Luke 20:14 (KJV)

What does Luke 20:14 mean?

Luke 20:14 describes how the tenant farmers, seeing the landowner’s son coming, decide together to kill him so that they can take the inheritance for themselves. The verse shows their deliberate and selfish reasoning, as they recognize the son’s status as heir and plot to remove him to gain what is not rightfully theirs.

In this part of Jesus’ parable, he is speaking to a crowd that includes religious leaders in Jerusalem. The “husbandmen” or tenant farmers represent people entrusted with responsibility, and the “heir” is the landowner’s son. The verse highlights the tenants’ calculated plan and the seriousness of their rejection, setting up the main point of the parable about rejecting rightful authority.

The Greek behind Luke 20:14

• “ἔλογίζοντο” (elogizonto, reasoned): This word means to deliberate or discuss thoughtfully. It shows the tenants are not acting rashly but are making a conscious, shared decision.
• “κληρονόμος” (klēronomos, heir): This term refers specifically to someone who has the legal right to inherit. The tenants recognize the son’s unique status, which makes their plot even more serious.
• “κληρονομία” (klēronomia, inheritance): This word means the property or rights that are to be passed down. The tenants’ desire for the inheritance reveals their motivation and greed.

Why Luke 20:14 matters

• Luke 20:14 makes clear that the tenants’ actions are not a misunderstanding but a willful rejection of the heir, which sharpens the parable’s message about rejecting rightful authority.
• The verse connects directly to the larger story, where Jesus is warning the religious leaders about the consequences of rejecting God’s messengers and ultimately his Son.
• The deliberate plotting in this verse highlights the seriousness of the rejection, not just of a servant, but of the son himself, raising the stakes in the parable.