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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work.

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. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. 3“About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay 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 20:13“But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius?
• Exodus 19:5Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine,
• Deuteronomy 5:27Go near and listen to all that the Lord our God says. Then tell us whatever the Lord our God tells you. We will listen and obey.”
• Matthew 18:28“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
• Matthew 22:19Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius,
• Luke 10:35The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
• Revelation 6:6Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”
• 1 Samuel 2:18But Samuel was ministering before the Lord—a boy wearing a linen ephod.
• 1 Samuel 3:1The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.
• 1 Samuel 16:11So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”
• 1 Kings 3:6Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.
• 1 Kings 18:12I don’t know where the Spirit of the Lord may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshiped the Lord since 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 father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles and idols.
• Ecclesiastes 12:1Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them”—
• Luke 1:15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.
• 2 Timothy 3:15and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise 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