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Matthew 20

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The Parable of the Laborers 1–16

1
For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that was a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. ​
2
And when he had agreed with the laborers for a shilling a day, he sent them into his vineyard. ​
3
And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing in the marketplace idle;
4
and to them he said, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
5
Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.
6
And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing; and he saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? ​
7
They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard.
8
And when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the laborers, and pay them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
9
And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a shilling.
10
And when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received every man a shilling.
11
And when they received it, they murmured against the householder,
12
saying, These last have spent but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat. ​
13
But he answered and said to one of them, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a shilling?
14
Take up that which is thine, and go thy way; it is my will to give unto this last, even as unto thee.
15
Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? or is thine eye evil, because I am good? ​
16
So the last shall be first, and the first last. ​

Jesus Predicts His Death Again 17–19

17
And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples apart, and on the way he said unto them, ​
18
Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests and scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, ​
19
and shall deliver him unto the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify: and the third day he shall be raised up. ​

The Request of James and John 20–28

20
Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee with her sons, worshipping him, and asking a certain thing of him. ​
21
And he said unto her, What wouldest thou? She saith unto him, Command that these my two sons may sit, one on thy right hand, and one on thy left hand, in thy kingdom.
22
But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink the cup that I am about to drink? They say unto him, We are able. ​
23
He saith unto them, My cup indeed ye shall drink: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left hand, is not mine to give; but it is for them for whom it hath been prepared of my Father. ​
24
And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation concerning the two brethren. ​
25
But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
26
Not so shall it be among you: but whosoever would become great among you shall be your minister; ​
27
and whosoever would be first among you shall be your servant:
28
even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. ​

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men 29–34

29
And as they went out from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. ​
30
And behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, Lord, have mercy on us, thou son of David. ​
31
And the multitude rebuked them, that they should hold their peace: but they cried out the more, saying, Lord, have mercy on us, thou son of David. ​
32
And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I should do unto you?
33
They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.
34
And Jesus, being moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and straightway they received their sight, and followed him. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Matthew 20

Verse 1

an householder — Oikodespotes, 'master of the house'; he is the 'goodman of the house' in v.11 and 'the lord of the vineyard' in v.8. The parable answers the 'first… last' saying of Matt 19:30 and closes with it in v.16. Vineyard imagery appears in 'I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman' (John 15:1).

Verse 2

a penny a day — Denarion, the Roman denarius, here the day's pay. 'Agreed' is symphoneo, to stipulate by compact, the verb the householder recalls in v.13: 'didst not thou agree with me for a penny?' The law required that 'at his day thou shalt give him his hire' (Deut 24:15).

Verse 6

the eleventh hour — Hendekatos, eleventh, the last hour of the working day. 'Idle' is argos (not working), as in v.3; their reply in v.7, 'no man hath hired us', gives the reason. They are sent in with no wage named, only 'whatsoever is right' (v.7).

Verse 12

the burden and heat of the day — Baros, weight, and kauson, burning heat. The complaint rests on comparison: 'thou hast made them equal unto us' (isos). It never says the agreed wage was withheld, and the householder's answer in v.13 appeals to that agreement.

Verse 15

Is thine eye evil — The Greek is ophthalmos (eye) with poneros (evil), and the eye can mean envy. The same figure is in Deut 15:9, 'thine eye be evil against thy poor brother'. 'Lawful' is exesti, permitted; the LORD's own claim is in Rom 9:15, 'I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.'

Verse 16

the last shall be first — The saying of Matt 19:30 returns with its order reversed, framing the parable. 'Called' is kletos, invited; 'chosen' is eklektos, elect. The last clause is repeated after the wedding parable in Matt 22:14: 'For many are called, but few are chosen.'

Verse 17

took the twelve disciples apart — Kata idian, privately, 'in the way' as they went up (anabaino) to Jerusalem. Mark 10:32 and Luke 18:31 give the same moment. Earlier announcements of the passion are at Matt 16:21 and 17:22–23; this one adds the details of vv.18–19.

Verse 18

shall be betrayed — Paradidomi, to deliver up, the verb repeated in v.19 ('shall deliver him to the Gentiles'). Matt 17:22 had said 'betrayed into the hands of men'; now the hands are named: 'chief priests… scribes', who 'condemn' (katakrino) him to death.

Verse 19

to the Gentiles — Ethnos, the nations outside Israel. Three verbs follow: 'mock', 'scourge', 'crucify' (stauroo). 'The third day he shall rise again' (anistemi) is the event of 1 Cor 15:4, 'he rose again the third day according to the scriptures', where Paul uses another verb, egeiro.

Verse 20

the mother of Zebedee's children — Matthew names her where Mark 10:35 has James and John themselves asking. A woman of that description is among those at the cross: 'the mother of Zebedee's children' (Matt 27:56). 'Worshipping' is proskuneo, to bow down.

Verse 22

the cup… the baptism — Poterion and baptisma, the lot Christ must undergo; he prays of the same cup in Gethsemane, 'let this cup pass from me' (Matt 26:39). 'Are ye able' and 'We are able' are one verb, dunamai; Jesus has said they 'know not what' they ask.

Verse 23

Ye shall drink indeed of my cup — James was 'killed… with the sword' (Acts 12:2); John was 'companion in tribulation' on Patmos (Rev 1:9). The places are 'prepared' (hetoimazo) by the Father, as the kingdom is 'prepared for you from the foundation of the world' (Matt 25:34).

Verse 24

moved with indignation — Aganakteo, to be greatly displeased; Mark 10:41 says they 'began to be much displeased with James and John'. Their anger is aimed at 'the two brethren', not the mother. Jesus then calls all twelve to himself (v.25).

Verse 26

let him be your minister — Diakonos, an attendant who waits on others. The next verse sharpens it to doulos, 'servant' (slave), and v.28 uses the verb diakoneo of Christ himself. Luke 22:26 gives the same teaching: 'he that is chief, as he that doth serve.'

Verse 28

a ransom for many — Lutron, a redemption price, from luo, to loose; 'for' is anti, in place of. Christ 'came… to minister' (diakoneo, the verb formed from v.26's noun 'minister') and the service is his life given. Paul restates it: 'a ransom for all' (1 Tim 2:6).

Verse 29

departed from Jericho — Mark 10:46 names one of the blind men, 'Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus', and Luke 18:35 has the healing as he 'was come nigh unto Jericho'. 'Followed' is akoloutheo, the verb used of the healed men in v.34.

Verse 30

Son of David — Dabid, the royal title; 'Have mercy' is eleeo. Two blind men used the same cry in Matt 9:27. The title is taken up by the multitudes at the entry, 'Hosanna to the Son of David' (Matt 21:9), and Christ himself raises its meaning in Matt 22:42–45.

Verse 31

cried the more — Meizon, 'more' in degree. The multitude 'rebuked' (epitimao) them, as the disciples had rebuked those who brought children to him (Matt 19:13). Their words repeat v.30 exactly: 'Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.'

Verse 34

had compassion — Splanchnizomai, from splanchnon, the inward parts: pity felt in the gut. He 'touched' (haptomai) their eyes, and the men 'followed' (akoloutheo) him, as the multitude did in v.29. Hebrews says he can be 'touched with the feeling of our infirmities' (Heb 4:15).