Matthew 20:8

So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them [their] hire, beginning from the last unto the first.

So {G1161} when even {G3798} was come {G1096}, the lord {G2962} of the vineyard {G290} saith {G3004} unto his {G846} steward {G2012}, Call {G2564} the labourers {G2040}, and {G2532} give {G591} them {G846} their hire {G3408}, beginning {G756} from {G575} the last {G2078} unto {G2193} the first {G4413}.

"When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, `Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last ones hired and ending with the first.'

When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last ones hired and moving on to the first.’

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.

Matthew 20:8 KJV Commentary

Context of Matthew 20:8

This verse is a pivotal moment in the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard, found in Matthew 20:1-16. Jesus tells this parable immediately after a discussion with Peter about rewards for those who have followed Him, and after declaring that "many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first" (Matthew 19:30). The parable illustrates principles of the Kingdom of Heaven, specifically concerning God's unique system of reward and grace, which often confounds human expectations of fairness or merit.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Divine Sovereignty and Generosity: The "lord of the vineyard," representing God, exercises absolute discretion over his own resources and how he chooses to distribute them. His command to pay "beginning from the last unto the first" highlights his unconventional generosity and willingness to bless beyond what might be considered strictly deserved by human standards.
  • Grace Over Merit: The core message of the parable, initiated by this payment instruction, is that God's grace is freely given and not earned by human effort or length of service. All laborers, regardless of how many hours they worked, received the same wage, emphasizing that salvation and spiritual blessings are gifts of grace. This challenges a merit-based view of divine reward.
  • The "First Shall Be Last" Principle: This verse literally enacts the principle Jesus stated earlier. By paying the last first, the landowner deliberately subverts the natural order, setting the stage for the grumbling of the early laborers and demonstrating that God's ways are higher than human ways, particularly concerning humility and entitlement.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "when even was come" refers to sundown, the traditional end of the workday and the time when laborers would receive their daily wages. The "lord of the vineyard" is the landowner, a figure representing God, while the "steward" is an overseer, tasked with managing the landowner's affairs, including the distribution of wages. The "hire" or wage was a denarius, a silver coin that was a standard day's pay for a laborer in the Roman world. The instruction "beginning from the last unto the first" is crucial as it immediately signals the parable's central tension and theological point about God's counter-intuitive justice and grace.

Practical Application

Matthew 20:8 reminds us that God's economy operates on principles of grace, not strict human merit. For believers, this means:

  • Humility in Service: We should serve God out of love and devotion, not with an expectation of earning a certain level of reward or comparing ourselves to others. Our ultimate reward is a gift.
  • Trust in God's Justice: God's ways are perfectly just, though they may not always align with our limited understanding of fairness. He is generous and merciful to all who respond to His call, whether early or late in life.
  • Avoiding Envy: The grumbling of the early laborers serves as a warning against envy and a self-righteous attitude when we see others receive God's blessings. God is good to all, and His goodness to others does not diminish His goodness to us.

This verse sets the stage for understanding the profound nature of divine grace and the radical generosity of the Kingdom of God.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Deuteronomy 24:15

    At his day thou shalt give [him] his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he [is] poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the LORD, and it be sin unto thee.

  • 1 Peter 4:10

    As every man hath received the gift, [even so] minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

  • Luke 10:7

    And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.

  • Genesis 39:4

    And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all [that] he had he put into his hand.

  • Genesis 39:6

    And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was [a] goodly [person], and well favoured.

  • Matthew 13:39

    The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

  • Matthew 13:40

    As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
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