Matthew 21:32

For Yochanan of the tevilah of teshuva came to you in the Derech Tzidkat Hashem (Way of Righteousness), and you did not believe him. But the mochesim and the zonot believed him. But you, even after you saw, did not change your mind + 21:32 i.e., make teshuva and believe him.

Orthodox Jewish Bible

In The King James Version

For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

In Context

31Which of the two did the ratzon haAv (the will of the Father)? They say, The rishon (the first). Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to them, Omein, I say to you, that the mochesim (tax-collectors) and the zonot (prostitutes) are going in ahead of you into the Malchut Hashem.

33Listen to another mashal. There was a man, a Baal Bayit, who planted a kerem (vineyard). And he put a fence around it, and he dug a yekev (winepress) in it, and built a migdal (tower) and leased it to koremim (vine-keepers) and departed.

Read all of Matthew 21

Cross References

Isaiah 35:8And a maslul (highway) shall be there, and a derech (road), 1 and it shall be called The Derech HaKodesh (The Holy Road); 1 the tameh (unclean, impure person [see Isa 26:7]) shall not pass along it, 1 inasmuch as it shall be for them, 1 that is, the Holech Derech (Walker of the Road, i.e., whoever is the [Redeemed] Wayfarer on the Derech HaKodesh), 1 even evilim (morally bad foolish people) shall not go astray thereon. 1

Zechariah 7:11But they refused to heed, 1 and stubbornly stiffened their shoulders, 1 stopped up their oznayim, that they not hear. 1

Matthew 11:18For Yochanan came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He has a shed.

Luke 3:8Therefore, produce p'ri tov l'teshuva (fruit worthy of repentance), and do not begin to presume within yourselves, saying, We have the zechut Avot (merit of the Fathers) of Avraham Avinu, for, I say to you, that Hashem is able from these avanim (stones) to raise up banim to Avraham Avinu.

Luke 7:37And an isha (woman) was in the shtetl, an isha chotet (a woman of sin), and, when she had daas that Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach reclines at tish in the bais of the Parush, she brought an alabaster flask of costly perfume.

Acts 13:25Now as Yochanan was completing his course, he was saying, What do you suppose me to be? I am not! But, hinei, he comes after me of whom I am not worthy to untie the sandal of his feet. + 13:25 The first Shlichus Journey (46-48 C.E.) was followed by the second (49-52 C.E.) and then by the third (53-57 C.E.) with the trip to appear before Nero (59-60 C.E.) but everything begins here in chapter 13. This material is of great importance in the Bible. Here we see the world kiruv outreach of Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach in action. Notice the beginning of Chapter 13. The whole world is affected, is even turned upside down, by what happens in one little Messianic kehillah in Antioch, where believers are engaged in worship, and waiting on G-d in prayer and fasting. This kehillah has various ministries, including nevi'im and morim. See Ro 12:6-8; Ep 4:11; 1C 12:28-29. Notice that ministers are set apart for avodas kodesh service, and what they do is not their own choice but the choice of the Ruach Hakodesh. Just as the Levi'im were consecrated and set apart for their holy service in the Beis Hamikdash, so believers are called to preach the Besuras Hageulah to the ends of the earth. Hashem by His Ruach Hakodesh calls them, equips them, trains them, raises them up, and sends them, empowering them and leading them every step of the way. Notice that these men have a recognized call by a body of believers who lay hands on them, who recognize their gifting and calling and lay on hands to consecrate them for the L-rdʼs work. These two men do not embark as religious freelancers. A body of believers stands behind them to pray for them and the two ministers are accountable to this sending body for their doctrine and service. Notice that the Ruach Hakodesh is directing this world kiruv outreach, it is His Work, and He is empowering all the dynamics of it. Rav Sha'ul will make three of these journeys and he will complete his course, just like Yochanan of the tevilah of teshuva. Like Yochanan he will pay the ultimate price, dying al kiddush ha-Shem for his edus to the truth of the Besuras HaGeulah as a Messianic martyr for the faith. But everything that is accomplished is by the power of the Ruach Hakodesh. Notice as Rav Sha'ul goes to the whole world and to every creature, he always goes to the Jewish people first. See Ac 13:14; 14:1; 17:1,10; 18:4, 19; 19:8. Why? Is this merely an expediency or a pragmatic decision? As anyone should be able to see by reading this translation, The Orthodox Jewish Bible, salvation is from the Jewish people, from Jewish prophets and writings, from Jewish servants of the G-d of Israel. Salvation is not a Gentile commodity available from a Gentile religion, and primarily directed toward non-Jews. Salvation is of the Jewish faith and therefore it would be both intrinsically misleading and also cruelly anti-Semitic to avoid or by-pass the Jewish people in preaching the saving Jewish message of Besuras HaGeulah (Good News of Redemption) that offers to all men the Yeshu'at Eloheinu (Salvation of our G-d). In this thirteenth chapter of the Gevurot MeyRuach HaKodesh (Acts of the Holy Spirit) we see that an important theme is spiritual blindness. Those who do not have the Ruach Hakodesh and blindly hinder and even oppose the work of the Ruach Hakodesh will not succeed. The Roman proconsul of Cyprus is an important contact and, if he could be won over to the Messianic faith, doors would open to the entire island. Hasatanʼs worker, Elymas, is positioned demonically to keep exactly that from happening. What follows is a power encounter between the Ruach Hakodesh and the occult powers of a sorcerer. There are those who would pervert the right ways of Hashem, who twist and try to garble the holy words of the Scripture. There may be some who will oppose this Bible translation and will try to mock it, vilify it, demean it, oppose it, attack it and try to keep it from readers, even physically attack it and burn it. But like this Elymas they will not succeed. No weapon formed against us will prosper. And G-d will watch over his Word and protect it. It is my prayer that just as Rav Sha'ul was blinded by the Moshiach and was taught about his own spiritual blindness by a judgment miracle, wherein he was temporarily blinded as a warning, and just as Elymas was also blinded by Hashem for a time so that he would also have an opportunity to repent and come to the truth and turn away from HaSatan who had taken him captive to do his will — so it is my prayer that anyone, Jewish or non-Jewish, who attempts to attack this translation and keep it from being read by Jewish people or anyone else, will come to their senses and see what blindness they are laboring under, and that Hashem will open their eyes to the light of the salvation that we have in Moshiach Adoneinu. Omein.

Matthew Henry on Matthew 21:29-33

The Parable of the Two Sons. 28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. 30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. 31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Matthew 21:32