Mark 12

King James Version

Full text for Mark Chapter 12

1¶ 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.›

2‹And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.›

3‹And they caught [him], and beat him, and sent [him] away empty.›

4‹And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded [him] in the head, and sent [him] away shamefully handled.›

5‹And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.›

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

7‹But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.›

8‹And they took him, and killed [him], and cast [him] out of the vineyard.›

9‹What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.›

10‹And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:›

11‹This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?›

12And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.

13¶ And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in [his] words.

14And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?

15Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, ‹Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see [it].›

16And they brought [it]. And he saith unto them, ‹Whose [is] this image and superscription?› And they said unto him, Caesar's.

17And Jesus answering said unto them, ‹Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.› And they marvelled at him.

18¶ Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,

19Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man's brother die, and leave [his] wife [behind him], and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

20Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed.

21And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise.

22And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also.

23In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.

24And Jesus answering said unto them, ‹Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?›

25‹For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.›

26‹And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I [am] the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?›

27‹He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.›

28¶ And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

29And Jesus answered him, ‹The first of all the commandments [is], Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:›

30‹And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment.›

31‹And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.›

32And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:

33And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love [his] neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

34And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, ‹Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.› And no man after that durst ask him [any question].

35¶ And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, ‹How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David?›

36‹For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.›

37‹David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he [then] his son?› And the common people heard him gladly.

38And he said unto them in his doctrine, ‹Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and [love] salutations in the marketplaces,›

39‹And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts:›

40‹Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.›

41¶ And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.

42And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

43And he called [unto him] his disciples, and saith unto them, ‹Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:›

44‹For all [they] did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, [even] all her living.›

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Jesus teaches through the parable of the wicked husbandmen, foretelling his rejection by the religious leaders and the transfer of God's favor. He skillfully answers questions from the Pharisees and Sadducees regarding tribute to Caesar and the resurrection, affirming divine authority and the nature of the afterlife. Jesus then declares the greatest commandments are to love God and neighbor, warns against the hypocrisy of the scribes, and commends the sacrificial giving of a poor widow.

Medium Summary

Mark 12 opens with Jesus' parable of the wicked husbandmen, illustrating Israel's rejection of God's prophets and His Son, leading to their judgment and the vineyard being given to others. Religious leaders attempt to trap Jesus with questions about paying tribute to Caesar, to which he famously replies, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." The Sadducees challenge him on the resurrection, but Jesus corrects their error, explaining that in the resurrection, there is no marriage, and God is the God of the living. A scribe then asks about the greatest commandment, prompting Jesus to declare the supremacy of loving God with all one's being and loving one's neighbor as oneself. Jesus also questions the scribes' understanding of the Messiah's identity and warns against their self-serving practices, finally highlighting the sacrificial giving of a poor widow over the large donations of the wealthy.

Long Summary

Mark chapter 12 begins with Jesus delivering the parable of the wicked husbandmen, depicting a vineyard owner who sends servants to collect fruit, only for them to be beaten, wounded, and killed by the husbandmen. Finally, the owner sends his beloved son, whom the husbandmen also kill to seize his inheritance. Jesus concludes by stating the owner will destroy those husbandmen and give the vineyard to others, quoting the scripture about the rejected stone becoming the head of the corner, which the religious leaders understood was spoken against them. Next, the Pharisees and Herodians attempt to ensnare Jesus by asking if it is lawful to pay tribute to Caesar. Jesus, perceiving their hypocrisy, asks for a penny and, upon identifying Caesar's image, instructs them to "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's," leaving them marveling. Subsequently, the Sadducees, who deny the resurrection, present a hypothetical case of a woman married to seven brothers, asking whose wife she would be in the resurrection. Jesus rebukes their error, attributing it to their ignorance of the scriptures and the power of God, explaining that in the resurrection, people neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels. He further affirms the resurrection by citing God's declaration to Moses as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, asserting He is the God of the living. A scribe, impressed by Jesus' answers, asks about the first commandment. Jesus responds by proclaiming the Shema, emphasizing loving God with all heart, soul, mind, and strength, and adding the second, to love one's neighbor as oneself, stating no greater commandments exist. Jesus then challenges the scribes' understanding of the Christ's identity, using Psalm 110 to show David called the Messiah "Lord." He also warns against the scribes' ostentatious displays, their desire for honor, and their practice of devouring widows' houses, declaring they will receive greater damnation. The chapter concludes with Jesus observing people giving to the temple treasury, highlighting a poor widow who gave two mites, all her living, as having given more sacrificially than all the rich who gave from their abundance.

Core Concepts

  • Parable of the Wicked HusbandmenJesus' allegorical story illustrating God's repeated sending of prophets to Israel, their rejection and persecution, and the ultimate killing of God's Son, leading to divine judgment and the transfer of the kingdom.
  • Tribute to CaesarJesus' response to a political trap, distinguishing between civic duties and spiritual obligations by instructing followers to give to earthly authorities what belongs to them, and to God what belongs to Him.
  • Resurrection LifeJesus' teaching that in the resurrection, individuals will not marry but will exist like angels, and that God is the God of the living, affirming the continued existence of the patriarchs.
  • The Great CommandmentsJesus' declaration that the two greatest commandments are to love the Lord God with all one's being and to love one's neighbor as oneself, summarizing the essence of the Law.
  • Hypocrisy of ScribesJesus' warning against religious leaders who seek public acclaim, honor, and wealth at the expense of others, particularly widows, while feigning piety.
  • Sacrificial GivingJesus' commendation of the poor widow who gave her last two mites, teaching that the value of a gift is measured not by its amount, but by the proportion of sacrifice it represents.
  • Messiah's IdentityJesus' challenge to the scribes' understanding of the Christ, using David's own words to suggest the Messiah's divine nature and pre-eminence over David.