Matthew 20:4

And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.

And said {G2036} unto them {G2548}; Go {G5217} ye {G5210} also {G2532} into {G1519} the vineyard {G290}, and {G2532} whatsoever {G3739}{G1437} is {G5600} right {G1342} I will give {G1325} you {G5213}. And {G1161} they went their way {G565}.

and said to them, `You go to the vineyard too -- I'll pay you a fair wage.' So they went.

‘You also go into my vineyard,’ he said, ‘and I will pay you whatever is right.’

and to them he said, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.

Commentary

Context

The verse Matthew 20:4 is part of the well-known Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard, recorded in its entirety in Matthew 20:1-16. Jesus tells this parable immediately after Peter asks about the disciples' rewards for following Him (Matthew 19:27), and following Jesus' teaching on the difficulty for rich men to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The parable challenges traditional notions of fairness and emphasizes God's sovereign generosity and grace in His dealings with humanity, particularly concerning salvation and rewards in His Kingdom. The "vineyard" commonly symbolizes the Kingdom of God or the work of Christian service, and the "owner" represents God Himself.

Key Themes

  • The Call to Service

    The owner's repeated act of going out at different hours to hire laborers signifies God's continuous and inclusive call to individuals from all walks of life, at various stages of their journey, to engage in His work. There is always a place in God's "vineyard" for those willing to serve.

  • God's Promise of Justice and Generosity

    The phrase "whatsoever is right I will give you" is central to the parable's message. Unlike the first group of laborers who agreed to a specific wage (Matthew 20:2), those called later are invited to trust the owner's discretion. This promise sets the stage for the parable's surprising conclusion, where all laborers receive the same payment regardless of hours worked (Matthew 20:10). It highlights that God's justice is rooted in His boundless grace and generosity, which often transcends human expectations of merit-based compensation.

  • Immediate Obedience and Trust

    The laborers' immediate response, "And they went their way," demonstrates a spirit of willing obedience and trust in the owner's character and promise. They did not question the unspecified payment but simply responded to the call. This mirrors the kind of faith and prompt submission Jesus often sought from His followers, as seen in the disciples leaving their nets to follow Him (Matthew 4:20).

Linguistic Insights

The Greek phrase translated as "whatsoever is right" is ho ean ē dikaios (ὃ ἐὰν ᾖ δίκαιον). The word dikaios means "just," "righteous," or "equitable." This is significant because it implies that the payment will be in accordance with the owner's standard of justice, which, as the parable unfolds, is revealed to be rooted in his sovereign generosity and grace rather than a strict, human-defined system of earned wages. This nuance is crucial to understanding the parable's challenge to human ideas of fairness.

Practical Application

Matthew 20:4 encourages believers to respond to God's call to service at any point in their lives, regardless of how much "time" they feel they have left or how long others have been serving. It reminds us that our reward from God may not always align with our human expectations of what we "deserve" based on our efforts, but rather on His incredible grace and sovereign will. Ultimately, this verse promotes a spirit of willing obedience and trust in God's character, knowing that He will always do what is right and good for His servants, working all things for their good (Romans 8:28).

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Cross-References

  • 1 Timothy 1:12 (2 votes)

    ¶ And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

  • 1 Timothy 1:13 (2 votes)

    Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did [it] ignorantly in unbelief.

  • 1 Corinthians 6:11 (2 votes)

    And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

  • Matthew 9:9 (2 votes)

    ¶ And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

  • 1 Peter 4:2 (2 votes)

    That he no longer should live the rest of [his] time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

  • 1 Peter 4:3 (2 votes)

    For the time past of [our] life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:

  • Titus 3:8 (2 votes)

    [This is] a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.