Matthew 21:35 - Exposition

Took his servants . The exaction of rent in kind has always been a fruitful source of dispute, fraud, and discontent. In the Jewish Church God's messengers had been ill treated and put to death (see Matthew 23:34-37 ). "Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted?" cried St. Stephen; "and they have slain them which showed before the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been the betrayers and murderers" ( Acts 7:52 ). Beat … killed … stoned. A climax of iniquity and guilt. The statement is probably meant to be general; some, however, endeavour to individualize it, referring the "beating" to the treatment of Jeremiah ( Jeremiah 20:1 , Jeremiah 20:2 ), "killing" to Isaiah ( Hebrews 11:37 , "sawn asunder"), "stoning" to Zechariah son of Jehoiada ( 2 Chronicles 24:20 , 2 Chronicles 24:21 ). Doubtless, the incidents in such persecutions were often repeated.