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 the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work. 3“At nine o’clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. 4So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day.

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“He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage?
• Exodus 19:5Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me.
• Deuteronomy 5:27Go yourself and listen to what the Lord our God says. Then come and tell us everything he tells you, and we will listen and obey.’
• Matthew 18:28“But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.
• Matthew 22:19Here, show me the coin used for the tax.” When they handed him a Roman coin,
• Luke 10:35The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’
• Revelation 6:6And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, “A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day’s pay. And don’t waste the olive oil and wine.”
• 1 Samuel 2:18But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the Lord. He wore a linen garment like that of a priest.
• 1 Samuel 3:1Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.
• 1 Samuel 16:11Then Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.” “Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.”
• 1 Kings 3:6Solomon replied, “You showed great and faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued to show this great and faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne.
• 1 Kings 18:12But as soon as I leave you, the Spirit of the Lord will carry you away to who knows where. When Ahab comes and cannot find you, he will kill me. Yet I have been a true servant of the Lord all my life.
• 2 Chronicles 34:3During the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, Josiah began to seek the God of his ancestor David. Then in the twelfth year he began to purify Judah and Jerusalem, destroying all the pagan shrines, the Asherah poles, and the carved idols and cast images.
• Ecclesiastes 12:1Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.”
• Luke 1:15for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.
• 2 Timothy 3:15You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting 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