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Saturday, August 2nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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THE MESSAGE

Matthew 20:9

"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.'

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Contracts;   Employee;   Gospel;   Hours;   Jesus, the Christ;   Jesus Continued;   Kingdom of Heaven;   Labor;   Penny;   Reward;   Servant;   Vineyard;   Wages;   Wicked (People);   The Topic Concordance - Kingdom of God;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Parables;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Parable;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Grace;   Grapes;   Hour;   Kingdom of god;   Parables;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Christ, Christology;   Gospel;   Grace;   King, Christ as;   Reward;   Wages;   Work;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Hutchinsonians;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Hireling;   Penny;   Wages;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Drachma;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Election;   Matthew, the Gospel of;   Vine;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Text of the New Testament;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Almsgiving ;   Celibacy (2);   Discourse;   Justice (2);   Labour (2);   Matthew, Gospel According to;   Merit;   Money (2);   Paradox;   Prize;   Samaritan, the Good ;   Sea of Galilee;   Selfishness;   Steward, Stewardship;   Unity (2);   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Hireling;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Denarius;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   Twelve Apostles, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Day;   Justice;   Penny;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Parable;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“When those who were hired about five came, they each received one denarius.
King James Version (1611)
And when they came that were hired about the eleuenth houre, they receiued euery man a penie.
King James Version
And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
English Standard Version
And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.
New American Standard Bible
"When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius.
New Century Version
"When the workers who were hired at five o'clock came to get their pay, each received one coin.
Amplified Bible
"Those who had been hired at the eleventh hour (5:00 p.m.) came and received a denarius each [a day's wage].
Geneva Bible (1587)
And they which were hired about ye eleuenth houre, came and receiued euery man a penie.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius.
Legacy Standard Bible
And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius.
Berean Standard Bible
The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius.
Contemporary English Version
When the workers arrived, the ones who had been hired at five in the afternoon were given a full day's pay.
Complete Jewish Bible
The workers who came an hour before sunset each received a denarius,
Darby Translation
And when they [who came to work] about the eleventh hour came, they received each a denarius.
Easy-to-Read Version
"The workers who were hired at five o'clock came to get their pay. Each worker got one silver coin.
George Lamsa Translation
When those of the eleventh hour came, they each received a penny.
Good News Translation
The men who had begun to work at five o'clock were paid a silver coin each.
Lexham English Bible
And when the ones hired about the eleventh hour came, they received a denarius apiece.
Literal Translation
And the ones having come the eleventh hour each received a denarius.
American Standard Version
And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a shilling.
Bible in Basic English
And when those men came who had gone to work at the eleventh hour, they were given every man a penny.
Hebrew Names Version
"When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius.
International Standard Version
Those who were hired at five o'clockthe eleventh hour
">[fn] came, and each received a denarius.
Etheridge Translation
And they came who (had wrought) from eleven hours; and they received each a denarius.
Murdock Translation
And those of the eleventh hour came, and received each a denarius.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when they came, that [were hired] about the eleuenth houre, they receaued euery man a peny.
English Revised Version
And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
World English Bible
When they who were hired at about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And when they came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every one a penny.
Weymouth's New Testament
"When those came who had begun at five o'clock, they received a shilling apiece;
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And so whanne thei weren comun, that camen aboute the elleuenthe our, also thei token eueryche of hem a peny.
Update Bible Version
And when those came that [were hired] about the eleventh hour, they each received $100.
Webster's Bible Translation
And when they came that [were hired] about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
New English Translation
When those hired about five o'clock came, each received a full day's pay.
New King James Version
And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.
New Living Translation
When those hired at five o'clock were paid, each received a full day's wage.
New Life Bible
The workmen who had been hired at five o'clock came up. Each one of them got a day's pay for his work.
New Revised Standard
When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And they of the eleventh hour, coming, received severally a denary.
Douay-Rheims Bible
When therefore they were come that came about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
Revised Standard Version
And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And they whiche were hyred aboute the eleventhe houre came and receaved every man a peny.
Young's Literal Translation
And they of about the eleventh hour having come, did receive each a denary.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then they that were hyred aboute the eleuenth houre, came and receaued euery man a peny.
Mace New Testament (1729)
they then that were hired about the eleventh hour, came and received every man his penny.
Simplified Cowboy Version
"The cowboys who had been playin' cards at the saloon and drinkin' whiskey all day walked over and the rancher paid them one hundred dollars.

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

they received: Matthew 20:2, Matthew 20:6, Matthew 20:7, Luke 23:40-43, Romans 4:3-6, Romans 5:20, Romans 5:21, Ephesians 1:6-8, Ephesians 2:8-10, 1 Timothy 1:14-16

Cross-References

Genesis 12:18
Pharaoh called for Abram, "What's this that you've done to me? Why didn't you tell me that she's your wife? Why did you say, ‘She's my sister' so that I'd take her as my wife? Here's your wife back—take her and get out!"
Genesis 20:10
Abimelech went on to Abraham, "Whatever were you thinking of when you did this thing?"
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 26:10
Abimelech said, "But think of what you might have done to us! Given a little more time, one of the men might have slept with your wife; you would have been responsible for bringing guilt down on us."
Genesis 38:24
Three months or so later, Judah was told, "Your daughter-in-law has been playing the whore—and now she's a pregnant whore." Judah yelled, "Get her out here. Burn her up!"
Exodus 32:21
Moses said to Aaron, "What on Earth did these people ever do to you that you involved them in this huge sin?"
Exodus 32:35
God sent a plague on the people because of the calf they and Aaron had made.
Leviticus 20:10
"If a man commits adultery with another man's wife—the wife, say, of his neighbor—both the man and the woman, the adulterer and adulteress, must be put to death.
Joshua 7:25
Joshua said, "Why have you troubled us? God will now trouble you. Today!" And all Israel stoned him—burned him with fire and stoned him with stones. They piled a huge pile of stones over him. It's still there. Only then did God turn from his hot anger. That's how the place came to be called Trouble Valley right up to the present time.
2 Samuel 12:5
David exploded in anger. "As surely as God lives," he said to Nathan, "the man who did this ought to be lynched! He must repay for the lamb four times over for his crime and his stinginess!"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour,.... Who were the last that were hired; and signify either such, as are called in their last days, in old age; or Gentile sinners; or the last of God's elect, that will be called by grace, in the end of the world:

they received every man a penny: the same they first agreed for, that were hired early into the vineyard; and all, and every man alike, not one more and another less. So the same church privileges and immunities are common to all believers, Jews or Gentiles, sooner or later called; and equal title give to the same eternal life and happiness, which will be enjoyed alike, by one saint as another: they are all loved with the same everlasting love by God; they are chosen alike by him in his Son, at the same time, in the same way and manner, and to the same grace and glory; they are interested in the same covenant, in all the promises and blessings of it; they are bought with the same price of a Redeemer's blood, are justified by the same righteousness, and are called in one hope of their calling; they are equally the sons of God, and their glory and happiness are always expressed by the same thing, as a kingdom, a crown, and inheritance, c. They are all equally heirs of the same kingdom and glory, and are born again to the same incorruptible inheritance, of which they will all be partakers they will all be called to inherit the same kingdom, they will sit on the same throne of glory, and wear the same crown of righteousness, and enjoy the same uninterrupted communion with Father, Son, and Spirit. Now, indeed, they have not the same measures of grace; some have more, others less; but in heaven, it will be alike, complete and perfect in all; and even now, they have the same grace for nature and kind, only it is not in all in the same exercise; now the saints are distinguished by the several stations and places in which they are; though they are members of the same body, they have not the same office, and have gifts differing from one another; but in the other state, all such offices and gifts will cease, and all will be upon an equal foot; be where Christ is, and behold his glory, and will stand in no need of each other's instruction and help. Now the capacities of man are different, according to the different temperament of their bodies, their different education, opportunities, advantages, and stations in life, but in the other world, where this difference will be no more, every vessel of mercy being prepared for glory, will be equally capable of receiving it: and though there will be degrees of punishment in hell, proportionate to the sins of men, which the justice of God requires, yet it follows not, that there will be degrees in glory; since that is not proportioned to the works of men, but springs from the grace of God, and yet in a way of justice too, through the blood, righteousness, and sacrifice of Christ: and since the saints have an equal interest in these things, it seems that upon the foot of justice, they should equally enjoy all that happiness which these entitle them to.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They received every man a penny - There was no agreement how much they should receive, but merely that justice should be done, Matthew 20:4-5, Matthew 20:7. The householder supposed they had earned it, or chose to make a present to them to compensate for the loss of the first part of the day, when they were willing to work, but could not find employment.


 
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