The Parable of the Wicked Tenants: An Inquiry into Parable Interpretation

by Klyne Snodgrass

Overview

Despite its importance, the parable of the wicked tenants has been an enigma to modern interpretation. The approaches to the parable have been quite varied. Some interpreters place this parable at the apex of the ministry of Jesus, while others assign little importance to it or virtually ignore it. In some cases the conclusions drawn have been unsatisfactory either because of presuppositions that are too rigid or that have been shown to be erroneous by recent developments. Any discussion of the parable is necessarily a complex one in that it involves the relation of the three Synoptic accounts, an assessment of the account in the Gospel of Thomas, the religious and economic background in Palestine, the self-designation of Jesus, and the theological shaping of the parable by the tradition and by evangelists. Because of the importance of this parable as a possible key to understanding the ministry of Jesus, particularly since its relevance has often been minimized, this parable deserves closer analysis.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783161446108
Publisher:	Mohr Siebeck
Publication date:	12/31/1983
Series:	Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament , #27
Pages:	140
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Klyne Snodgrass is Paul W. Brandel Professor of New Testament Studies at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois.

Table of Contents

Preface VII

Abbreviations IX

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 Attempts to Interpret the Parable 3

Adolf Jülicher 3

The De-Allegorizing Approach 5

Werner Georg Kümmel 8

Novel Approaches 10

Chapter 2 What Methold Should be Used? 12

Can a Parable be an Allegory? 13

Other Methodological Considerations 26

Chapter 3 The Cultural Setting of the Parable 31

Chapter 4 An Analysis of the Parable and its Development 41

Comparison of the Various Accounts 42

The Development of the Tradition 52

Chapter 5 The Origin and Meaning of the Parable 72

The Owner and his Vineyard 73

The Tenants and the Servants 77

The Son 80

The Judgment Pronouncement 87

The Stone 95

The Parable as a Unit 106

Conclusions 111

Appendix: The Wordplay Between $ and $ 113

Bibliography 119

Monographs and Commentaries 119

Articles 122

Dissertations 126

Index of Passages Cited 127

Index of Persons 136