They said to him is unique in Matthew, who allows the hearers to pronounce their own judgment. Note the similar manner in which Matthew includes “we are afraid of the multitude” (verse 26) as a remark of the chief priests and the elders rather than as an observation by the narrator (as in Mark 11.32).

He will put those wretches to a miserable death represents a play on words in Greek: “He will bring those bad men to a bad end” (New English Bible) and “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end” (New Jerusalem Bible). However, as attested by New English Bible and New Jerusalem Bible, when the play on words is transferred into English, the effect is less than desirable. A more literal rendering is “He will kill those bad people badly,” in which the adverb “badly” may qualify either the merciless character of the death (Phillips “without mercy”) or else its horrible nature (An American Translation “a miserable death”).

Let out translates the same verb used in verse 33 (so also Mark 12.1; Luke 20.9). Here Mark (12.9) and Luke (20.16) shift to a verb which means “give” or “turn over to.”

Who will give him the fruits in their seasons is a statement found only in Matthew. Its structure and meaning are similar to “the season of fruit” of verse 34 (see comment there). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch is dynamic: “who promptly turn over to him his share at harvest time.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .