wine press

The Greek that is translated in English as “wine press” is translated in Tzotzil and in Mairasi as “a hole dug in the rock where juice is pressed out of grapes.” (Sources: Holzhausen 1991, p. 39 (Tzotzil) and Enggavoter 2004 (Mairasi).)

Click or tap here to see a short video clip showing a wine press in biblical times (source: Bible Lands 2012)

landowner

The Greek that is translated as “landowner” or similar in English is translated in Low German idiomatically as Mann, de harr Hus un Hoff or “man who owns a house and a farm” (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006).

tenants (of a vineyard) / winegrower

The Greek that is translated as “tenants (of a vineyard)” or similar in English is translated in the Pfälzisch translation by Walter Sauer (publ. 2012) as Winzer and in Luxembourghish as Wënzer, both “winemaker (vintner).” The area were Pfälzisch and Luxembourghish are spoken are traditional wine making areas and this is the commonly used term.

The same term is also used in John 15:1 for (English) “winegrower.” (Source: Zetzsche)

vineyard

The Hebrew, Latin, and Greek that is translated as “vineyard” in English is translated in Noongar as boodjer-djildjiyang, lit. “land for fruit.” (Source: Portions of the Holy Bible in the Nyunga language of Australia, 2018).

parable

Click here to view graphically

The Greek that is usually translated as “parable” in English is translated in other languages in a number of ways:

In British Sign Language it is translated with a sign that combines the signs for “tell-a-story” and “compare.” (Source: Anna Smith)


“Parable” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)

Scot McKnight (in The Second Testament, publ. 2023) translates it into English as analogy because “the Greek word has the sense of tossing down something alongside something else. Hence an analogy.”

See also image and figures of speech.

complete verse (Matthew 21:33)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 21:33:

  • Uma: “Yesus also said to the leaders of the Yahudi religion: ‘Also hear this parable. There was an owner of a field who planted his field with grapes. He made a fence around it, he made a grape presser, and he also built a watching/caretaking hut. After that, he paid gave his field to be worked to several people, and he went to a far town.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “‘Listen, there is yet another parable,’ said Isa. ‘A man planted a large area with grape vines and made a fence around it. He made a hole under the press for the grapes to catch the grape juice. He also made a tall hut for watching the garden. So-then he gave his garden into the care of people for sharing the proceeds from his plants. Then he left, going to a far place.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus said, ‘Listen to another parable which I will tell you, about what God is going to do. There was a person who had a field, and he planted it with grape vines. He fenced it, and he made a big hole in a big rock where he will make a place to squeeze the water out of the grapes. And he made a shelter for the one who watches the vineyard to live in. And he entrusted the care of that vineyard to some people, and he went to another kingdom.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Then Jesus said, ‘Please listen to one more parable. There was a person who planted many grapes. He stone-walled the borders, and hollowed-out a stone to catch/collect the juice of its fruit that was extracted when they stepped-on it. He also built a tall platform for harvest-guards to stay-in. Then he caused-it-(the vineyard)-to-be-taken-care-of by other farmers, and then went to a far country.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “‘Listen also to another illustration,’ said Jesus next. ‘There was a man who planted ubas plants in his field. He enclosed it with a fence. And then he dug where he would make a press for those ubas and he even built a high look-out(used for guarding from vermin etc.) When he had finished all of it, he left several people who were farmers in charge of that ubas plantation of his, for he went to another place.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Listen to this word of comparison I make now. A man made a field of grapes. He fenced all the land. And he made a place to press the grapes. And he made a tower for the field-watcher to sit. He looked for those would share-crop the field so that when there were grapes they would share them. Then he went far away.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 21:33

Although the previous section (verses 28-30) is not specifically identified as a parable, this parable is introduced with the words Hear another parable. Jesus is still talking to the chief priests and elders. However, the section heading makes a break in the text, and some translators have begun the verse with “Jesus went on to say.” On the meaning of the word parable, see comment at 13.3.

There was is translated “There was once” by Good News Translation (see verse 28).

Householder (Good News Translation, New English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible “landowner”) is a favorite Matthean word (see 10.25); it is also used in 13.27, 52; 20.1, 11; 24.43. In this context “property owner” or “a man who owned a farm” may be natural. Some translators have used “farmer” if that term clearly meant that the person owned the farm.

Translators in languages where a vineyard will be unknown should see the comments at 20.1.

Hedge (so also New American Bible, Barclay) is translated “wall” by New English Bible and New International Version, and “fence” by Good News Translation and Moffatt. Several translations prefer a verb phrase: “fenced it in” (An American Translation) and “fenced it round” (New Jerusalem Bible, Phillips). This statement represents the clearest indication that Matthew has in mind the Greek Old Testament text of Isaiah 5.2, which replaces “he dug it up” of the Hebrew with “I fenced it in.”

Dug a wine press in it is translated “dug a hole for the wine press” by Good News Translation, which intends to help the reader who may not be familiar with the custom of digging a hole to use as a place to press grapes. Barclay is even more explicit: “and dug out a pit in which the juice could be extracted from the grapes.” The words in it do not mean the wine press was dug in the fence or hedge; it was in the vineyard, inside the area surrounded by the fence.

Tower is more specifically “watchtower” (Good News Translation, New English Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, New International Version). Reference is to the custom of erecting a tower from which one can be on the lookout against thieves and animals which may break into the vineyard to steal the grapes when they are either ripe or almost ripe.

Let it out to tenants probably means on a sharecropping basis, according to which the rent was a certain percentage of the harvest (see verse 34: “to receive his share of the harvest” [Good News Bible]). This kind of arrangement is known in many parts of the world. Where it is not, translators can say “had some men do the work on the farm in exchange for receiving some of the crop” or “found some people who agreed to take care of the vineyard for him.”

Went into another country is translated “went abroad” by a number of modern translations (Moffatt, New Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible, Phillips, Barclay). The intimation is that the owner is a foreigner, and that he is returning to his home abroad. At least this interpretation makes more sense of the other details in the story. Translators can say “traveled to another country” or “left on a trip to a distant place.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .