι οἱ προάγοντες αὐτὸν καὶ οἱ ἀκολουθοῦντες ἔκραζον λέγοντες·independent — iterative imperfect ἔκραζον — the sustained chant, before and behind the procession
Ὡσαννὰ τῷ υἱῷ Δαυίδ·content — Ps 118:25 — 'save now!' worn smooth into acclamation, aimed at Matthew's royal title; verbless
Εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου·content — Ps 118:26 — the pilgrim benediction; ὁ ἐρχόμενος heard messianically (cf. 11:3)
Ὡσαννὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις.content — the chant closes ring-wise — heaven summoned to join the praise
vv. 10–11 — the shaken city and its half-answer
10
καὶ εἰσελθόντος αὐτοῦ εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμαparticipial — genitive absolute — forward-leaning on ἐσείσθη
ἐσείσθη πᾶσα ἡ πόλιςindependent — ἐσείσθη — a seismic verb; the Magi's troubled Jerusalem again (2:3)
λέγουσα·participial — the city personified speaks — the frame for the identity question
Τίς ἐστιν οὗτος;content — the question the whole chapter answers
11
οἱ δὲ ὄχλοι ἔλεγον·independent — descriptive imperfect — the answering refrain
Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ προφήτης Ἰησοῦς ὁ ἀπὸ Ναζαρὲθ τῆς Γαλιλαίας.content — true but partial — 'the prophet' where they had just cried 'Son of David'; the estimate that shields him (v. 46)
The temple cleansed — and the children's Hosanna 21:12–17
vv. 12–13 — the driving out and the scriptural indictment (Isa 56:7 / Jer 7:11)
12
Καὶ εἰσῆλθεν Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὸ ἱερόν,independent — the entry's true goal — the precinct, not a palace (Mal 3:1); some witnesses add τοῦ θεοῦ
καὶ ἐξέβαλεν πάντας τοὺς πωλοῦντας καὶ ἀγοράζοντας ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ,independent — ἐξέβαλεν — the exorcism verb turned on the traders; buyers expelled with sellers, and Matthew adds πάντας
καὶ τὰς τραπέζας τῶν κολλυβιστῶν κατέστρεψεν καὶ τὰς καθέδρας τῶν πωλούντων τὰς περιστεράς,independent — fronted objects — the doves were the poor's offering (Lev 5:7)
13
καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς·independent — historic present — the act interpreted at once by the word
Γέγραπται·content — the citation formula — 'it stands written,' abiding authority
Ὁ οἶκός μου οἶκος προσευχῆς κληθήσεται,content — Isa 56:7 — the temple's destined character; Matthew drops Mark's 'for all the nations'
ὑμεῖς δὲ αὐτὸν ποιεῖτε σπήλαιον λῃστῶν.content — Jer 7:11 — emphatic ὑμεῖς; present ποιεῖτε, the corruption ongoing; λῃσταί, bandits' hideout
vv. 14–16 — healing, the children's cry, and Ps 8 against the indignant
14
Καὶ προσῆλθον αὐτῷ τυφλοὶ καὶ χωλοὶ ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ,independent — the once-barred (2 Sam 5:8) enter the cleansed courts
καὶ ἐθεράπευσεν αὐτούς.independent — the restorative counterpart of the expulsion — the house of prayer at work
15
ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς τὰ θαυμάσιαparticipial — preposed participle — the double object loaded before ἠγανάκτησαν strikes
ἃ ἐποίησενrelative — the healings of v. 14
καὶ τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς κράζοντας ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ καὶ λέγοντας·participial — the second object of the seeing — the chant of v. 9 continued by children
Ὡσαννὰ τῷ υἱῷ Δαυίδ,content — Ps 118:25 verbatim from v. 9 — the acclamation, not the wonders, is what they cannot stomach
ἠγανάκτησανindependent — ingressive aorist — one bare verb after the long suspension
16
καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ·independent — the protest-frame
Ἀκούειςcontent — the indignant challenge — silence them!
τί οὗτοι λέγουσιν;content — indirect question — οὗτοι, the children dismissively indicated
ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς λέγει αὐτοῖς·independent — historic present — the reply
Ναί·content — one word owns the children's praise — verbless
οὐδέποτε ἀνέγνωτε ὅτιcontent — the polemical 'have you never read?' to the scholars (cf. 12:3; 19:4; 21:42), with recitative ὅτι
Ἐκ στόματος νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων κατηρτίσω αἶνον;content — Ps 8:3 LXX — αἶνον ('praise') where the Hebrew has 'strength'; the children vindicated from Scripture
v. 17 — the withdrawal to Bethany
17
Καὶ καταλιπὼν αὐτοὺςparticipial — preposed participle — leans on ἐξῆλθεν; the confrontation broken off, not resolved
ἐξῆλθεν ἔξω τῆς πόλεως εἰς Βηθανίαν,independent — the nightly exit — the city holds him only by day
καὶ ηὐλίσθη ἐκεῖ.independent — αὐλίζομαι — the Passion-Week lodging outside the walls
The fig tree withered — faith and prayer 21:18–22
vv. 18–19 — the curse and the instant withering
18
Πρωῒ δὲ ἐπανάγων εἰς τὴν πόλινparticipial — preposed participle — the morning journey back; leans on ἐπείνασεν
ἐπείνασεν.independent — ingressive aorist — one bare verb; the human hunger that stages the acted parable
19
καὶ ἰδὼν συκῆν μίαν ἐπὶ τῆς ὁδοῦparticipial — preposed participle — leans on ἦλθεν; the fig tree, Israel's stock emblem (Jer 8:13; Mic 7:1)
ἦλθεν ἐπ’ αὐτήν,independent — the approach
καὶ οὐδὲν εὗρεν ἐν αὐτῇ εἰ μὴ φύλλα μόνον,independent — foliage without fruit — the temple of vv. 12–16 in emblem; Matthew drops Mark's 'not the season' aside
καὶ λέγει αὐτῇ·independent — historic present — the curse-frame
Μηκέτι ἐκ σοῦ καρπὸς γένηται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.content — volitive aorist subjunctive — the curse of permanent barrenness
καὶ ἐξηράνθη παραχρῆμα ἡ συκῆ.independent — παραχρῆμα — Matthew compresses Mark's overnight sandwich into instant judgment
vv. 20–22 — the marvel and the lesson: undoubting faith
20
καὶ ἰδόντες οἱ μαθηταὶparticipial — preposed participle — leans on ἐθαύμασαν
ἐθαύμασαν λέγοντες·independent — the wonder that opens the teaching
Πῶς παραχρῆμα ἐξηράνθη ἡ συκῆ;content — the question fastens on the speed — παραχρῆμα echoed
21
ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦςparticipial — pleonastic Semitism — leans on εἶπεν
εἶπεν αὐτοῖς·independent — the frame for the saying of vv. 21–22
Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν,content — the ἀμήν-formula — the solemn warrant
ἐὰν ἔχητε πίστιν καὶ μὴ διακριθῆτε,conditional — protasis — leans forward on ποιήσετε; διακριθῆτε, inner wavering (cf. Jas 1:6)
οὐ μόνον τὸ τῆς συκῆς ποιήσετε,content — the apodosis — τὸ τῆς συκῆς, 'the fig-tree deed'
ἀλλὰ κἂν τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ εἴπητε·conditional — second protasis (κἄν) — leans forward on γενήσεται; 'this mountain': Olivet, or the Temple Mount itself
Ἄρθητι καὶ βλήθητι εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν,content — the command to the mountain — two passive imperatives quoted within the saying
γενήσεται·content — one-word apodosis — the certainty of answered faith
22
καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἂν αἰτήσητε ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ πιστεύοντες λήμψεσθε.content — the mountain-saying generalized to all prayer — πιστεύοντες, the one operative condition
By what authority? — the question turned 21:23–27
vv. 23–24 — the challenge and the counter-question
23
Καὶ ἐλθόντος αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ ἱερὸνparticipial — genitive absolute — forward-leaning on προσῆλθον; back into the courts he cleared
προσῆλθον αὐτῷ διδάσκοντι οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι τοῦ λαοῦ λέγοντες·independent — the official deputation — διδάσκοντι: they interrupt the teaching itself
Ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιεῖς;content — the first prong — the kind of authority; ταῦτα: the entry, the cleansing, the acclaimed healings
καὶ τίς σοι ἔδωκεν τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην;content — the second prong — its source; ἐξουσία the contested keyword
24
ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦςparticipial — pleonastic Semitism — leans on εἶπεν; δέ marks the turn
εἶπεν αὐτοῖς·independent — the counter-move
Ἐρωτήσω ὑμᾶς κἀγὼ λόγον ἕνα,content — the rabbinic counter-question — κἀγώ: their challenge mirrored back; ἕνα λόγον against their two
ὃν ἐὰν εἴπητέ μοιrelative — conditional relative (ὃν ἐάν) on λόγον — protasis-force, leaning on ἐρῶ below
κἀγὼ ὑμῖν ἐρῶcontent — the apodosis — answer for answer, κἀγώ repeated
ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιῶ·content — indirect question — their own words handed back
vv. 25–26 — the dilemma and the trapped deliberation
25
τὸ βάπτισμα τὸ Ἰωάννου πόθεν ἦν;content — the dilemma — John's mandate and Jesus' stand or fall together
ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἢ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων;content — the two horns stated — 'heaven,' the reverent circumlocution for God; verbless
οἱ δὲ διελογίζοντο ἐν ἑαυτοῖςindependent — imperfect — the huddle; Matthew lets the reader overhear
λέγοντες·participial — pleonastic speech-participle — the frame for the whole calculation
Ἐὰν εἴπωμεν·conditional — first protasis — leaning forward on ἐρεῖ
Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ,content — the first horn quoted — verbless
ἐρεῖ ἡμῖν·content — the apodosis — the riposte they foresee
Διὰ τί οὖν οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ;content — the unanswerable rebuke — unbelief toward John convicts them toward Jesus (cf. v. 32)
26
ἐὰν δὲ εἴπωμεν·conditional — second protasis — leaning forward on φοβούμεθα
Ἐξ ἀνθρώπων,content — the second horn quoted — verbless
φοβούμεθα τὸν ὄχλον,content — the apodosis — where Mark's narrator breaks in, Matthew keeps the fear on their own lips
πάντες γὰρ ὡς προφήτην ἔχουσιν τὸν Ἰωάννην.cause — the γάρ ground — the crowd's verdict on John constrains Israel's teachers
v. 27 — the evasion and the refusal
27
καὶ ἀποκριθέντες τῷ Ἰησοῦparticipial — preposed participle — leans on εἶπαν
εἶπαν·independent — the evasion delivered
Οὐκ οἴδαμεν.content — Israel's teachers plead ignorance — and forfeit their standing to judge
ἔφη αὐτοῖς καὶ αὐτός·independent — καὶ αὐτός — the symmetry of the refusal
Οὐδὲ ἐγὼ λέγω ὑμῖνcontent — emphatic ἐγώ — self-authenticating authority owes them nothing; the frame for the parables that follow
ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιῶ.content — indirect question — ἐξουσία left standing, unanswered in word, answered in parable
The two sons — deeds against words 21:28–32
vv. 28–30 — the parable: refusal that repents, assent that does nothing
28
Τί δὲ ὑμῖν δοκεῖ;independent — Jesus' speech continues from v. 27 (the frame ἔφη stands in the previous section) — the drawing-in question, mainline
ἄνθρωπος εἶχεν τέκνα δύο.independent — the parable opens — the father for God, the vineyard (Isa 5) for Israel
καὶ προσελθὼν τῷ πρώτῳparticipial — preposed participle — leans on εἶπεν
εἶπεν·independent — the father's first approach
Τέκνον, ὕπαγε σήμερον ἐργάζου ἐν τῷ ἀμπελῶνι.content — the affectionate vocative and the double asyndetic imperative — today, not someday
29
ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν·independent — the first son's reply-frame; the manuscript tradition of vv. 28–31 is famously tangled — the most widely printed arrangement is followed
Οὐ θέλω,content — the blunt refusal — no κύριε, no pretense
ὕστερον δὲ μεταμεληθεὶςparticipial — preposed participle — μεταμεληθείς, the repentance-verb the leaders will refuse (v. 32); leans on ἀπῆλθεν
ἀπῆλθεν.independent — one word of obedience — the deed that outweighs the word
30
προσελθὼν δὲ τῷ ἑτέρῳparticipial — preposed participle — leans on εἶπεν; the pattern repeats
εἶπεν ὡσαύτως.independent — the identical command — the sons differ only in response
ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν·independent — the second son's reply-frame
Ἐγώ, κύριε·content — elliptical emphatic assent — the deferential κύριε masking disobedience; verbless
καὶ οὐκ ἀπῆλθεν.independent — the adversative καί — words without deeds
vv. 31–32 — the verdict extracted, and the application: John believed by the wrong people
31
τίς ἐκ τῶν δύο ἐποίησεν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρός;independent — the verdict-question — ἐποίησεν: doing, not saying, is the criterion (cf. 7:21)
λέγουσιν·independent — historic present — the answer that condemns the answerers
Ὁ πρῶτος.content — the right answer — verbless; the crowd's ὁ πρῶτος is itself textually contested (ὁ ὕστερος / ὁ ἔσχατος in parts of the tradition)
λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς·independent — historic present — the application-frame
Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτιcontent — the ἀμήν-formula with ὅτι — the solemn warrant for the scandal
οἱ τελῶναι καὶ αἱ πόρναι προάγουσιν ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ.content — προάγουσιν — present, already under way; the despised cast as the first son
32
ἦλθεν γὰρ Ἰωάννης πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν ὁδῷ δικαιοσύνης,cause — the γάρ ground — the John-question of v. 25 answered by Jesus himself
καὶ οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ·cause — coordinate within the ground — the leaders as the second son: right words, no faith
οἱ δὲ τελῶναι καὶ αἱ πόρναι ἐπίστευσαν αὐτῷ·cause — the reversal — the refusers who repented
ὑμεῖς δὲ ἰδόντες οὐδὲ μετεμελήθητε ὕστερον τοῦ πιστεῦσαι αὐτῷ.cause — οὐδὲ μετεμελήθητε ὕστερον — the first son's very words (v. 29) turned against them; τοῦ πιστεῦσαι, epexegetic articular infinitive
The wicked tenants — the rejected stone made the head of the corner 21:33–46
vv. 33–39 — the parable told: the vineyard, the sendings, the son
33
Ἄλλην παραβολὴν ἀκούσατε.independent — the summons — the parable narrative hangs as a coordinate catena beneath this imperative (the mark12 shape)
ἄνθρωπος ἦν οἰκοδεσπότηςcontent — the owner enters — Isa 5:1–2, the Song of the Vineyard reopened
ὅστις ἐφύτευσεν ἀμπελῶναrelative — Isa 5:2 — the vineyard is Israel (Isa 5:7)
καὶ φραγμὸν αὐτῷ περιέθηκενrelative — the owner's lavish care itemized
καὶ ὤρυξεν ἐν αὐτῷ ληνὸνrelative — the press for the expected vintage
καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν πύργον,relative — the watchtower — οἰκοδομέω, the verb that returns with the builders (v. 42)
καὶ ἐξέδετο αὐτὸν γεωργοῖς,relative — the lease — the tenants are Israel's entrusted leaders
καὶ ἀπεδήμησεν.relative — the ὅστις-chain closes — the absence that sets up the testing
34
ὅτε δὲ ἤγγισεν ὁ καιρὸς τῶν καρπῶν,conditional — temporal ὅτε (typed cnd) — leans forward on ἀπέστειλεν; καρποί, the chapter's keyword (vv. 19, 41, 43)
ἀπέστειλεν τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ πρὸς τοὺς γεωργοὺςcontent — ἀποστέλλω — the verb of prophetic mission; the servants are the prophets
λαβεῖν τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτοῦ.purpose — purpose infinitive — the owner's rightful share
35
καὶ λαβόντες οἱ γεωργοὶ τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦparticipial — preposed participle — the seizure before the verbs strike; leans on ἔδειραν
ὃν μὲν ἔδειραν,content — distributive ὃν μέν — the first outrage
ὃν δὲ ἀπέκτειναν,content — ὃν δέ — the violence escalates to murder
ὃν δὲ ἐλιθοβόλησαν.content — ἐλιθοβόλησαν — the prophets' fate (2 Chr 24:21; cf. 23:37, 'stoning those sent to her')
36
πάλιν ἀπέστειλεν ἄλλους δούλους πλείονας τῶν πρώτων,content — the patient second wave — the long history of rejected prophets
καὶ ἐποίησαν αὐτοῖς ὡσαύτως.content — ὡσαύτως — the pattern fixed
37
ὕστερον δὲ ἀπέστειλεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ λέγων·content — ὕστερον — the last envoy; the son a transparent figure for Jesus
Ἐντραπήσονται τὸν υἱόν μου.content — the owner's hope — inner speech one deeper; the hope the tenants refute
38
οἱ δὲ γεωργοὶ ἰδόντες τὸν υἱὸν εἶπον ἐν ἑαυτοῖς·content — the counter-speech-frame — the tenants confer
Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ κληρονόμος·content — the recognition that damns — they know exactly who he is
δεῦτε ἀποκτείνωμεν αὐτὸνcontent — hortatory plot — cf. Gen 37:20, Joseph's brothers
καὶ σχῶμεν τὴν κληρονομίαν αὐτοῦ.content — the motive — σχῶμεν, the inheritance seized
39
καὶ λαβόντες αὐτὸνparticipial — preposed participle — the plot enacted; leans on ἐξέβαλον
ἐξέβαλον ἔξω τοῦ ἀμπελῶνοςcontent — Matthew's order: cast out first, then killed — the crucifixion outside the city (Heb 13:12)
καὶ ἀπέκτειναν.content — the parable's climax — the murder of the heir
vv. 40–41 — the verdict-question, and the sentence from their own mouths
40
ὅταν οὖν ἔλθῃ ὁ κύριος τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος,conditional — temporal ὅταν (typed cnd) — leans forward on ποιήσει; the owner's return = God's visitation
τί ποιήσει τοῖς γεωργοῖς ἐκείνοις;content — Jesus makes the hearers judge (cf. Isa 5:3–4) — unlike Mark, where he answers himself
41
λέγουσιν αὐτῷ·independent — historic present — the narrative resumes; the targets pronounce sentence
Κακοὺς κακῶς ἀπολέσει αὐτούς,content — κακοὺς κακῶς — the emphatic paronomasia; self-condemnation unawares (cf. 2 Sam 12:5–7)
καὶ τὸν ἀμπελῶνα ἐκδώσεται ἄλλοις γεωργοῖς,content — the transfer — anticipating v. 43's verdict
οἵτινες ἀποδώσουσιν αὐτῷ τοὺς καρποὺς ἐν τοῖς καιροῖς αὐτῶν.relative — qualitative οἵτινες — tenants defined by rendering fruit; the criterion of v. 43
vv. 42–44 — Ps 118:22–23: the rejected stone, the kingdom transferred, the stone that crushes
42
λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς·independent — historic present — the scriptural clincher
Οὐδέποτε ἀνέγνωτε ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς·content — the second 'have you never read?' of the chapter (cf. v. 16) — Scripture as indictment
Λίθον ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες, οὗτος ἐγενήθη εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας·content — Ps 118:22 LXX — pendent Λίθον resumed by οὗτος; the murdered son vindicated; 'the builders' = the leaders
παρὰ κυρίου ἐγένετο αὕτη,content — Ps 118:23 — God the author of the reversal; the feminine αὕτη kept from the LXX
καὶ ἔστιν θαυμαστὴ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν;content — the citation closes — the crowd's Hosanna psalm (vv. 9, 15) now turned against the leaders
43
διὰ τοῦτο λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτιcontent — διὰ τοῦτο with recitative ὅτι — the parable's application made explicit, only in Matthew
ἀρθήσεται ἀφ’ ὑμῶν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦcontent — divine passive ἀρθήσεται — the verdict on the tenants pronounced over the hearers
καὶ δοθήσεται ἔθνει ποιοῦντι τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς.content — ἔθνος — a people defined by fruit-bearing, not ethnicity; the ἄλλοι γεωργοί of v. 41 named
44
καὶ ὁ πεσὼν ἐπὶ τὸν λίθον τοῦτον συνθλασθήσεται·content — the stone of stumbling (Isa 8:14–15) — the verse is omitted by D and some Old Latin, often bracketed as a Lukan harmonization; printed here
ἐφ’ ὃν δ’ ἂν πέσῃrelative — conditional relative (ἐφ’ ὃν ἄν) — leans forward, protasis-like, on λικμήσει; the stone now falling (Dan 2:34–35, 44)
λικμήσει αὐτόν.content — λικμήσει — winnow to dust; stumble over the stone or be pulverized beneath it
vv. 45–46 — they perceive, they want to seize, they fear
45
Καὶ ἀκούσαντες οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι τὰς παραβολὰς αὐτοῦparticipial — preposed participle — leans on ἔγνωσαν; the Pharisees now join the priests
ἔγνωσαν ὅτιindependent — ingressive aorist — the penny drops
περὶ αὐτῶν λέγει·content — retained present in indirect discourse — they read the allegory correctly, and harden
46
καὶ ζητοῦντες αὐτὸν κρατῆσαιparticipial — concessive participle — leans on ἐφοβήθησαν; the passion plot now open
ἐφοβήθησαν τοὺς ὄχλους,independent — fear decides — the leaders checked by the very acclaim they resented
ἐπεὶ εἰς προφήτην αὐτὸν εἶχον.cause — ἐπεί ground — εἰς προφήτην, the crowd's verdict of v. 11 closing the chapter's ring
Analysis. Matthew 21 is the entry into Jerusalem and the first day of open war in the temple, and the layout shows a narrative chapter that keeps turning into speech: the purple mainline runs flush-left (sent, brought, spread, entered, drove out, healed, withdrew), historic presents flagged as they land (λέγει, λέγουσιν), Matthew's preposed participles and genitive absolutes leaning forward, anchor-less, on the verb below (πορευθέντες...καὶ ποιήσαντες, εἰσελθόντος αὐτοῦ, ἐλθόντος αὐτοῦ, ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς) — while everything decisive hangs blue beneath a verb of saying. Five Scriptures structure the chapter and each hangs at citation depth with its source in the tag: Zech 9:9 (blended with Isa 62:11) under the fulfilment formula's λέγοντος — Matthew's signature ἵνα πληρωθῇ as pur beneath Τοῦτο δὲ γέγονεν, the layout siding with the reading that Matthew's two animals render the Hebrew parallelism literally; Ps 118:25–26 under ἔκραζον λέγοντες, the crowd's Hosanna repeated verbatim by the children in the temple (v. 15); Isa 56:7 under Γέγραπται answered by Jer 7:11 on Jesus' own lips; Ps 8:3 LXX under the polemical οὐδέποτε ἀνέγνωτε; and Ps 118:22–23 under the second ἀνέγνωτε, the rejected stone clinching the tenants. The authority dialogue (vv. 23–27) shows the John-dilemma as trapped deliberation overheard beneath λέγοντες, its two ἐάν-protases leaning forward, one deeper, on the ripostes they fear — the first horn answered by Jesus' foreseen rebuke, the second broken on the crowd — down to the evasion Οὐκ οἴδαμεν and the refusal that answers it. The two parables that follow are Jesus' continuing address and run as mainline diatribe (the framing ἔφη stands in the previous section): the two sons in quick speech-frames, with μεταμεληθείς (v. 29) deliberately echoed in οὐδὲ μετεμελήθητε (v. 32); the wicked tenants as a coordinate cnt catena under Ἄλλην παραβολὴν ἀκούσατε (the mark12 shape), the Isa 5 vineyard-furniture chained as relatives under οἰκοδεσπότης, the owner's hope (Ἐντραπήσονται) and the tenants' plot (δεῦτε ἀποκτείνωμεν) each nested one deeper under its own verb of saying. Cruxes named rather than hidden: ἐπάνω αὐτῶν in v. 7 is read of the garments, not the two animals (the tag notes the variant ἐπεκάθισαν); the tangled two-sons tradition follows the most widely printed arrangement (first refuses then goes; 'the first' is the right answer); v. 44, the stone that breaks and crushes, is printed though some witnesses omit it as a Lukan harmonization; and in v. 41 it is the leaders themselves who pronounce the κακοὺς κακῶς sentence — the parable's verdict extracted from its targets before v. 43 makes the transfer of the kingdom explicit.