Matthew 20:6

Matthew 20:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
• New International Version (NIV)About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’
• New King James Version (NKJV)And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’
• New Living Translation (NLT)“At five o’clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’

Context of Matthew 20:6

4and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' 5So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?' 7They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.' 8And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.'

Matthew 20:6 word by word

περὶ δὲ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην ἐξελθὼν εὗρεν ἄλλους ἑστῶτας καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· τί ὧδε ἑστήκατε ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἀργοί;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andδέde · thenG1161
• aboutπερίperi · aboutG4012
• theὥραhōra · hourG5610
• eleventhἑνδέκατοςhendekatos · eleventhG1734
• he went outἐξέρχομαιexerchomai · to go outG1831
• and foundεὑρίσκωheuriskō · to find/meetG2147
• othersἄλλοςallos · anotherG243
• standingἵστημιhistēmi · to standG2476
• idleἀργόςargos · idleG692
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• unto themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• Whyτίςtis · which?G5101
• hereὧδεhōde · hereG5602
• allὅλοςholos · allG3650
• the dayἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250

Cross-references for Matthew 20:6

• Ecclesiastes 9:10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.
• Luke 23:40But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
• John 9:4We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.
• Proverbs 19:15Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger.
• Ezekiel 16:49Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.
• Acts 17:21Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.
• Hebrews 6:12so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Commentaries on Matthew 20:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Eleventh - Five o'clock in the evening, when there was only one hour before the end of the Jewish day, which, in matters of labor, closed at six.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6The eleventh hour - About five o‘clock in the afternoon, or when there was but one working hour of the day left.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-16This parable is like the parable of the lost son (Luke 15:11–32). In both, God shows grace to two groups, but one complains about unfair treatment.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. And about the eleventh hour--but one hour before the close of the working day; a most unusual hour both for offering and engaging and found others standing idle, and saith, Why stand ye here all the day idle?--Of course they had not been there, or not been disposed to offer themselves at the proper time; but as they were now willing, and the day was not over, and "yet there was room," they also are engaged, and on similar terms with all the rest.Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 20:6

• Aged
• Contracts
• Employee
• Gospel
• Hours
• Idleness
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Kingdom of Heaven
• Labor
• Penny
• Reward
• Servant
• Vineyard
• Wages
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Agree
• Choose
• Condemn
• Drink
• Hireling
• Idle
• Prepare
• Ransom
• Wages
• Wrong

Commentaries on Matthew 20

• 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