Luke 20 · a question people ask
Who said "May that never be!" (20:16)?
Luke doesn't say. He tells only this: "When they heard that, they said, “May that never be!”" (20:16). Jesus "began to tell the people this parable" (20:9), and after those words, "he looked at them and said" (20:17). Then Luke tells that "The chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on him that very hour, but they feared the people—for they knew he had spoken this parable against them." (20:19). Luke doesn't name those who said "May that never be!", and these notes don't either. In the WEB's Gospels these words come only here. Favor's Matthew 21 sets them beside Matthew's and Mark's tellings, in its catch They gave the answer.
The verses
“He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to some farmers, and went into another country for a long time.”
“He will come and destroy these farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.” When they heard that, they said, “May that never be!” But he looked at them and said, “Then what is this that is written, ‘The stone which the builders rejected was made the chief cornerstone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but it will crush whomever it falls on to dust.” The chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on him that very hour, but they feared the people—for they knew he had spoken this parable against them.”