Mark 12:3

But ¹  those tenants ²  seized his slave, ³  beat him, ⁴  and sent him away empty-handed. ⁵ 

1Ki 18:4,13; 1Ki 19:10,14; 1Ki 22:27; 2Ch 16:10; 2Ch 24:19-21; 2Ch 36:16; Ne 9:26; Jer 2:30; Jer 20:2; Jer 26:20-24; Jer 29:26; Jer 37:15,16; Jer 38:4-6; Jer 44:4,5,16; Da 9:10,11; Zec 7:9-13; Mt 23:34-37; Lu 11:47-51; Lu 13:33,34; Lu 20:10-12; Ac 7:52; 1Th 2:15; Heb 11:36,37

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

² tn Grk “But they”; the referent (the tenants, v. 1) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³ tn Grk “seizing him, they beat and sent away empty-handed.” The referent of the direct object of “seizing” (the slave sent by the owner) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The objects of the verbs “beat” and “sent away” have been supplied in the translation to conform to English style. Greek often omits direct objects when they are clear from the context.

⁴ sn The image of the tenants beating up the owner’s slave pictures the nation’s rejection of the prophets and their message.

⁵ sn The slaves being sent empty-handed suggests that the vineyard was not producing any fruit – and thus neither was the nation of Israel.