Matthew 20:2

Matthew 20:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
• New International Version (NIV)He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
• English Standard Version (ESV)After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

Context of Matthew 20:2

1“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. And after agreeing with the workers for the standard wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3When it was about nine o’clock in the morning, he went out again and saw others standing around in the marketplace without work. 4He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and I will give you whatever is right.’

Matthew 20:2 word by word

συμφωνήσας δὲ μετὰ τῶν ἐργατῶν ἐκ δηναρίου τὴν ἡμέραν ἀπέστειλεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα αὐτοῦ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andδέde · thenG1161
• when he had agreedσυμφωνέωsumphōneō · to agree withG4856
• withμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
• the labourersὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the labourersἐργάτηςergatēs · workerG2040
• forἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• a pennyδηνάριονdēnarion · denariusG1220
• a dayἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
• he sentἀποστέλλωapostellō · to sendG649
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• vineyardἀμπελώνampelōn · vineyardG290

Cross-references for Matthew 20:2

• Matthew 20:13And the landowner replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am not treating you unfairly. Didn’t you agree with me to work for the standard wage?
• Exodus 19:5And now, if you will diligently listen to me and keep my covenant, then you will be my special possession out of all the nations, for all the earth is mine,
• Deuteronomy 5:27You go near so that you can hear everything the Lord our God is saying and then you can tell us whatever he says to you; then we will pay attention and do it.”
• Matthew 18:28After he went out, that same slave found one of his fellow slaves who owed him one hundred silver coins. So he grabbed him by the throat and started to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’
• Matthew 22:19Show me the coin used for the tax.” So they brought him a denarius.
• Luke 10:35The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever else you spend, I will repay you when I come back this way.’
• Revelation 6:6Then I heard something like a voice from among the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat will cost a day’s pay and three quarts of barley will cost a day’s pay. But do not damage the olive oil and the wine!”
• 1 Samuel 2:18Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord. The boy was dressed in a linen ephod.
• 1 Samuel 3:1Now the boy Samuel continued serving the Lord under Eli’s supervision. Word from the Lord was rare in those days; revelatory visions were infrequent.
• 1 Samuel 16:11Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Is that all of the young men?” Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest one, but he’s taking care of the flock.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we cannot turn our attention to other things until he comes here.”
• 1 Kings 3:6Solomon replied, “You demonstrated great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served you faithfully, properly, and sincerely. You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne.
• 1 Kings 18:12But when I leave you, the Lord’s spirit will carry you away so I can’t find you. If I go tell Ahab I’ve seen you, he won’t be able to find you and he will kill me. That would not be fair, because your servant has been a loyal follower of the Lord from my youth.
• 2 Chronicles 34:3In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his ancestor David. In his twelfth year he began ridding Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, Asherah poles, idols, and images.
• Ecclesiastes 12:1So remember your Creator in the days of your youth – before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”;
• Luke 1:15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.
• 2 Timothy 3:15and how from infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Commentaries on Matthew 20:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2A penny - A Roman coin, as noted before, Matthew 18:28, worth about seven-pence halfpenny or seven-pence three farthings of our money, and equal to the Greek drachma. This appears to have been the ordinary price of a day's labor at that time. See Tobit 5:14. In 1351 the price of labor was regulated in this country by parliament; and it is remarkable that "corn-weeders and hay-makers, without meat, drink, or other courtesy demanded," were to have one penny…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2A penny a day - The coin here referred to was a Roman coin, equal in value, at different periods, to 15 cents or 17 cents (7 1/2 d. to 8 1/2 d.) (circa 1880‘s). The original denotes the Roman denarius ́ dēnariona silver coin, which was originally equivalent to ten ases (a brass Roman coin), from which it gets its name. The consular denarius bore on one side a head of Rome, and an X or a star, to denote the value in ases, and a chariot with either two or…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. 22. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny--a usual day's hire. he sent them into his vineyard.Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 20:2

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

In the dictionaries

• Agree
• Alabaster
• Choose
• Condemn
• Drink
• Hireling
• Idle
• Penny
• Prepare
• Ransom

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