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?’
• English Standard Version (ESV)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?'
• 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 said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 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?’ 7They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’ 8“So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last 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 device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
• Luke 23:40But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
• John 9:4I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.
• Proverbs 19:15Laziness casts one into a deep sleep, And an idle person will suffer hunger.
• Ezekiel 16:49Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
• Acts 17:21For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.
• Hebrews 6:12that you do not become sluggish, but imitate 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