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 the Jewish leaders answered Jesus: ‘We do not know who gave John his authority.’ Jesus said to them, ‘You will not answer my question. So I will not tell you what authority I have to do these things.’ 28Jesus said to the Jewish leaders, ‘Tell me what you think about this story. A man had two sons. He went to the older son and said, “Son, go and work in my field today.” The older son replied, “I do not want to go and work there today.” But after he had said that, he did go and work in the field. 30The man went to his other son and he said the same thing to him. The second son replied, “Yes, father, I will go.” But then he did not go to work in the field. 31Tell me, which of the man's sons did what his father wanted?’ The Jewish leaders replied, ‘The older son did what his father wanted.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you this: The men who take taxes from people are going into the kingdom of God before you. It is the same with prostitutes. They also are going 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 21:31Tell me, which of the man's sons did what his father wanted?’ The Jewish leaders replied, ‘The older son did what his father wanted.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you this: The men who take taxes from people are going into the kingdom of God before you. It is the same with prostitutes. They also are going into the kingdom of God before you.
• Jeremiah 44:16‘We do not believe that your message really comes from the Lord.
• Ephesians 4:17So I say this to you. I am sure that I have the Lord's authority to say it. You must not live any longer like the Gentile people who do not know God. They do whatever their silly ideas teach them to do.
• Matthew 3:2He told people, ‘You have done many wrong things. You must turn away from them and change how you live. Do this now, because the kingdom of heaven has come very near.’
• 2 Chronicles 33:10The Lord warned Manasseh and his people. But they would not listen to him.
• Isaiah 1:16Wash yourselves and make yourselves clean! Remove your sins, so that I no longer see them. Stop doing evil things!
• Isaiah 55:6Come to serve the Lord now, while he lets you find him. Call out to him for help, while he is near you.
• Ezekiel 18:28That wicked person realized that he was doing bad things. So he turned away from his sins. Because of that he will certainly continue to live. He will not die.
• Daniel 4:34At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up towards heaven. My own mind returned to me again. I praised the powerful God above who lives for ever. I worshipped him as a great God. His kingdom will continue for ever. He will always have authority to rule.
• Jonah 3:2He said, ‘Now go to that great city, Nineveh. Tell the people there the message that I will give to you.’
• Luke 15:17Then the son began to think about what he had done. He said to himself, “My father has many servants, and they have plenty of food to eat. They even have more food than they need. But I will die here because I do not have any food.
• Acts 26:20First, I taught God's message to the Jews in Damascus. Then I also taught God's message to the Jews in Jerusalem and in all of Judea region. Later I also spoke to the Gentiles. I said to all of them, “You must stop doing wrong things. You must turn to God. You must do good things. That will show that you have really changed how you live.”
• 1 Corinthians 6:11At one time, some of you were people like that. But God has now made you clean and pure, so that you belong to him. You have become right with God. Our God has done this with the power of his Spirit because you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
• Ephesians 2:1Remember how you lived before. You did wrong things and bad things. As a result, you were dead in your spirits.

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