Matthew 20: The workers in the vineyard, and the request of Zebedee's sons
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Greek. How to read a study
What happens?
Jesus tells a story of a master who hires workers for his vineyard at different hours of the day and pays them all the same. On the way up to Jerusalem he tells the twelve what will happen to him, and the mother of Zebedee's sons asks for places for her two sons. At Jericho two blind men call out to him, and he opens their eyes.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. Jesus speaks in most of the chapter: the parable (verses 1-16), what awaits him in Jerusalem (verses 18-19), his answers about sitting at his right and left (verses 22-23), his teaching on greatness (verses 25-28) and his question to the blind men (verse 32). He also asks the mother what she wants (verse 21). The master and the workers speak inside the parable. The mother of Zebedee's sons, the two brothers and the two blind men speak for themselves. No verse is in gold. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1“For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
In plain English: Jesus says: for the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household. He went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.
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2When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
In plain English: He agreed with the workers to pay them a denarius for the day, and he sent them into his vineyard.
The Greek word: "A denarius" is dēnarion. In Matthew it is in 6 verses: this story (20:2, 20:9, 20:10, 20:13), the servant who is owed a hundred of them in , and the coin shown to Jesus in . Here the text says only that the master and the workers agreed on one denarius for a day's work.
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3He went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.
In plain English: About the third hour he went out again and saw other men standing in the marketplace with nothing to do.
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4He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went their way.
In plain English: He said to them, "You also go into the vineyard, and I will give you whatever is right." So they went.
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5Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.
In plain English: He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, and did the same.
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6About the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle. He said to them, ‘Why do you stand here all day idle?’
In plain English: About the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing there with nothing to do. He said to them, "Why do you stand here all day with nothing to do?"
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7“They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ “He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is right.’
In plain English: They said to him, "Because no one has hired us." He said to them, "You also go into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is right."
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8“When evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last to the first.’
In plain English: When evening came, the lord of the vineyard said to his manager, "Call the workers and pay them their wages. Start with the last ones and go on to the first."
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9“When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius.
In plain English: The workers hired about the eleventh hour came, and each one received a denarius.
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10When the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise each received a denarius.
In plain English: When the first ones came, they thought they would receive more. But they each received a denarius too.
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11When they received it, they murmured against the master of the household,
In plain English: When they received it, they grumbled against the master of the household.
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12saying, ‘These last have spent one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!’
In plain English: They said, "These last ones worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who carried the burden of the day and the scorching heat!"
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13“But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me for a denarius?
In plain English: But he answered one of them, "Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?
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14Take that which is yours, and go your way. It is my desire to give to this last just as much as to you.
In plain English: Take what is yours and go. I want to give this last one the same as you.
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15Isn’t it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?’
In plain English: Am I not allowed to do what I want with what is mine? Or is your eye evil (or: envious) because I am good (or: generous)?"
The Greek words: "Is your eye evil" is ophthalmos ponēros, word for word "eye evil". The only other verse in Matthew where this Bible has "eye is evil" is , with the same two Greek words. "I am good" is agathos, the ordinary word for good. The word-by-word cards on this page give "envious" for ponēros and "generous" for agathos.
How it is translated: This Bible keeps the plain pair "evil" and "good". The dictionary meaning of ponēros is "hurtful, evil".
What changes: Read as "evil" and "good", the master sets his own goodness against the worker's evil eye. Read as "envious" and "generous", he asks whether the worker is jealous because the master gave freely. The verse itself does not say which.
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16So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen.”
In plain English: Jesus ends: so the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called (or: invited), but few are chosen.
The Greek words: "Called" is klētos and "chosen" is eklektos. The dictionary meaning of klētos is "invited, appointed". Klētos is in only 2 verses of Matthew: this one and , which ends the wedding feast story with the same words.
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17As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them,
In plain English: As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside on their own. On the way he said to them,
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18“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death,
In plain English: "Look, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death.
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19and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock, to scourge, and to crucify; and the third day he will be raised up.”
In plain English: They will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked, whipped and crucified. On the third day he will be raised up."
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20Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, kneeling and asking a certain thing of him.
In plain English: Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to him with her sons. She was kneeling and asking him for something.
The Greek word: "Kneeling" is proskyneō. The dictionary meaning is "to crouch to, to prostrate oneself in homage". In Matthew this Bible renders it "worship" in 10 of its 13 verses, and uses "kneeling" (here), "knelt" () and "bow" in the other 3.
What changes: "Kneeling" keeps the plain action of bowing down. "Worshiping" would make the bow an act of worship. The verse says only that she bowed and asked him for something.
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21He said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Command that these, my two sons, may sit, one on your right hand and one on your left hand, in your Kingdom.”
In plain English: He said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Command that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your Kingdom."
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22But Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to him, “We are able.”
In plain English: Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They said to him, "We are able."
The Greek word: "Baptized" is baptizō, whose dictionary meaning is "to immerse, to submerge". It is in 8 verses of Matthew. In this verse and the next it is joined to "the cup", and Jesus speaks of a baptism he is "baptized with". The verse does not say more about what the cup or this baptism is.
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23He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give, but it is for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
In plain English: He said to them, "You will indeed drink my cup, and you will be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with. But to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to give. It is for those it has been prepared for by my Father."
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24When the ten heard it, they were indignant with the two brothers.
In plain English: When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers.
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25But Jesus summoned them, and said, “You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
In plain English: But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones use their authority over them.
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26It shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.
In plain English: It will not be like that among you. Whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant.
The Greek words: "Servant" here is diakonos (an attendant, a waiter). In verse 27 "bondservant" is doulos, whose dictionary meaning is "slave". Diakonos is in 3 verses of Matthew (20:26, , ). Doulos is in 30 verses, and this Bible has "bondservant" only in 20:27 and "servant" in the other 29.
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27Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant,
In plain English: Whoever wants to be first among you will be your slave (this Bible: bondservant),
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28even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
In plain English: just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
The Greek word: "A ransom" is lytron, whose dictionary meaning is "a price paid for release". In Matthew it is in this verse only; in the whole New Testament it is here and in . "For" is anti, whose dictionary meaning is "opposite, that is, instead or because of", and "many" is polloi.
Church tradition: Churches and readers explain this ransom in different ways. The verse says only that the Son of Man came to give his life as a ransom for many.
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29As they went out from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.
In plain English: As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him.
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30Behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!”
In plain English: Look, two blind men were sitting by the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, "Lord, have mercy on us, son of David!"
Good to know: "Son of David" is in 9 verses of Matthew in this Bible, counting this one and the next (, , , , , 20:30, 20:31, , ). The two blind men in also say "Have mercy on us, son of David". In Jesus asks a question about David's son. "Lord" here is kyrios; it is in 76 verses of Matthew and can mean "sir", "master" or "Lord".
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31The multitude rebuked them, telling them that they should be quiet, but they cried out even more, “Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!”
In plain English: The crowd told them sharply to be quiet. But they cried out even louder, "Lord, have mercy on us, son of David!"
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32Jesus stood still and called them, and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”
In plain English: Jesus stopped and called them. He asked, "What do you want me to do for you?"
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33They told him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.”
In plain English: They told him, "Lord, we want our eyes to be opened."
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34Jesus, being moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes received their sight, and they followed him.
In plain English: Jesus was moved with compassion and touched their eyes. At once they could see, and they followed him.
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