12:4a
Then he sent them another servant: There is implied information here. It is implied that the first servant returned to the owner of the grape farm and told him what had happened. After that the owner sent another servant to the grape farmers to try to get his share of the harvest.
12:4b
and they struck him over the head:
There is a textual issue in 12:4b. Some Greek manuscripts have the phrase “having stoned him” at the beginning of this clause. (1) Some Greek manuscripts do not have this phrase. For example, the Revised Standard Version says: “they wounded him in the head” (Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Good News Bible, Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, English Standard Version, God’s Word, New Living Translation, Contemporary English Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, New Century Version). (2) Other Greek manuscripts have the phrase
they cast stones. For example, the King James Version says: “and at him they cast stones, and wounded [him] in the head” (King James Version). It is recommended that you follow option (1).) The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as struck…over the head implies that the grape farmers hit the servant repeatedly on the head. It may also mean that they wounded him in the head. Some languages use different words for hitting with the fist and hitting with a hard object. If that is true in your language, you may use a word that means “hit/beat with a cane or stick.”
and treated him shamefully: The phrase treated him shamefully indicates that the grape farmers mistreated the owner’s servant and insulted him. They acted and spoke in a way that humiliated the servant. By doing this, the grape farmers showed that they also did not respect his master, the owner of the grape farm.
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