Matthew 21:29

Matthew 21:29 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
• New International Version (NIV)“ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he changed his mind and went.
• New King James Version (NKJV)He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went.

Context of Matthew 21:29

27So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what [kind of] authority I do these things.” 28“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he regretted it and changed his mind and went. 30Then the man came to the second son and said the same thing; and he replied, ‘I will, sir’; but he did not go. 31Which of the two did the will of the father?” The chief priests and elders replied, “The first one.” Jesus said to them, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.

Matthew 21:29 word by word

ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν· οὐ θέλω· ὕστερον δὲ μεταμεληθεὶς ἀπῆλθεν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·δέde · thenG1161
• He answeredὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• He answeredἀποκρίνωapokrinomai · to answerG611
• and saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• I willθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• notοὐou · noG3756
• afterwardὕστερονhusteron · laterG5305
• he repentedμεταμέλλομαιmetamellomai · to repentG3338
• and wentἀπέρχομαιaperchomai · to go awayG565

Cross-references for Matthew 21:29

• Matthew 21:31Which of the two did the will of the father?” The chief priests and elders replied, “The first one.” Jesus said to them, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.
• Jeremiah 44:16“As for the word (message) that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we are not going to listen to you.
• Ephesians 4:17So this I say, and solemnly affirm together with the Lord [as in His presence], that you must no longer live as the [unbelieving] Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds [and in the foolishness and emptiness of their souls],
• Matthew 3:2“Repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins, live your life in a way that proves repentance; seek God’s purpose for your life], for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
• 2 Chronicles 33:10Now the Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention.
• Isaiah 1:16“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Get your evil deeds out of My sight. Stop doing evil,
• Isaiah 55:6Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call on Him [for salvation] while He is near.
• Ezekiel 18:28Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions which he had committed, he shall certainly live; he shall not die.
• Daniel 4:34“But at the end of the days [that is, at the seven periods of time], I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my understanding and reason returned to me; and I blessed the Most High [God] and I praised and honored and glorified Him who lives forever, For His dominion is an everlasting dominion; And His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
• Jonah 3:2“Go to Nineveh the great city and declare to it the message which I am going to tell you.”
• Luke 15:17But when he [finally] came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough food, while I am dying here of hunger!
• Acts 26:20but I openly proclaimed first to those at Damascus, then at Jerusalem and throughout the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent [change their inner self—their old way of thinking] and turn to God, doing deeds and living lives which are consistent with repentance.
• 1 Corinthians 6:11And such were some of you [before you believed]. But you were washed [by the atoning sacrifice of Christ], you were sanctified [set apart for God, and made holy], you were justified [declared free of guilt] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the [Holy] Spirit of our God [the source of the believer’s new life and changed behavior].
• Ephesians 2:1And you [He made alive when you] were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of your transgressions and sins,

Commentaries on Matthew 21:29

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 29I will not - This is the general reply of every sinner to the invitations of God; and, in it, the Most High is treated without ceremony or respect. They only are safe who persist not in the denial.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 28-32Verses 28-32 But what think ye? - A way of speaking designed to direct them particularly to what he was saying, that they might be self-convicted. Two sons - By those two sons our Lord intends to represent the conduct of the Jews, and that of the publicans and sinners. In my vineyard - See the notes at Matthew 21:33. To work in the vineyard here represents the work which God requires man to do. I will not - This had been the language of the publicans and…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 28-32Verses 28-32 Parables which give reproof, speak plainly to the offenders, and judge them out of their own mouths. The parable of the two sons sent to work in the vineyard, is to show that those who knew not John's baptism to be of God, were shamed by those who knew it, and owned it. The whole human race are like children whom the Lord has brought up, but they have rebelled against him, only some are more plausible in their disobedience than others. And it…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 29I will not: This response must have offended Jews who learned from a young age to show respect for the authority of a father (see Matthew 8:21–22).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2929. He answered and said, I will not--Trench notices the rudeness of this answer, and the total absence of any attempt to excuse such disobedience, both characteristic; representing careless, reckless sinners resisting God to His face.Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 21:29

• Ecclesiasticism
• Hypocrisy
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Repentance
• Reproof
• Vineyard
• Works

In the dictionaries

• Authority
• Daughter
• Grind
• Loose
• Move
• Presently
• Reverence
• Seat
• Thief
• Jesus Christ

Commentaries on Matthew 21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings