Mark 12

1 He began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a pit for the wine press, built a tower, rented it out to a farmer, and went into another country.

2 When it was time, he sent a servant to the farmer to get from the farmer his share of the fruit of the vineyard.

3 They took him, beat him, and sent him away empty.

4 Again, he sent another servant to them; and they threw stones at him, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.

5 Again he sent another, and they killed him, and many others, beating some, and killing some.

6 Therefore still having one, his beloved son, he sent him last to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

7 But those farmers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’

8 They took him, killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.

9 What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.

10 Haven’t you even read this Scripture: ‘The stone which the builders rejected was made the head of the corner.

11 This was from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes’?”

12 They tried to seize him, but they feared the multitude; for they perceived that he spoke the parable against them. They left him and went away.

13 They sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to him, that they might trap him with words.

14 When they had come, they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you are honest, and don’t defer to anyone; for you aren’t partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?

15 Shall we give, or shall we not give?” But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test me? Bring me a denarius, that I may see it.”

16 They brought it. He said to them, “Whose is this image and inscription?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.”

17 Jesus answered them, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” They marveled greatly at him.

18 Some Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection, came to him. They asked him, saying,

19 “Teacher, Moses wrote to us, ‘If a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife behind him, and leaves no children, that his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.’

20 There were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and dying left no offspring.

21 The second took her, and died, leaving no children behind him. The third likewise;

22 and the seven took her and left no children. Last of all the woman also died.

23 In the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be of them? For the seven had her as a wife.”

24 Jesus answered them, “Isn’t this because you are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God?

25 For when they will rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

26 But about the dead, that they are raised, haven’t you read in the book of Moses about the Bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?

27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are therefore badly mistaken.”

28 One of the scribes came and heard them questioning together, and knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the greatest of all?”

29 Jesus answered, “The greatest is: ‘Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

30 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

31 The second is like this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

32 The scribe said to him, “Truly, teacher, you have said well that he is one, and there is none other but he;

33 and to love him with all the heart, with all the understanding, all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from God’s Kingdom.” No one dared ask him any question after that.

35 Jesus responded, as he taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?

36 For David himself said in the Holy Spirit, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet.”’

37 Therefore David himself calls him Lord, so how can he be his son?” The common people heard him gladly.

38 In his teaching he said to them, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and to get greetings in the marketplaces,

39 and to get the best seats in the synagogues and the best places at feasts,

40 those who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

41 Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and saw how the multitude cast money into the treasury. Many who were rich cast in much.

42 A poor widow came and she cast in two small brass coins, which equal a quadrans coin.

43 He called his disciples to himself and said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, this poor widow gave more than all those who are giving into the treasury,

44 for they all gave out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, gave all that she had to live on.”

Around Mark 12

Book context

MarkEditorial draft

Mark opens with “The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (1:1) and moves quickly from scene to scene, starting with Jesus announcing that God’s Kingdom is at hand (1:14 to 15). It explains Jewish terms such as “Corban” for its readers (7:11), which suggests an audience not all familiar with Jewish practice. A central saying is that the Son of Man came “to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (10:45). The text does not name its author; early tradition links it to John Mark and the preaching of Peter, and Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897) places it in Rome around AD 63. Many scholars today regard Mark as the earliest Gospel.

Why we say this

HisFullGlory editorial · common interpretation · not yet reviewed by a theological reader

From the text itself

Sources

Notes summarise their sources in our own words. Where Christians or scholars disagree, the note says so. Notes are not original-language evidence and do not replace the text.

AI explanation

Mark 12 · Written by an AI model · Not reviewed by a theological reader

This explanation was written by an AI model to help you get started. It names no sources and can contain mistakes. Scripture comes first, and context with sources is shown separately on this page.

What this chapter says

Jesus is teaching in the temple, and he starts with a story about a vineyard. A man plants it, rents it to farmers and goes away. When the time comes he sends servants for his share of the fruit, and the farmers beat and kill them. Last of all he sends his beloved son, and the farmers decide to kill the heir. Jesus says the owner will give the vineyard to others. The leaders see the story is aimed at them, and they leave.

Then the questions come, each one a trap. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar? Jesus asks whose image is on a coin, then answers, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Sadducees bring a puzzle about resurrection, and he answers from the story of the bush. A scribe asks, “Which commandment is the greatest of all?” Jesus names love of God and love of neighbor.

He ends with a question of his own, a warning about scribes who seek honor, and a poor widow who gives two small coins.

Background

The vineyard picture comes from Isaiah 5, where Israel is God’s vineyard. The parable is aimed at the temple leaders of that day. It has sometimes been misused to claim that God rejected the Jewish people as a whole, but the text does not say that, and the first followers of Jesus were themselves Jews. The Sadducees were a priestly group who accepted only the first five books of Moses and denied resurrection. The Herodians supported the family of Herod. The great commandments come from Deuteronomy 6:4 and 5 and Leviticus 19:18.

About this explanation

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model, on 27 October 2026. It draws on the WEB text and general knowledge and was not checked against sources by a person. Every quotation from Scripture is checked automatically against the WEB text.

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World English Bible. Public-domain source and edition notes