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class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/matthew/20.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/matthew/20.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />&#8220The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/matthew/20.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/matthew/20.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/matthew/20.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/blb/matthew/20.htm">Berean Literal Bible</a></span><br />And those <i>hired</i> about the eleventh hour having come, they received a denarius each.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/matthew/20.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />And when they came that <i>were hired</i> about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/matthew/20.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />And when those came who <i>were hired</i> about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/matthew/20.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />When those <i>hired</i> about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/matthew/20.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />&#8220When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/matthew/20.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />“And when those <i>hired</i> about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/matthew/20.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />And when those <i>hired</i> about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/matthew/20.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />Those who had been <i>hired</i> at the eleventh hour (5:00 p.m.) came and received a denarius each [a day’s wage].<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/matthew/20.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />“When those who were hired about five came, they each received one denarius.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/matthew/20.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />&#8220When those who were hired about five came, they each received one denarius. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/matthew/20.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a shilling.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/matthew/20.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />When the workers arrived, the ones who had been hired at five in the afternoon were given a full day's pay. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/matthew/20.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/matthew/20.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />"Those who started working about 5 p.m. came, and each received a day's wages.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/matthew/20.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />The men who had begun to work at five o'clock were paid a silver coin each. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/matthew/20.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />Those who were hired at five o'clock came, and each received a denarius.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/matthew/20.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/matthew/20.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />When those hired about five o'clock came, each received a full day's pay.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/matthew/20.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />"When those who were hired at about five in the afternoon came, they each received a denarius.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/matthew/20.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wey/matthew/20.htm">Weymouth New Testament</a></span><br />"When those came who had begun at five o'clock, they received a shilling apiece;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/matthew/20.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />“When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/matthew/20.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />And they of about the eleventh hour having come, each received a denarius.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/blb/matthew/20.htm">Berean Literal Bible</a></span><br />And those <i>hired</i> about the eleventh hour having come, they received a denarius each.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/matthew/20.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> And they of about the eleventh hour having come, did receive each a denary.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/matthew/20.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />And they of the eleventh hour having come, thereupon received a drachma.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/matthew/20.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />When therefore they were come, that came about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/matthew/20.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />And so, when those who had arrived about the eleventh hour came forward, each received a single denarius.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/matthew/20.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/matthew/20.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/matthew/20.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />When those of the eleventh hour came, they each received a penny.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/aramaic-plain-english/matthew/20.htm">Aramaic Bible in Plain English</a></span><br />And those of the 11th hour came and they received a denarius each.<div class="vheading2"><b>NT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/anderson/matthew/20.htm">Anderson New Testament</a></span><br />And when those came who had been hired about the eleventh hour, they received each one a denarius.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/godbey/matthew/20.htm">Godbey New Testament</a></span><br /><FR>And those having come about the eleventh hour, received each man a denarion.<Fr><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/haweis/matthew/20.htm">Haweis New Testament</a></span><br />And when they came, who began about the eleventh hour, they received each a denarius.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/mace/matthew/20.htm">Mace New Testament</a></span><br />they then that were hired about the eleventh hour, came and received every man his penny.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wey/matthew/20.htm">Weymouth New Testament</a></span><br />"When those came who had begun at five o'clock, they received a shilling apiece;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/worrell/matthew/20.htm">Worrell New Testament</a></span><br /><FR>"And those <i>who were hired</i> about the eleventh hour, coming, received, each, a denary.<Fr><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/worsley/matthew/20.htm">Worsley New Testament</a></span><br /><FR>And when those came who <Fr><i>were hired</i><FR> about the eleventh hour, they received every one a penny:<Fr><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/matthew/20-9.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hriiyJYqzvc?start=5706" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/matthew/20.htm">The Parable of the Workers</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">8</span>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.’ <span class="reftext">9</span><span class="highl"><a href="/greek/2532.htm" title="2532: Kai (Conj) -- And, even, also, namely. "></a> <a href="/greek/3588.htm" title="3588: hoi (Art-NMP) -- The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.">The workers who were hired</a> <a href="/greek/4012.htm" title="4012: peri (Prep) -- From the base of peran; properly, through, i.e. Around; figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time.">about</a> <a href="/greek/3588.htm" title="3588: tēn (Art-AFS) -- The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.">the</a> <a href="/greek/1734.htm" title="1734: hendekatēn (Adj-AFS) -- Eleventh. Ordinal from hendeka; eleventh.">eleventh</a> <a href="/greek/5610.htm" title="5610: hōran (N-AFS) -- Apparently a primary word; an hour.">hour</a> <a href="/greek/2064.htm" title="2064: elthontes (V-APA-NMP) -- To come, go. ">came and</a> <a href="/greek/303.htm" title="303: ana (Adv) -- A primary preposition and adverb; properly, up; but used severally, or at.">each</a> <a href="/greek/2983.htm" title="2983: elabon (V-AIA-3P) -- (a) I receive, get, (b) I take, lay hold of. ">received</a> <a href="/greek/1220.htm" title="1220: dēnarion (N-ANS) -- A denarius, a small Roman silver coin. Of Latin origin; a denarius.">a denarius.</a> </span> <span class="reftext">10</span>So when the original workers came, they assumed they would receive more. But each of them also received a denarius.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/19-30.htm">Matthew 19:30</a></span><br />But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/20-16.htm">Matthew 20:16</a></span><br />So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/13-30.htm">Luke 13:30</a></span><br />And indeed, some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/mark/10-31.htm">Mark 10:31</a></span><br />But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/15-29.htm">Luke 15:29-30</a></span><br />But he answered his father, ‘Look, all these years I have served you and never disobeyed a commandment of yours. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. / But when this son of yours returns from squandering your wealth with prostitutes, you kill the fattened calf for him!’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/9-30.htm">Romans 9:30-31</a></span><br />What then will we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; / but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_corinthians/15-10.htm">1 Corinthians 15:10</a></span><br />But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ephesians/2-8.htm">Ephesians 2:8-9</a></span><br />For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, / not by works, so that no one can boast.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/4-4.htm">Romans 4:4-5</a></span><br />Now the wages of the worker are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation. / However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/11-6.htm">Romans 11:6</a></span><br />And if it is by grace, then it is no longer by works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/48-14.htm">Genesis 48:14-20</a></span><br />But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger; and crossing his hands, he put his left on Manasseh’s head, although Manasseh was the firstborn. / Then he blessed Joseph and said: “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, / the angel who has redeemed me from all harm—may He bless these boys. And may they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth.” ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/exodus/16-17.htm">Exodus 16:17-18</a></span><br />So the Israelites did this. Some gathered more, and some less. / When they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no shortfall. Each one gathered as much as he needed to eat.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/24-15.htm">Deuteronomy 24:15</a></span><br />You are to pay his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and depends on them. Otherwise he may cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/34-19.htm">Job 34:19</a></span><br />who is not partial to princes and does not favor rich over poor? For they are all the work of His hands.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ecclesiastes/9-11.htm">Ecclesiastes 9:11</a></span><br />I saw something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; neither is the bread to the wise, nor the wealth to the intelligent, nor the favor to the skillful. For time and chance happen to all.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.</p><p class="hdg">they received.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/matthew/20-2.htm">Matthew 20:2,6,7</a></b></br> And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/luke/23-40.htm">Luke 23:40-43</a></b></br> But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? … </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/romans/4-3.htm">Romans 4:3-6</a></b></br> For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness… </p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/ezekiel/41-24.htm">Apiece</a> <a href="/matthew/18-24.htm">Begun</a> <a href="/matthew/20-2.htm">Denarius</a> <a href="/matthew/20-2.htm">Denary</a> <a href="/matthew/20-6.htm">Eleventh</a> <a href="/matthew/20-6.htm">Five</a> <a href="/matthew/20-8.htm">Hired</a> <a href="/matthew/20-6.htm">Hour</a> <a href="/matthew/20-6.htm">O'clock</a> <a href="/matthew/20-2.htm">Penny</a> <a href="/matthew/20-7.htm">Receive</a> <a href="/matthew/17-24.htm">Received</a> <a href="/matthew/20-2.htm">Shilling</a> <a href="/matthew/20-7.htm">Work</a> <a href="/matthew/20-8.htm">Workers</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/luke/9-3.htm">Apiece</a> <a href="/luke/13-25.htm">Begun</a> <a href="/matthew/20-10.htm">Denarius</a> <a href="/matthew/20-10.htm">Denary</a> <a href="/revelation/21-20.htm">Eleventh</a> <a href="/matthew/25-2.htm">Five</a> <a href="/matthew/20-10.htm">Hired</a> <a href="/matthew/20-12.htm">Hour</a> <a href="/matthew/27-45.htm">O'clock</a> <a href="/matthew/20-10.htm">Penny</a> <a href="/matthew/20-10.htm">Receive</a> <a href="/matthew/20-10.htm">Received</a> <a href="/matthew/20-10.htm">Shilling</a> <a href="/matthew/20-12.htm">Work</a> <a href="/luke/10-2.htm">Workers</a><div class="vheading2">Matthew 20</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/matthew/20-1.htm">Jesus, by the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, shows that God is debtor unto no man;</a></span><br><span class="reftext">17. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/matthew/20-17.htm">foretells his passion;</a></span><br><span class="reftext">20. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/matthew/20-20.htm">by answering the mother of Zebedee's children, teaches his disciples to be humble;</a></span><br><span class="reftext">29. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/matthew/20-29.htm">and gives two blind men their sight.</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/matthew/20.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/matthew/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/matthew/20.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour</b><br>In the context of first-century Jewish culture, the workday typically began at sunrise, around 6 a.m., and ended at sunset, approximately 6 p.m. The "eleventh hour" refers to about 5 p.m., just one hour before the end of the workday. This phrase highlights the unexpected nature of the landowner's generosity, as these workers were hired at the last possible moment. Theologically, this can be seen as a representation of God's grace, which is extended to all, regardless of when they come to faith. This concept is echoed in the parable of the Prodigal Son (<a href="/luke/15-11.htm">Luke 15:11-32</a>), where the father's love is lavishly given to the repentant son despite his late return.<p><b>came and each received a denarius</b><br>A denarius was a common day's wage for a laborer during the time of Jesus, as seen in other biblical references such as <a href="/matthew/22-19.htm">Matthew 22:19</a> and <a href="/revelation/6-6.htm">Revelation 6:6</a>. The payment of a full day's wage to those who worked only one hour underscores the theme of divine grace and the kingdom of heaven's values, which often subvert human expectations of fairness and merit. This act of generosity by the landowner can be seen as a type of Christ's redemptive work, where salvation is offered equally to all, regardless of their past or the timing of their conversion. The denarius symbolizes the reward of eternal life, which is given not based on human effort but on God's sovereign grace, as reflected in <a href="/ephesians/2-8.htm">Ephesians 2:8-9</a>.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_landowner.htm">The Landowner</a></b><br>Represents God, who is sovereign and just in His dealings with humanity.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_workers.htm">The Workers</a></b><br>Symbolize believers or followers of Christ, called to work in God's vineyard (the world).<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_vineyard.htm">The Vineyard</a></b><br>Represents the Kingdom of Heaven, where God's work is to be done.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_eleventh_hour.htm">The Eleventh Hour</a></b><br>Refers to the latecomers in the parable, symbolizing those who come to faith later in life.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_denarius.htm">The Denarius</a></b><br>A day's wage, representing the reward of eternal life given by God to all believers.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_sovereignty_and_grace.htm">God's Sovereignty and Grace</a></b><br>God is sovereign in His distribution of grace and rewards. He gives according to His will, not based on human merit.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/e/equality_in_the_kingdom.htm">Equality in the Kingdom</a></b><br>In God's Kingdom, all believers receive the same reward of eternal life, regardless of when they come to faith. This challenges human notions of fairness and merit.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_urgency_of_the_gospel.htm">The Urgency of the Gospel</a></b><br>The "eleventh hour" workers remind us of the urgency to share the Gospel, as there is still time for others to come to faith and receive God's grace.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/c/contentment_with_god's_provision.htm">Contentment with God's Provision</a></b><br>Believers are called to be content with what God provides, trusting in His justice and goodness rather than comparing themselves to others.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_matthew_20.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Matthew 20</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/bible's_view_on_deathbed_conversions.htm">What does the Bible say about deathbed conversions?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_pay_latecomers_like_early_workers.htm">Why should latecomers receive equal pay as early workers?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_equal_pay_for_latecomers_in_matthew_20.htm">Matthew 20:1-16 - If God is perfectly just, why would He reward latecomers the same as those who worked all day?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_equal_pay_for_latecomers.htm">Why do latecomers receive equal pay as early workers?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/matthew/20.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(9) <span class= "bld">Every man a penny.</span>--The scale of payment rested on the law of a generous equity. The idleness of the labourers had been no fault of theirs, and the readiness with which they came at the eleventh hour implied that they would have come as readily had they been called at daybreak, and therefore they received a full day's wages for their fraction of a day's work. The standard of payment was qualitative, not quantitative. In the interpretation of the parable, the "penny," as before, represents the eternal life of the kingdom of heaven. No true labourer could receive less; the longest life of labour could claim no more.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/matthew/20.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 9.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">They received every man a penny.</span> The steward, of course, was acting according to his master's instructions (though nothing is said of any previous orders on the subject) when he thus bounteously remunerated those that had been hired at the eleventh hour. Some commentators have endeavoured to show that the "penny" allotted to each set differed greatly in value; but this is an unwarrantable conjecture, and it is indispensable to the purport of the parable that the wages should be alike to all. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/matthew/20-9.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Greek</div><span class="word">[The workers who were hired]</span><br /><span class="grk">οἱ</span> <span class="translit">(hoi)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article - Nominative Masculine Plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/greek/strongs_3588.htm">Strong's 3588: </a> </span><span class="str2">The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.</span><br /><br /><span class="word">about</span><br /><span class="grk">περὶ</span> <span class="translit">(peri)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/greek/strongs_4012.htm">Strong's 4012: </a> </span><span class="str2">From the base of peran; properly, through, i.e. Around; figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time.</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the</span><br /><span class="grk">τὴν</span> <span class="translit">(tēn)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article - Accusative Feminine Singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/greek/strongs_3588.htm">Strong's 3588: </a> </span><span class="str2">The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.</span><br /><br /><span class="word">eleventh</span><br /><span class="grk">ἑνδεκάτην</span> <span class="translit">(hendekatēn)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/greek/strongs_1734.htm">Strong's 1734: </a> </span><span class="str2">Eleventh. Ordinal from hendeka; eleventh.</span><br /><br /><span class="word">hour</span><br /><span class="grk">ὥραν</span> <span class="translit">(hōran)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/greek/strongs_5610.htm">Strong's 5610: </a> </span><span class="str2">Apparently a primary word; an 'hour'.</span><br /><br /><span class="word">came [and]</span><br /><span class="grk">ἐλθόντες</span> <span class="translit">(elthontes)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/greek/strongs_2064.htm">Strong's 2064: </a> </span><span class="str2">To come, go. </span><br /><br /><span class="word">each</span><br /><span class="grk">ἀνὰ</span> <span class="translit">(ana)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/greek/strongs_303.htm">Strong's 303: </a> </span><span class="str2">A primary preposition and adverb; properly, up; but used severally, or at.</span><br /><br /><span class="word">received</span><br /><span class="grk">ἔλαβον</span> <span class="translit">(elabon)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/greek/strongs_2983.htm">Strong's 2983: </a> </span><span class="str2">(a) I receive, get, (b) I take, lay hold of. </span><br /><br /><span class="word">a denarius.</span><br /><span class="grk">δηνάριον</span> <span class="translit">(dēnarion)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/greek/strongs_1220.htm">Strong's 1220: </a> </span><span class="str2">A denarius, a small Roman silver coin. Of Latin origin; a denarius.</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/matthew/20-9.htm">Matthew 20:9 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/matthew/20-9.htm">Matthew 20:9 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/matthew/20-9.htm">Matthew 20:9 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/matthew/20-9.htm">Matthew 20:9 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/matthew/20-9.htm">Matthew 20:9 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/matthew/20-9.htm">Matthew 20:9 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/matthew/20-9.htm">Matthew 20:9 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/matthew/20-9.htm">Matthew 20:9 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/matthew/20-9.htm">Matthew 20:9 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/matthew/20-9.htm">Matthew 20:9 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/matthew/20-9.htm">NT Gospels: Matthew 20:9 When those who were hired at about (Matt. Mat Mt) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/matthew/20-8.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Matthew 20:8"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Matthew 20:8" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/matthew/20-10.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Matthew 20:10"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Matthew 20:10" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>