12:6a

Finally The word Finally implies that after the owner sent his son, he would not send anyone else to the grape farmers. Here is another way to translate this:

Last of all

having one beloved son: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as having one beloved son is more literally “still one having, a beloved son.” It indicates that the owner had only one more person whom he could send to the grape farmers. He had no more servants to send. He had only his son. In some languages it may be necessary to indicate the sequence of events more clearly. For example:

After that, the only one left to send…

In some languages it may be more natural to express the meaning of this clause with a negative statement. For example:

He had now no one left to send except his beloved son (Revised English Bible)

beloved son: The owner had a special love for his son. This does not mean that the owner had other sons whom he did not love. This may have been his only son. (Many times in the Old Testament the expression “beloved son” means “only son.” (UBS Handbook page 366))

12:6b

he sent him to them: The owner decided to send his son to the farmers.

12:6c

They will respect my son: The owner thought that surely the grape farmers would respect his son. The farmers knew that the owner had given his son complete authority to represent him. He expected that they would respect the son and give him the share of the harvest that they owed the father. There is also an implied contrast with the servants, whom the farmers had not respected. It means:

they will respect my son even though they did not respect my servants

he said: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as he said identifies what the owner said or thought about sending his son. It is not clear whether the owner spoke his thought aloud to someone else or simply thought it in his own mind. In Greek, the verb appears at the beginning of 12:6c. The Berean Standard Bible has changed the order. You should place this phrase where it is most natural in your language.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

saying (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
thinking (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
saying to himself (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

See the General Comment on 12:6b–c for a suggestion about indirect speech.

General Comment on 12:6b–c

In some languages it may be more natural to use indirect speech here. For example:

He sent him last of all, saying/thinking that they would respect his son.

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