Matthew 20:2

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
After agreeing with the workers on one denarius,

King James Version (1611)
And when hee had agreed with the labourers for a peny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

King James Version
And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

English Standard Version
After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

New American Standard Bible
"When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.

New Century Version
The man agreed to pay the workers one coin for working that day. Then he sent them into the vineyard to work.

Amplified Bible
"When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And he agreed with the labourers for a peny a day, and sent them into his vineyard.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.

Berean Standard Bible
He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

Contemporary English Version
After he had agreed to pay them the usual amount for a day's work, he sent them off to his vineyard.

Complete Jewish Bible
After agreeing with the workers on a wage of one denarius, [the standard daily wage,] he sent them off to his vineyard.

Darby Translation
And having agreed with the workmen for a denarius the day, he sent them into his vineyard.

Easy-to-Read Version
He agreed to pay the workers one silver coin for working that day. Then he sent them into the vineyard to work.

George Lamsa Translation
He bargained with the laborers for a penny a day, and sent them to his vineyard.

Good News Translation
He agreed to pay them the regular wage, a silver coin a day, and sent them to work in his vineyard.

Lexham English Bible
And after coming to an agreement with the workers for a denarius per day, he sent them into his vineyard.

Literal Translation
And agreeing with the workers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.

American Standard Version
And when he had agreed with the laborers for a shilling a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

Bible in Basic English
And when he had made an agreement with the workmen for a penny a day, he sent them into his vine-garden.

Hebrew Names Version
When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

International Standard Version
After agreeing with the workers for one denarius[fn] a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

Etheridge Translation
And he bargained with the labourers for a denarius a day, and sent them into his vinery.

Murdock Translation
And he contracted with the labors for a denarius a day: and sent them into his vineyard.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he agreed with the labourers for a peny a day, & sent them into his vineyarde.

English Revised Version
And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

World English Bible
When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And having agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

Weymouth's New Testament
and having made an agreement with them for a shilling a day, sent them into his vineyard.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne the couenaunt was maad with werk men, of a peny for the dai, he sente hem in to his vyneyerd.

Update Bible Version
And when he had agreed with the workers for $100 a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

Webster's Bible Translation
And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

New English Translation
And after agreeing with the workers for the standard wage, he sent them into his vineyard.

New King James Version
Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

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

New Life Bible
He promised to give them a day's pay and then sent them to his grape-field.

New Revised Standard
After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and, when he had agreed with the labourers for a denary the day, he sent them into his vineyard.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And having agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

Revised Standard Version
After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And he agreed wt the labourers for a peny a daye and sent them into his vyneyarde.

Young's Literal Translation
and having agreed with the workmen for a denary a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And wha he had agreed with the labourers for a peny a daye, he sent the in to his vynyarde.

Mace New Testament (1729)
having agreed with them for a penny a day, he sent them to his vineyard.

Simplified Cowboy Version
He agreed to pay them one hundred dollars for their work that day.

Contextual Overview

¹"God's kingdom is like an estate manager who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. They agreed on a wage of a dollar a day, and went to work. ³"Later, about nine o'clock, the manager saw some other men hanging around the town square unemployed. He told them to go to work in his vineyard and he would pay them a fair wage. They went. "He did the same thing at noon, and again at three o'clock. At five o'clock he went back and found still others standing around. He said, ‘Why are you standing around all day doing nothing?' "They said, ‘Because no one hired us.' "He told them to go to work in his vineyard. "When the day's work was over, the owner of the vineyard instructed his foreman, ‘Call the workers in and pay them their wages. Start with the last hired and go on to the first.' "Those hired at five o'clock came up and were each given a dollar. When those who were hired first saw that, they assumed they would get far more. But they got the same, each of them one dollar. Taking the dollar, they groused angrily to the manager, ‘These last workers put in only one easy hour, and you just made them equal to us, who slaved all day under a scorching sun.' "He replied to the one speaking for the rest, ‘Friend, I haven't been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar, didn't we? So take it and go. I decided to give to the one who came last the same as you. Can't I do what I want with my own money? Are you going to get stingy because I am generous?' "Here it is again, the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first." Jesus, now well on the way up to Jerusalem, took the Twelve off to the side of the road and said, "Listen to me carefully. We are on our way up to Jerusalem. When we get there, the Son of Man will be betrayed to the religious leaders and scholars. They will sentence him to death. They will then hand him over to the Romans for mockery and torture and crucifixion. On the third day he will be raised up alive." It was about that time that the mother of the Zebedee brothers came with her two sons and knelt before Jesus with a request. "What do you want?" Jesus asked. She said, "Give your word that these two sons of mine will be awarded the highest places of honor in your kingdom, one at your right hand, one at your left hand." Jesus responded, "You have no idea what you're asking." And he said to James and John, "Are you capable of drinking the cup that I'm about to drink?" They said, "Sure, why not?" Jesus said, "Come to think of it, you are going to drink my cup. But as to awarding places of honor, that's not my business. My Father is taking care of that." When the ten others heard about this, they lost their tempers, thoroughly disgusted with the two brothers. So Jesus got them together to settle things down. He said, "You've observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It's not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage." As they were leaving Jericho, a huge crowd followed. Suddenly they came upon two blind men sitting alongside the road. When they heard it was Jesus passing, they cried out, "Master, have mercy on us! Mercy, Son of David!" The crowd tried to hush them up, but they got all the louder, crying, "Master, have mercy on us! Mercy, Son of David!" Jesus stopped and called over, "What do you want from me?" They said, "Master, we want our eyes opened. We want to see!" Deeply moved, Jesus touched their eyes. They had their sight back that very instant, and joined the procession. ⁶A Story About Workers "God's kingdom is like an estate manager who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. They agreed on a wage of a dollar a day, and went to work. "Later, about nine o'clock, the manager saw some other men hanging around the town square unemployed. He told them to go to work in his vineyard and he would pay them a fair wage. They went. "He did the same thing at noon, and again at three o'clock. At five o'clock he went back and found still others standing around. He said, ‘Why are you standing around all day doing nothing?' ⁷ "They said, ‘Because no one hired us.' "He told them to go to work in his vineyard. ⁸ "When the day's work was over, the owner of the vineyard instructed his foreman, ‘Call the workers in and pay them their wages. Start with the last hired and go on to the first.' ⁹"Those hired at five o'clock came up and were each given a dollar. When those who were hired first saw that, they assumed they would get far more. But they got the same, each of them one dollar. Taking the dollar, they groused angrily to the manager, ‘These last workers put in only one easy hour, and you just made them equal to us, who slaved all day under a scorching sun.' ¹³"He replied to the one speaking for the rest, ‘Friend, I haven't been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar, didn't we? So take it and go. I decided to give to the one who came last the same as you. Can't I do what I want with my own money? Are you going to get stingy because I am generous?' ¹⁶ "Here it is again, the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

he had: Matthew 20:13, Exodus 19:5, Exodus 19:6, Deuteronomy 5:27-30

a penny: "The Roman penny is the eighth part of an ounce, which after five shillings the ounce is sevenpence halfpenny." Matthew 18:28, Matthew 22:19, *marg. Luke 10:35, Revelation 6:6

he sent: 1 Samuel 2:18, 1 Samuel 2:26, 1 Samuel 3:1, 1 Samuel 3:21, 1 Samuel 16:11, 1 Samuel 16:12, 1 Kings 3:6-11, 1 Kings 18:12, 2 Chronicles 34:3, Ecclesiastes 12:1, Luke 1:15, 2 Timothy 3:15

Reciprocal: Matthew 20:9 - they received Luke 20:24 - a penny John 12:5 - three hundred

Cross-References

Genesis 20:11
Abraham said, "I just assumed that there was no fear of God in this place and that they'd kill me to get my wife. Besides, the truth is that she is my half sister; she's my father's daughter but not my mother's. When God sent me out as a wanderer from my father's home, I told her, ‘Do me a favor; wherever we go, tell people that I'm your brother.'"

Genesis 26:1
There was a famine in the land, as bad as the famine during the time of Abraham. And Isaac went down to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, in Gerar.

Genesis 26:7
The men of the place questioned him about his wife. He said, "She's my sister." He was afraid to say "She's my wife." He was thinking, "These men might kill me to get Rebekah, she's so beautiful."

Genesis 26:16
Finally, Abimelech told Isaac: "Leave. You've become far too big for us."

Ecclesiastes 7:20
There's not one totally good person on earth, Not one who is truly pure and sinless.

Ephesians 4:25
What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ's body we're all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.

Colossians 3:9
Don't lie to one another. You're done with that old life. It's like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you've stripped off and put in the fire. Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day,.... These labourers were of that sort that were called שכיר יום, "hired for a day"; concerning whom is the following rule q:

"he that is hired for a day, may demand it all the night; and he that is hired for a night may demand it all the day: he that is hired for hours, may demand it all the night, and all the day; he that is hired for a week, he that is hired for a month, he that is hired for a year, he that is hired for seven, if he goes out in the day, may demand all the day; and if he goes out in the night, he may demand it all the night, and all the day.''

And the wages of a day were usually דינר "a penny"; which, if understood of a Roman penny, was seven pence halfpenny of our money. One of their canons runs thus r:

"he that hires a labourer in the winter, to work with him in the summer, בכל יום, "for a penny every day", and he gives him his hire; and, lo! his hire is alike to that in the winter, a "sela" every day, this is forbidden; because it looks as if he chose that time to lessen his wages; but if he says to him, work with me from this day, to such a time, "for a penny every day", though his hire is the same, a "sela" every day, this is lawful.''

By the penny a day agreed for with the labourers, may be meant external privileges; or the free promise made, whether to ministers, or private believers, of a sufficient supply of grace daily, that as their day is, their strength shall be; together with that of eternal life and happiness at last.

He sent them into his vineyard; to labour there: for none have any business there, but such who are called and sent by the owner of it; and where sons are sent, and work, as well as servants; see

Matthew 21:28.

q Misna Bava Metzia, c. 9. sect. 11. Maimen Hilch. Shericut, c. 11. sect. 2. r Maimon. Hilch. Milvah Ulavah, c. 7. sect. 12. Vid. T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 86. 2. & 87. 1. & Gloss. in ib.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A 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 δηνάριον dēnarion, a 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 four horses. At a later period the casts of different deities were on the obverse, and these were finally superseded by the heads of the Caesars. Many specimens of this coin have been preserved.

It was probably at that time the price of a day’s labor. See Tobit 5:14. This was the common wages of a Roman soldier. In England, before the discovery of the mines of gold and silver in South America, and consequently before money was plenty, the price of labor was about in proportion. In 1351 the price of labor was regulated by law, and was a penny a day; but provisions were of course proportionally cheap, and the avails of a man’s labor in articles of food were nearly as much as they are now.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 20:2. A 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 labour at that time. See Tobit 5:14. In 1351 the price of labour 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 per day! In 1314 the pay of a chaplain to the Scotch bishops, who were then prisoners in England, was three halfpence per day. See Fleetwood's Chronicon Precios, p. 123, 129. This was miserable wages, though things at that time were so cheap that twenty-four eggs were sold for a penny, p. 72; a pair of shoes for four-pence, p. 71; a fat goose for two-pence halfpenny, p. 72; a hen for a penny, p. 72; eight bushels of wheat for two shillings, and a fat ox for six shillings and eight-pence! Ibid. In 1336, wheat per quarter, 2s.; a fat sheep 6d.; fat goose, 2d. and a pig, 1d.,p. 75.